What do you think?
Sheriff Bo Tully #4
The Huckleberry Murders
Sheriff Bo Tully is the brand of western lawman who uses as much cunning and guile on the ladies as he does solving his cases. He’s a man with a sense of humor and a hunch for the truth, which comes in handy when trying to capture killers and establish order in Blight County.
As the novel opens, Sheriff Tully is following up on one of his famous hunches: he suspects the murder of local retiree Orville Poulson by his ranch caretaker, Ray Crockett, a sociopath with a criminal record. The only problem is, Tully has no evidence or body to prove that a crime has been committed—supposedly Orville is alive and well and cashing his Social Security checks from Spokane.
Meanwhile, a far more alarming case emerges. Three young men have been shot, each in the back of the head, execution style, in a huckleberry patch on Scotchman Mountain, leaving behind no identification. With the help of confident and beautiful FBI agent Angela Phelps, Tully tries to connect the dots between Poulson’s disappearance, the sudden spate of murders occurring in Blight County, and a big white pickup truck with dual tires causing havoc and crime. As the few potential leads are either killed off or prove nearly impossible to track down, Tully must follow his instincts to piece together the puzzle of who is doing the killing, and why. His suspicions lead him straight into a haunted swamp, along with Agent Phelps, his womanizing ex-sheriff father, Pap, expert tracker and good friend Dave, and mountain man Poke. A twisty case packed with murder and mystery, The Huckleberry Murders is the most entertaining tale yet in this beloved series.
As the novel opens, Sheriff Tully is following up on one of his famous hunches: he suspects the murder of local retiree Orville Poulson by his ranch caretaker, Ray Crockett, a sociopath with a criminal record. The only problem is, Tully has no evidence or body to prove that a crime has been committed—supposedly Orville is alive and well and cashing his Social Security checks from Spokane.
Meanwhile, a far more alarming case emerges. Three young men have been shot, each in the back of the head, execution style, in a huckleberry patch on Scotchman Mountain, leaving behind no identification. With the help of confident and beautiful FBI agent Angela Phelps, Tully tries to connect the dots between Poulson’s disappearance, the sudden spate of murders occurring in Blight County, and a big white pickup truck with dual tires causing havoc and crime. As the few potential leads are either killed off or prove nearly impossible to track down, Tully must follow his instincts to piece together the puzzle of who is doing the killing, and why. His suspicions lead him straight into a haunted swamp, along with Agent Phelps, his womanizing ex-sheriff father, Pap, expert tracker and good friend Dave, and mountain man Poke. A twisty case packed with murder and mystery, The Huckleberry Murders is the most entertaining tale yet in this beloved series.
272 pages, ebook
First published October 21, 2010
About the author
Patrick F. McManus
57 books437 followersPatrick F. McManus is an American outdoor humor writer. A humor columnist for Outdoor Life and other magazines, his columns have been collected in several books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
June 30, 2017
This is a marvelous series: delightful characters, humor, a decent mystery. What more could you ask for.
Sheriff Bo Tully is off to collect huckleberries so his mother can bake him some pies when he meets three hysterical women who have discovered three bodies. There are three hard looking men in town worth investigating. And a local wife who insists her ex-husband has been murdered. Because the bodies were found on federal land, the FBI sends an agent to verify that the investigation is done properly. She soon falls under the spell of doing things the "Blight" way.
Series keeps getting better.
Sheriff Bo Tully is off to collect huckleberries so his mother can bake him some pies when he meets three hysterical women who have discovered three bodies. There are three hard looking men in town worth investigating. And a local wife who insists her ex-husband has been murdered. Because the bodies were found on federal land, the FBI sends an agent to verify that the investigation is done properly. She soon falls under the spell of doing things the "Blight" way.
Series keeps getting better.
September 3, 2022
When Sheriff Bo Tully finds some dead bodies near a huckleberry bush, he goes into, well, not action, but we'll say investigative mode.
