The Devil's Backbone

C. J. Floyd #3

by Robert Greer

When Hambone Dolbey, a rodeo star with a deathly fear of water, turns up in a wet suit, floating in water, and quite dead, his friends know something is fishy. Two of them ask CJ Floyd to find their friend's killer. CJ quickly discovers that the dead man's colorful past encompassed a lot more then roping and riding—like a kinky, forbidden, and potentially dangerous affair and some wild yarns about discovering diamonds on his property. And while CJ is unearthing a trail of shady land and diamond mining deals, he has to watch his back and his front. Not only is he hunting down a murderer who's already struck twice, but the sister of a bond skipper he's run down is laying a trap to kill him. Tightly plotted, and rich in character and detail, this classic contemporary mystery vividly evokes the new American West.

Genres: Mystery

376 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 1971

About the author

Robert Greer, author of the CJ Floyd mystery series, lives in Denver, where he is a practicing surgical pathologist, research scientist, and Professor of Pathology and Medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. He also edits the High Plains Literary Review, reviews books for National Public Radio, and raises Black Baldy cattle on his ranch near Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Series:
* C. J. Floyd

Reviews

[Monica **can't read fast enough**]

Loving this series.

[George Reilly]

The "long-legged gal" blurb is misleading; it's only a secondary theme. The primary story is about the murder investigation, the stubborn protagonist and his messy life, the black community in Denver and beyond, a little bit of rodeo, and some Old West. The Devil's Backbone is a solidly plotted mystery with interesting characters.

[J]

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.

Black bail bondsman C.J. Floyd is the Denver-based buckaroo-influenced hero. I liked that he doesn't always have the crime theory right, but has to try out his ideas for confirmation.

I didn't expect to have Colorado diamond mining be a key plot factor (wonder if the state really does hide diamonds?)

Nor did I expect there would be black rodeo bull riders or rodeo clowns.

Some interesting women surround C.J. - his original assistant, his new hire, his girlfriend, the female black vet who's the niece of his retired bullrider friend, Morgan Williams, another black.

I'd read another book in this series. P.S. Why does 'devil" figure in so many of the titles?" (e.g., Devil's Red Nickel, Devil's Hatband.) The "backbone" in this book refers to a land formation, a ridge. Hope the others aren't all rock or landscape features.

[Natalie Sherling]

Love this author. I think I've read all his books but one.

[Ray Pettiford]

CJ Floyd is fast becoming one of my favorite characters. I am looking forward to reading the remainder of Robert Greer's literary offerings.

[Byron Washington]

Pretty entertaining, and for once I was stumped while attempting to discern the identity of the killer before books end. Well done Robert Greer.