Ten O'Clock Scholar: A Johnnie Baker Mystery

by John Miles

What happens when a small resort community in the Rockies suddenly becomes a lure for Hollywood stars and the tourists who come to gawk at them?
In Tenoclock, Colorado, the town fathers became conscious of image, so they named Johnelle "Johnnie" Baker sheriff. Then, they did everything they could to keep her from doing her job. But in a one-week period, an African lion walked down Main Street, a fire razed the courthouse annex, killing a watchman and destroying virtually all of the county's documents and land records, some south-end sheepmen swore they felt the earth tremble in the night, and a stranger was found by the side of the road, killed by an antique arrow driven through his throat. And when a man wearing flippers and a wetsuit stopped outside the bar, Tenoclock's leaders knew image was the least of their problems.

245 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Rogue Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in rural Colorado, Tenoclock Scholar really tells the story of encroaching tourist development and those who have lived on the land for generations. Further, it is the story of county commissioners who take advantage of their early knowledge to buy up property, the plundering of sacred burial sites and bias against native peoples. Jonelle Baker is a believable character, strong in the face of corruption and intent on finding a way to protect her community.

--Ashland Mystery

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Johnnie and Butt team up to solve a triple crime spree, the fire in the courthouse annex, a murder by arrowhead, and break-ins at the nearby Ute community. All clues point to the Utes but Johnnie and Butt are doubtful, especially when an archaeologist comes poking around the Indian mounds on Indian lands and on the Herman spread. Of course, the interim sheriff, Johnnie, has to deal with politics, finger pointing, and very small minds. The mystery is convoluted, the clues numerous, and the cover-up contentious. Read it and weep that this is the second and final installment of Johnnie and Butt.