The murder is on federal land, so an attractive female FBI agent joins the team. Meanwhile, Tully is also romancing a reputed psychic.
I liked it better than the first one I read.
The murder is on federal land, so an attractive female FBI agent joins the team. Meanwhile, Tully is also romancing a reputed psychic.
I liked it better than the first one I read.
April 28, 2011
This is probably one of the worst books I have ever read. Patrick McManus may be wonderful at writing non-fiction (I wouldn’t know, this is the first book I have ever read by him) but writing mystery fiction and especially dialogue is not one of his strengths. I was especially taken aback by the dialogue between the sheriff and the women in the novel. The dialogue that he wrote for the FBI agent could not have been more ridiculous. I would expect FBI agents depicted in books to be more technical and not sound as though their vocabulary consisted of a couple of hundred words and phrases. McManus’s depiction of small town life may be close to the truth but the Sheriff’s relationships with his female co-workers as well as the women in the town were downright stupid and sexist. I am a serious mystery fiction fan and this does not even come close to comparison with some of the wonderful mystery series out there. BLAH!
January 25, 2011
finally made it to library and found this book sitting on shelf waiting for me. had not read any books by patrick mcmanus in many years but he is excellent writer and i soon will look for others he has written with this character.
July 15, 2023
2023 bk 223. While in search of huckleberries (when your Mother makes the best pies around you voluntarily go huckleberrying) Sheriff Tully encounters a group of screaming huckleberriers (?) who have chanced upon bodies, laying in the huckleberry bushes. Complications arise since the deed was done on federal forest land, and FBI agent has to be brought into the investigation and taught the Blight Way (she had been warned first). This was a fun read with many twists and turns. It was while reading this book that I thought to check on Google to see how Patrick McManus was faring these days - only to learn that he has passed away. I am so sorry to hear this. I am not into hunting, fishing, camping - but McManus had such a humorous and descriptive style that he lured me into enjoying books about those subjects, and particularly his mysteries set in Idaho. The world is a little dimmer since he is no longer with us.
February 22, 2018
Amusing with a stripped-down feel.
March 7, 2011
PROTAGONIST: Sheriff Bo Tully
SETTING: Blight, Idaho
SERIES: #4 of 4
RATING: 2.75
Although local rancher Marge Poulson and her husband Orville are divorced, she has enough feelings for him to be concerned when he goes missing. She reaches out to Sheriff Bo Tully, who immediately concludes that Orville is a victim of the ranch caretaker, Ray Crockett. Crockett claims that Orville is alive and has just gone on an adventure. Meanwhile, Crockett claims that he sends Orville’s Social Security check to him every month. Something is not right in Blight (Idaho); Tully feels that Crockett is a sociopath and it’s just a matter of time before Orville’s body will be found. I wondered how Tully came up with his judgment about Crockett’s mental health; there was nothing substantial for him to come up with his conclusions.
Against his better judgment, Bo is convinced by one of his deputies and former lover, Daisy Quinn, to meet with a local fortune teller to see if she has a vision of where to find Orville. Etta Gorsich, destined to be a new love interest, claims not to be a psychic, although she sometimes has psychic flashes. When Bo finds three bodies near his secret huckleberry picking patch, the Orville investigation is temporarily put aside. FBI agent Angela Phelps, also a possible romantic interest, is sent in to help, as the crime took place on federal land. Eventually, everything connects and the mysteries are solved—all except for the mystery of why every woman that Bo meets falls hard for him.
Billed as a “comic mystery”, I found that the humor in this book was spread mighty thin. Every once in a while, Tully came up with a wry observation; but other than that, the laughs were in short supply. The author seemed more interested in presenting Bo as a lady killer, who hit on every woman that he met and was always successful in his romantic endeavors. Frankly, I saw this as wish fulfillment on the part of the writer. Perhaps being female has made this particular aspect of the books distasteful to me. What was the purpose of having four women lose their heads to him?
