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Sheriff Dan Rhodes #8
Winning Can Be Murder
While all of Blacklin County, Texas, is enjoying the first winning season of high school football in years, Sheriff Dan Rhodes is not. For him the championship game brings drunkenness, fights, and other troubles. What he doesn't expect the evening will bring is a murder case--someone has killed the team's offensive coach.
216 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1996
18 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Bill Crider
241 books235 followersTaught English at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Tex., and went on to become the chair of the Division of English and Fine Arts at Alvin Community College in Alvin, Tex.; prolific writer of mystery, science fiction, western, horror, and children's books, not to mention short stories, articles, reviews, and blog posts; perhaps best known for his Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery series.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 20, 2020
In his ongoing series about Sheriff Dan Rhodes, this being the eighth, The book usually has an overarching theme. There have been books, emus, stolen teeth and so on. Each book I have read so far in the series also contains One, Two or Three murders. For the small town in which he lives it's not too complicated to figure out that he is seriously depleting the town's population.
In this installment Mr. Crider gives us steroids, lots of adultery, the return of the motorsicle gang, and gambling on sports. I really had no problem with any of these plot devices except for the sports. The main gist of this book is Texas high school football, which I did not give a hoot about.
The usual gang of support characters are there to prop up Sheriff Rhodes, with all of their humor and antics, along with his lust for bologna sandwiches and drink Dr. Pepper.
However the sports angle just lowered the bar for my enjoyment.
In this installment Mr. Crider gives us steroids, lots of adultery, the return of the motorsicle gang, and gambling on sports. I really had no problem with any of these plot devices except for the sports. The main gist of this book is Texas high school football, which I did not give a hoot about.
The usual gang of support characters are there to prop up Sheriff Rhodes, with all of their humor and antics, along with his lust for bologna sandwiches and drink Dr. Pepper.
However the sports angle just lowered the bar for my enjoyment.
July 20, 2020
A good entry in the Dan Rhodes series. This one asks is winning more important than everything else, including murder. Beware this is about football fever. If you are not a sports fan this will probably not be your cup of tea. The story is full of Crider's usual eccentric characters and is often a hoot. Recommended.
January 16, 2013
Enjoyed it! Starting reading "Murder of a Beauty Shop Queen." I like reading book series in order but I am reading this one now because it is a 14 day library book. Once I finish this I will start back where I left off.
May 10, 2025
“Winning Can Be Murder”, eighth in the 'Sheriff Dan Rhodes' series, sees the local high school football team having their best year in decades.
When one of the coaches is murdered there is a lot of pressure on Dan to find the killer ASAP so the team can concentrate properly.
There are few clues, lots of suspects and rumours of illegal gambling, game fixing, adultery, and steroid abuse.
Oh, and the 'motorsiccles' (the varying spelling has become a running joke in the series) are back!
Rapper and Nellie are enthusiastic criminals with a liking for violence - it generally doesn't turn out well for them but they keep trying.
A large portion of the book is formulaic, but that is part of the charm of the series.
In this case the murder is solved, almost as an afterthought, right at the end. It's a function al conclusion but one that is not very satisfying.
3 Stars.
When one of the coaches is murdered there is a lot of pressure on Dan to find the killer ASAP so the team can concentrate properly.
There are few clues, lots of suspects and rumours of illegal gambling, game fixing, adultery, and steroid abuse.
Oh, and the 'motorsiccles' (the varying spelling has become a running joke in the series) are back!
Rapper and Nellie are enthusiastic criminals with a liking for violence - it generally doesn't turn out well for them but they keep trying.
A large portion of the book is formulaic, but that is part of the charm of the series.
In this case the murder is solved, almost as an afterthought, right at the end. It's a function al conclusion but one that is not very satisfying.
3 Stars.
February 9, 2020
County sheriff Dan Rhodes again has multiple problems and multiple suspects. He is sheriff in Blacklin County, Texas where football is mighty important so when the team’s offensive coach is murdered everyone expects him to solve the crime quickly so they can concentrate on the football game coming up. Twenty-six books in the series. The author died in 2018 so I’ll space out the books I have left to read….for when I need an easy, quick, “cozy mystery” with a couple eccentric characters thrown in. Not necessary to read them in order.
September 14, 2023
Another very enjoyable murder mystery in the series. An assistant football coach is fond shot to death in a car the day after the local high school football team won a key game to stay undefeated. Sheriff Dan Rhodes finds out that everyone in the small town wants the murder solved as soon as possible to avoid an impact on the team which has a chance to keep on winning in the playoffs and possibly win the state championship..
As he investigates, Rhodes find some interesting information and possible suspects, but no hard evidence.
As he investigates, Rhodes find some interesting information and possible suspects, but no hard evidence.
May 11, 2019
Well should have read plot line before reading this one. I really hate all sports and know less than nothing about football.... didn't like that the ending was so abrupt and barely mentioned in the storyline.
March 15, 2021
I love the Sheriff Dan Rhodes mysteries. I love football, but the beginning was a tad dry. But as usual, in a methodical sure way he works through more than one alarming events in this small TX town. Looking forward to reading the next one.
August 4, 2018
I didn't like this one as much, because I don't like football. I just couldn't get reading it when there was football so much, but I liked it.
October 30, 2023
4.5 stars
June 18, 2025
Largely forgettable.
July 8, 2025
Cozy Texas Mystery
Loved the Friday night lights aspect of the plot. The characters and setting are what keep me coming back. Looking forward to reading the next one.
Loved the Friday night lights aspect of the plot. The characters and setting are what keep me coming back. Looking forward to reading the next one.
August 9, 2012
#8 in the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series. In small town Texas "Friday Night Lights", Rhodes is the man in the middle as the pressure to solve a murder conflicts with the pressure not to disrupt the football schedule.
Dan Rhodes series - Football fever has swept Clearview, Texas. Probably the only citizen whose enthusiasm is tempered a bit is Sheriff Dan Rhodes. He wants the team to win, but he knows this kind of local frenzy can lead to problems. What Rhodes doesn't expect is murder, but that's what he gets when the team's offensive coordinator is found with a bullet hole in his head. The clues are slim, and the suspects slimmer. The whole case changes when a local gambler is also murdered, and the town fathers pressure Rhodes to solve both cases before the next big game.
Dan Rhodes series - Football fever has swept Clearview, Texas. Probably the only citizen whose enthusiasm is tempered a bit is Sheriff Dan Rhodes. He wants the team to win, but he knows this kind of local frenzy can lead to problems. What Rhodes doesn't expect is murder, but that's what he gets when the team's offensive coordinator is found with a bullet hole in his head. The clues are slim, and the suspects slimmer. The whole case changes when a local gambler is also murdered, and the town fathers pressure Rhodes to solve both cases before the next big game.
October 30, 2009
This book revolves around high school football. It's just not something I could read all the way through. I skipped about 70 pages, and read the end.
December 10, 2010
Love this series. Characters are great and stories are good!
January 22, 2016
Dan Rhodes mystery series. Good cozy read. Texas.
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January 22, 2016Wonderful book
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews