The Sheriff and the Panhandle Murders

Sheriff Charles Matthews #1

by D.R. Meredith

Sheriff Charles Timothy Matthews of Crawford County, Texas, investigates the brutal murders of a teenage Mexican girl and a young man and uncovers a host of suspects in a town that prided itself on its upright reputation

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller

212 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

(from Fantastic Fiction online)

D.R. Meredith, Doris to friends and family, has a split personality--by day, she is a conservatively dressed legal secretary at her husband Mike's law firm. By night she turns into Mrs. Hyde dressed in jeans, flip-flops, and Texas Rangers tee shirt, and commits bloody murder.

She is now in double digits. In her fourth book in the Megan Clark mystery series, the 18th book of her career, D.R. Meredith has just committed her 35th murder.

"I usually average 2 murders a book, because one murder in a closed circle of suspects usually leads to another in the accepted Agatha Christie fashion. In TOME OF DEATH there are two murders, but they occur 150 years apart. I like linking the past and present and exploring the effect our past has on our present. I can't tell how I use the past without giving a broad hint to the killer's identity, but I will say that human beings don't change over time except in dress and customs. My Comanche warrior amateur sleuth isn't all that different in emotional feelings from modern paleopathologist Megan Clark, except Megan isn't into scalping."

Reviews

[Teresa Gonzales · Rating 2 out of 5]

I took a chance. I have been trying to read authors that are not on my regular reading lists. I became clear in only the first chapter I was going to have a problem with this book. I felt this book was in serious need of an editor. It was predictable I had the 'mystery' figure out in the first chapter. I was actually shocked when I learned this was the first of a series. Maybe this was her first novel and further installments improved. The narrator tried hard to make the book easier to listen too. The fact I finished the book has more to do with the fact I hate buying books I don't finish, and less to do with the writing. Often I'll give an author at least two books before I make a decision to buy more of that author's books. In this case, it will be a first and last.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Grandmother inspired me to be a reader. I used to sit in her closet and peruse the books on her book shelves. Before she died, she gifted me her books. This is one of the books she gave me. She died in 1995, and I am just now reading this book! It is set in the Texas Panhandle where my grandmother and I were both born. I love a good mystery, and I love reading books that are set in my part of the country! The sheriff in this book reminded me very much of Longmire - no nonsense. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Pj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a Good 👍 read

It is so refreshing to just have a good old fashion murder mystery.

I have one complaint though, there were missing words and wrong words all throughout the whole kindle edition. It bothered me so much that it interrupted the flow of the story.

[Grace Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly pretty captivating which made it a quick read. I knew who the murderer was 1/3 of the way in but I liked the plot and main character. Would read more from the series👍

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: Charles Matthews, sheriff
SETTING: Texas panhandle
SERIES: #1 of 5
RATING: 3.0
WHY: Charles Matthews has become the sheriff of a small town in the Texas panhandle, Carroll, TX. Before that he served in Dallas, but things went awry there. Now he's got 2 murders to solve, one of a local killed by insecticide sprayed from a plane, and the other a Latino teen who was pregnant. He manages to narrow things down to a few likely suspects. Frankly, Charles didn't seem all that competent, and he had a temper that led him to lash out at those who don't meet his standards. I guessed the murderer early in the book, which isn't something I usually do. I didn't find this book to be very satisfying, although I did finish it.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this. The characters are stronger than the plot. That means I had the suspect ID’ed before the hero. The main character is a small town sherriff that used to work for the Dallas DA. He is running from his old life, we learn a little bit of this but not the whole story. Part of the story and the characters is how the sherriff has to make do with a small town budget, testing, and personel.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable book. The ambience and the characters were very strong. Whodunit seemed obvious to me but I was sorry that it had to be that way.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book, couldn't put it down, surprize ending!1