I’d love to see McManus reduce the emphasis on the romantic elements in these books and focus instead on some of the potentially interesting characters that he has created—Bo’s father, Pap, and several members of the police department in particular. Barring that, this is not a series that I will continue to follow.
SETTING: Blight, Idaho
SERIES: #4 of 4
RATING: 2.75
Although local rancher Marge Poulson and her husband Orville are divorced, she has enough feelings for him to be concerned when he goes missing. She reaches out to Sheriff Bo Tully, who immediately concludes that Orville is a victim of the ranch caretaker, Ray Crockett. Crockett claims that Orville is alive and has just gone on an adventure. Meanwhile, Crockett claims that he sends Orville’s Social Security check to him every month. Something is not right in Blight (Idaho); Tully feels that Crockett is a sociopath and it’s just a matter of time before Orville’s body will be found. I wondered how Tully came up with his judgment about Crockett’s mental health; there was nothing substantial for him to come up with his conclusions.
Against his better judgment, Bo is convinced by one of his deputies and former lover, Daisy Quinn, to meet with a local fortune teller to see if she has a vision of where to find Orville. Etta Gorsich, destined to be a new love interest, claims not to be a psychic, although she sometimes has psychic flashes. When Bo finds three bodies near his secret huckleberry picking patch, the Orville investigation is temporarily put aside. FBI agent Angela Phelps, also a possible romantic interest, is sent in to help, as the crime took place on federal land. Eventually, everything connects and the mysteries are solved—all except for the mystery of why every woman that Bo meets falls hard for him.
Billed as a “comic mystery”, I found that the humor in this book was spread mighty thin. Every once in a while, Tully came up with a wry observation; but other than that, the laughs were in short supply. The author seemed more interested in presenting Bo as a lady killer, who hit on every woman that he met and was always successful in his romantic endeavors. Frankly, I saw this as wish fulfillment on the part of the writer. Perhaps being female has made this particular aspect of the books distasteful to me. What was the purpose of having four women lose their heads to him?
I’d love to see McManus reduce the emphasis on the romantic elements in these books and focus instead on some of the potentially interesting characters that he has created—Bo’s father, Pap, and several members of the police department in particular. Barring that, this is not a series that I will continue to follow.
April 24, 2022
A fun, light hearted and entertaining story. Sheriff Bo Tully goes to pick some huckleberries in his "secret spot" and stumbles upon 3 murder young men. He starts investigating and runs into a lot of interesting characters. He has a beautiful female FBI agent that assists him and he meets a woman in town who is thought to be a psychic. There are some strange goings on happening in town and he thinks many of them might be connected. He is looking for another young man who it seems managed to escape being killed with the other 3. There are a couple of big mean guys hanging around and he works to figure out what they are doing and keep them from hurting others. His dad, the former sheriff, gets involved along with his tracking buddy, Dave, the other deputies who work for him and a few others.
There is always some illegal things going on both with the criminals and law enforcement. Lots of running around in the woods with the usual compliment of complaints such as bug bites, falling in water, beating thru the brush, etc. Definitely not a super series mystery with a lot of tongue in cheek humor. Sheriff Tully has lots of romantic encounters come his way. Quick read.
There is always some illegal things going on both with the criminals and law enforcement. Lots of running around in the woods with the usual compliment of complaints such as bug bites, falling in water, beating thru the brush, etc. Definitely not a super series mystery with a lot of tongue in cheek humor. Sheriff Tully has lots of romantic encounters come his way. Quick read.
January 1, 2011
Kind of a cozy good-old-boy mystery, the 4th in the Bo Tully series. Tully is small town Idaho sheriff in a town of off-kilter characters and as a sideline is a chick magnet. 3 young fellas murdered in a huckleberry patch lead to adventures in swamp stomping, camping, and backwoods hiking to figure out who did what. If you like your mysteries with a touch of dry humor, try this series .
April 3, 2015
This is the first and only book I've read by this author so I went into it with no preconceptions whatsoever....and it turned out to be one of the most ridiculous books I've ever read. I gather that this book is one of the later ones in a long series so maybe if you started out with the character of Sheriff Bo Tully in the beginning you can appreciate his "charms" or whatever, but speaking as a newcomer to the series, the sheriff is one of the least believable characters I've ever encountered. I only made it about 1/3 of the way through this book because it was just so terrible and I didn't sympathize with the Sheriff's character at all. I normally don't post reviews of books I haven't finished but when I saw how many 5-star reviews this one had gotten I thought I'd perform a public service to anyone else who isn't already in the Bo Tully fan club and might unsuspectingly pick up this book. So for what it's worth, here's a review of the first 1/3 from the perspective of someone who HASN'T drunk the Kool-Aid.
The hero of the story is the sheriff in a small town in Idaho and he's investigating a triple-homicide that occurred in the local huckleberry patch. The plot is moving forward at a ridiculous pace with our bored-sounding sheriff suddenly getting these huge epiphanies, "feelings" and hunches that are based on absolutely no physical evidence but always turn out to be right. His methods of police work are questionable to say the least. He tells absolutely everyone he talks to, from criminals to his mother, exactly what's going on in the case right down to the fact that he doesn't have a clue who the killer could be, but then cautions them not to tell anyone. Well shoot, Sheriff, they won't have to tell anyone; you've already blabbed the whole case to everyone in town! And it's hard to root for our good old boy when he blithely instructed one of his deputies to attack a man for no reason and put him in the hospital just so the sheriff could question the man's girlfriend without interruption. And warrants? Who needs a warrant when you're the sheriff!
But the thing that really makes this story jump right off believability train is the people who inhabit this town. Every male character is described in vivid detail as being either old, crazy, dirty, or misshapen in some way...except the hero of course. While all the women, EVERY SINGLE ONE is described as being smoking hot. Even the hero's mom is a great looker. Every woman in town, whether old or young, rich or poor, is a 10 on the attractiveness scale. And guess what? They ALLLLLLL turn to putty under the weight of the sheriff's "charms". This story is apparently one of a series and the back story tells us that the sheriff has slept with just about every woman in town already, and for those he hasn't quite gotten to yet, they all just can't wait for their turn. By about the 1/3 mark already 3 random women who had never met the sheriff before made incredibly bold advances on him right after shaking hands for the first time. They've all heard about his tomcat reputation, and that's apparently the world's best aphrodisiac. None of them mind that he's never going to be faithful to them because, gosh, mama's just gotta get her a piece a dat!
It's just so ridiculously unrealistic! The sheriff openly flirts with every woman in town, and sleeps around wherever he pleases, even going so far as to ask his former lover and secretary/deputy (sexual harassment in the workplace much?) to make reservations for him to take another woman out to lunch, and the jilted lover doesn't mind because our "hero" is just such a lovable scamp. Come on, GTFO of here. It doesn't matter how powerful and self-possessed the woman is supposed to be when we first meet her, in half a sentence she descends into a hormone driven airhead who can't wait to rip the hero's clothes off.
In one scene, a female FBI agent arrives to tear the sheriff a new a**hole for deliberately not informing the FBI of the triple-murder that occurred on federal land. That's not just a lack of courtesy, that's an actual violation that he could be reprimanded for. She's described as wearing a no-nonsense pants suit with her hair in a tight bun and a by the book, take no prisoners attitude. She even tells the sheriff that she's impervious to flattery and she knows all about his "wiles" and that they won't work on her so he shouldn't try......and 30 seconds later all he has to do is drawl that she's the purttiest FBI agent he's ever seen and call her sweetheart and she melts into a meek girlie girl who smiles at him showing dimples and asks if she could please accompany him on HIS investigation, where she hangs back and watches him violate people's Miranda rights and break into houses without a warrant and then compliments him on how efficient his methods are!
It's just all so ridiculous and unbelievable that I can't even pay attention to the rest of the story, which isn't that great anyway. Once I realized that the town was entirely populated by misshapen men and gorgeous women, I just couldn't stop noticing it. What the heck kind of town is this anyway? Are the boys all exposed to radioactive industrial waste right after birth while the girls are shot up with an instant beautification potion?? And why is everyone in town so in love with the sheriff? He's not a nice guy. He's a bully, a womanizer, and kind of a jerk. He assigns derogatory nick-names to every man he meets, especially those who might otherwise be seen as semi-attractive. For example, the genius-level lab tech working for the sheriff's office was nick-named "Lurch" because he's tall, and the former special-ops deputy who put the aforementioned boyfriend in the hospital with only one blow to the kidney has been nick-named "Pew" for reasons that aren't adequately clear. Yet neither of these guys is the least bit offended by the names, and all good-naturedly joke about how the sheriff gets all the women...even the ones they themselves are interested in dating!
Once we got introduced to the sheriff's father, the former sheriff, though I finally figured out what this town is. A fascist monarchy. We're told that the sheriff's office has been held by a member of the hero's family for over 100 years. It passes from father to son like a damn crown. It's also proudly touted that our hero's father was corrupt and abused his power....much like our hero does himself. So it's not too much of a stretch to realize that the townsfolk are all terrified of their tyrannical sheriff's apparently unstoppable power and rush to please him in every way lest they waken the beast. I know that might sound a little hysterical but seriously, what else could possibly explain the bizarre appearance and actions of the people in this quaint little town?
Oh, wait, I know what! We're reading the author's personal self-insert fantasy fiction, and this has to be the worst, most blatant example I've ever seen.
The hero of the story is the sheriff in a small town in Idaho and he's investigating a triple-homicide that occurred in the local huckleberry patch. The plot is moving forward at a ridiculous pace with our bored-sounding sheriff suddenly getting these huge epiphanies, "feelings" and hunches that are based on absolutely no physical evidence but always turn out to be right. His methods of police work are questionable to say the least. He tells absolutely everyone he talks to, from criminals to his mother, exactly what's going on in the case right down to the fact that he doesn't have a clue who the killer could be, but then cautions them not to tell anyone. Well shoot, Sheriff, they won't have to tell anyone; you've already blabbed the whole case to everyone in town! And it's hard to root for our good old boy when he blithely instructed one of his deputies to attack a man for no reason and put him in the hospital just so the sheriff could question the man's girlfriend without interruption. And warrants? Who needs a warrant when you're the sheriff!
But the thing that really makes this story jump right off believability train is the people who inhabit this town. Every male character is described in vivid detail as being either old, crazy, dirty, or misshapen in some way...except the hero of course. While all the women, EVERY SINGLE ONE is described as being smoking hot. Even the hero's mom is a great looker. Every woman in town, whether old or young, rich or poor, is a 10 on the attractiveness scale. And guess what? They ALLLLLLL turn to putty under the weight of the sheriff's "charms". This story is apparently one of a series and the back story tells us that the sheriff has slept with just about every woman in town already, and for those he hasn't quite gotten to yet, they all just can't wait for their turn. By about the 1/3 mark already 3 random women who had never met the sheriff before made incredibly bold advances on him right after shaking hands for the first time. They've all heard about his tomcat reputation, and that's apparently the world's best aphrodisiac. None of them mind that he's never going to be faithful to them because, gosh, mama's just gotta get her a piece a dat!
It's just so ridiculously unrealistic! The sheriff openly flirts with every woman in town, and sleeps around wherever he pleases, even going so far as to ask his former lover and secretary/deputy (sexual harassment in the workplace much?) to make reservations for him to take another woman out to lunch, and the jilted lover doesn't mind because our "hero" is just such a lovable scamp. Come on, GTFO of here. It doesn't matter how powerful and self-possessed the woman is supposed to be when we first meet her, in half a sentence she descends into a hormone driven airhead who can't wait to rip the hero's clothes off.
In one scene, a female FBI agent arrives to tear the sheriff a new a**hole for deliberately not informing the FBI of the triple-murder that occurred on federal land. That's not just a lack of courtesy, that's an actual violation that he could be reprimanded for. She's described as wearing a no-nonsense pants suit with her hair in a tight bun and a by the book, take no prisoners attitude. She even tells the sheriff that she's impervious to flattery and she knows all about his "wiles" and that they won't work on her so he shouldn't try......and 30 seconds later all he has to do is drawl that she's the purttiest FBI agent he's ever seen and call her sweetheart and she melts into a meek girlie girl who smiles at him showing dimples and asks if she could please accompany him on HIS investigation, where she hangs back and watches him violate people's Miranda rights and break into houses without a warrant and then compliments him on how efficient his methods are!
It's just all so ridiculous and unbelievable that I can't even pay attention to the rest of the story, which isn't that great anyway. Once I realized that the town was entirely populated by misshapen men and gorgeous women, I just couldn't stop noticing it. What the heck kind of town is this anyway? Are the boys all exposed to radioactive industrial waste right after birth while the girls are shot up with an instant beautification potion?? And why is everyone in town so in love with the sheriff? He's not a nice guy. He's a bully, a womanizer, and kind of a jerk. He assigns derogatory nick-names to every man he meets, especially those who might otherwise be seen as semi-attractive. For example, the genius-level lab tech working for the sheriff's office was nick-named "Lurch" because he's tall, and the former special-ops deputy who put the aforementioned boyfriend in the hospital with only one blow to the kidney has been nick-named "Pew" for reasons that aren't adequately clear. Yet neither of these guys is the least bit offended by the names, and all good-naturedly joke about how the sheriff gets all the women...even the ones they themselves are interested in dating!
Once we got introduced to the sheriff's father, the former sheriff, though I finally figured out what this town is. A fascist monarchy. We're told that the sheriff's office has been held by a member of the hero's family for over 100 years. It passes from father to son like a damn crown. It's also proudly touted that our hero's father was corrupt and abused his power....much like our hero does himself. So it's not too much of a stretch to realize that the townsfolk are all terrified of their tyrannical sheriff's apparently unstoppable power and rush to please him in every way lest they waken the beast. I know that might sound a little hysterical but seriously, what else could possibly explain the bizarre appearance and actions of the people in this quaint little town?
Oh, wait, I know what! We're reading the author's personal self-insert fantasy fiction, and this has to be the worst, most blatant example I've ever seen.
June 5, 2026
I have loved Patrick McManus' writing since 2009! He's written 19 books. Sheriff Bo Tully is the one mystery series he has written. And I do love mysteries.
Huckleberry pie is delicious! I'd go to a huckleberry patch to get them for a pie, too! But I've never gathered fruit for a pie AND found 3 dead bodies!
Sheriff Bo Tully has a hunch that a retiree, Orville, has been murdered by his ranch caretaker, Ray. But Bo can't find a body. Orville's social security checks are still being cashed but not in town. But then Bo's attention gets pulled in a different direction. Three murdered bodies have been found in a huckleberry patch. Obviously murdered since all three were shot in the back of their heads. Can't be an accident! And the bodies are not recognized as being from Blight County; nor do they have any identification.
Unfortunately for Bo, the patch is located on federal land, so the FBI has to be called. And they send an agent, Angela Phelps. Angela is tough and intelligent.
The regular characters show up: Pap, Bo's womanizing ex-sheriff dad; Dave, his good friend who is an expert tracker, and the whole sheriff's office including Daisy and Lurch. A new guy, Poke, shows up--he's a mountain man.
Between Bo, Pap, Dave, Angela, Poke, Orville, and Ray, the story takes many, many twists. Webs of fraud, fugitives, and small town grudges. It's a fun read! I think it's the best of the series!
Audiobook: 5h 54m
Huckleberry pie is delicious! I'd go to a huckleberry patch to get them for a pie, too! But I've never gathered fruit for a pie AND found 3 dead bodies!
Sheriff Bo Tully has a hunch that a retiree, Orville, has been murdered by his ranch caretaker, Ray. But Bo can't find a body. Orville's social security checks are still being cashed but not in town. But then Bo's attention gets pulled in a different direction. Three murdered bodies have been found in a huckleberry patch. Obviously murdered since all three were shot in the back of their heads. Can't be an accident! And the bodies are not recognized as being from Blight County; nor do they have any identification.
Unfortunately for Bo, the patch is located on federal land, so the FBI has to be called. And they send an agent, Angela Phelps. Angela is tough and intelligent.
The regular characters show up: Pap, Bo's womanizing ex-sheriff dad; Dave, his good friend who is an expert tracker, and the whole sheriff's office including Daisy and Lurch. A new guy, Poke, shows up--he's a mountain man.
Between Bo, Pap, Dave, Angela, Poke, Orville, and Ray, the story takes many, many twists. Webs of fraud, fugitives, and small town grudges. It's a fun read! I think it's the best of the series!
Audiobook: 5h 54m
May 2, 2025
Out picking huckleberries on Scotchman Mountain Sheriff Bo Tully finds distressed women who lead him to the bodies of three young men.
They'd been shot in the back of the head.
There is evidence that a fourth person has been shot but escaped.
Who are they? Why were they killed.
Initially Bo is perplexed but, while investigating the disappearance of a local man, he meets the man minding his house, Ray Crockett.
The smiling and helpful Ray, Bo is convinced, is classic sociopath and far more clever than he lets on.
Bo's suspicions see him leading a posse into a local swamp along with FBI Special Agent Angela Phelps, his father, Pap, Indian Dave, and an eccentric swamp expert and mountain man called Poke.
It's a fun read (it's a very funny series) with a serious side when required.
One of the joys is how Bo, 48, fancies himself a hit with almost every eligible woman he meets - turns out he is usually right.
Oh, and the banter is top notch!
4 Stars.
They'd been shot in the back of the head.
There is evidence that a fourth person has been shot but escaped.
Who are they? Why were they killed.
Initially Bo is perplexed but, while investigating the disappearance of a local man, he meets the man minding his house, Ray Crockett.
The smiling and helpful Ray, Bo is convinced, is classic sociopath and far more clever than he lets on.
Bo's suspicions see him leading a posse into a local swamp along with FBI Special Agent Angela Phelps, his father, Pap, Indian Dave, and an eccentric swamp expert and mountain man called Poke.
It's a fun read (it's a very funny series) with a serious side when required.
One of the joys is how Bo, 48, fancies himself a hit with almost every eligible woman he meets - turns out he is usually right.
Oh, and the banter is top notch!
4 Stars.
January 6, 2021
As always, Sheriff Bo Tully is a fun character to follow around as he solves crimes using the "Blight Way". This refers to his county in Idaho and the rather loose way he manages to get things done without every crossing the line into illegal. The author is a humorist so Bo has a self-deprecating quality about him as he describes his outlook on life and the way he sees others. He's a widower who wants to have a relationship but finds it hard to have a fulfilling one in his small town. Also, he has competition from his aging father and his various friends. The surrounding characters all have big, fun personalities that make this series a really fun diversion. Oh, and there are clues and a real mystery here, too.
August 23, 2023
The Huckleberry Murders is a fast-paced, entertaining novel that combines mystery, comedy, adventure, and romance. Set in the rural Blight County, Idaho, Sheriff Bo Tully is called to investigate a triple homicide in a remote huckleberry patch. The victims are three young men who were shot execution-style. He teams up with a beautiful FBI agent named Angela, his father Pap (a former sheriff and notorious ladies’ man), and his friend Dave (a self-proclaimed Native American tracker). Tully must use his wit, charm, and courage to solve the case and catch the killer before he strikes again.
June 24, 2019
Another in the Sheriff Bo Tully series, this story features Bo and his sidekicks trying to solve the murders of three young men whose bodies are discovered in the forest by some ladies who are huckleberry-picking. Things get complicated when there is also a man who has been missing for a while, some strange occurrences in a swamp, and an FBI agent who shows up and wants to help Bo solve the mysteries.
July 30, 2022
3.5 stars, rounded up
Another entertaining trip to Idaho to spend some time with Bo, Pap, Daisy, Dave and the rest. I realize that a lot of readers may be turned off by Bo's approach to law enforcement and relationships, but something about his character and the way he gets results makes me want to keep reading. I wasn't surprised by the identity of the mastermind behind everything going on, and the motive was even less surprising, but I still plan to continue the series.
Another entertaining trip to Idaho to spend some time with Bo, Pap, Daisy, Dave and the rest. I realize that a lot of readers may be turned off by Bo's approach to law enforcement and relationships, but something about his character and the way he gets results makes me want to keep reading. I wasn't surprised by the identity of the mastermind behind everything going on, and the motive was even less surprising, but I still plan to continue the series.
December 17, 2019
Patrick McManus has written humorous magazine articles for decades, but it appears that his style isn't as successful in a full-length book. Some of the individual episodes were really amusing but. overall. just weren't enough. His main character, Sheriff Bo Tully, is a unique character, definitely who, in real life, would have been involved in about three dozen ongoing sexual harassment suits.
March 8, 2020
Sheriff Bo Tully finds himself involved in a missing body case, and three dead bodies that are found in a patch of huckleberries, and a by the book FBI agent. The Blight County way of policing is put to the test as Sheriff Tully tries to solve the crimes using his good old boy charm, and his usual cast of quirky characters.
October 28, 2020
probably the 4th Sheriff Bo Tully mystery - more fun with this quirky cast of characters. While hunting huckleberries Bo is guided to three bodies later determined to be captive pot growers. Bodies pile up and we meet Angela, a female FBI pageant, who charms Bo & his team and they solve the case. The actual story isn’t really as memorable as the characters and I’ll jump on my next one. 3½***
February 24, 2019
I truly enjoy the Sheriff Bo Tully series. It is important to note, however, like most series, you can't really understand the characters or the humor unless you have followed the series from the start. Each story builds on the characters lives, motivations, and actions.
April 8, 2020
Fun read
I can't say enough about Patrick's writing. I feel that all I am doing is repeating myself. Strong characters, fast paced, funny, good plot. If you can only read one writer's work read Patricks.
I can't say enough about Patrick's writing. I feel that all I am doing is repeating myself. Strong characters, fast paced, funny, good plot. If you can only read one writer's work read Patricks.
February 6, 2023
Another fun Bo Tully mystery novel. I noticed in this one that Pap Tully mentioned a few things that reminded me of several stories from McManus's other books, including names of childhood friends, bagging his first deer at age 8, etc. Definitely a lot of re-readability there.
October 30, 2016
I enjoy the author's humor. OK book to read and I'll have to pick up others in the series. I do prefer Pat's books of funny stories over this one though.
July 2, 2017
Good basic mystery with humor.
April 25, 2018
Damn, I love these Sheriff Bo Tully mysteries.
July 10, 2018
A fun summer read. Characters are genuine, story line straight. Nice back porch no drama read.
July 29, 2019
A fun mystery infused with humor, just what the doctor ordered after reading too many psychological thrillers. I will be checking out more books in this series in the future.
November 26, 2020
Meh. Pretty flimsy story with a barley believable solution to three murders.
December 25, 2020
Okay, but not addictive.
May 25, 2021
Reading McManus’ writing is always a fun way to spend some time. I’m going to be sad to reach the end of the Bo Tully series but he’s published much more so I’ll soon venture over there.
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