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Sheriff Dan Rhodes #10
A Ghost of a Chance
Sheriff Dan Rhodes of Blacklin County, Texas, returns for his tenth mystery, investigating both rumors of a ghost in his jailhouse and the mystery surrounding a body found in an open grave in the next town. Reprint.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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114 people want to read
About the author
Bill Crider
241 books236 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 - 30 of 37 reviews
October 22, 2021
A Ghost of a Chance by Bill Crider is a 2001 Worldwide publication.
Another delightful chapter in the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series!
Rhodes has his handful when a feud between Historical societies leads to murder. If that weren’t enough, meth dealers and a ghost are also stirring up trouble in Blacklin County- and as always, the Sheriff’s crew hilariously tries his patience at every turn…
The story is short- very fast-paced and busy, but also a bit complex. I was very invested in the historical society thread, and the ghost story.
The side story about the meth ring was an ‘also ran’ in the story, but was part of the landscape in rural Texas at the time this book as published-and Rhodes explains why it was so hard to weed out the drug dealers in such a sparsely populated area.
The folksy jargon is charming- and as the book was published twenty years ago, some of the nostalgia has a bittersweet quality to it now.
I got a late start on this series- having only read a handful of the newer releases before Crider became ill. I vowed to go back and read the earlier installments in the series and have tried to piece the series together for the past few years.
I found this book in a paperback swap store, and since the storyline involved ghosts, I decided to make it one of my ‘Halloween’ picks this year. I’m really glad I did.
I have missed Sheriff Rhodes and the gang and truly enjoyed the mysteries, and the wonderful humor sprinkled throughout. The ‘Murder, She Wrote’ mentions, the cats, and the Emus were especially fun, as were Rhodes’ addiction to Dr. Pepper- which brings back fond memories.
Overall, a nice trip down memory lane- a good solid mystery or two- and just some good, old-fashioned storytelling. Fun stuff!!
4 stars
Another delightful chapter in the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series!
Rhodes has his handful when a feud between Historical societies leads to murder. If that weren’t enough, meth dealers and a ghost are also stirring up trouble in Blacklin County- and as always, the Sheriff’s crew hilariously tries his patience at every turn…
The story is short- very fast-paced and busy, but also a bit complex. I was very invested in the historical society thread, and the ghost story.
The side story about the meth ring was an ‘also ran’ in the story, but was part of the landscape in rural Texas at the time this book as published-and Rhodes explains why it was so hard to weed out the drug dealers in such a sparsely populated area.
The folksy jargon is charming- and as the book was published twenty years ago, some of the nostalgia has a bittersweet quality to it now.
I got a late start on this series- having only read a handful of the newer releases before Crider became ill. I vowed to go back and read the earlier installments in the series and have tried to piece the series together for the past few years.
I found this book in a paperback swap store, and since the storyline involved ghosts, I decided to make it one of my ‘Halloween’ picks this year. I’m really glad I did.
I have missed Sheriff Rhodes and the gang and truly enjoyed the mysteries, and the wonderful humor sprinkled throughout. The ‘Murder, She Wrote’ mentions, the cats, and the Emus were especially fun, as were Rhodes’ addiction to Dr. Pepper- which brings back fond memories.
Overall, a nice trip down memory lane- a good solid mystery or two- and just some good, old-fashioned storytelling. Fun stuff!!
4 stars
November 16, 2015
Ghosts and Meth dealers are haunting the town. So Who ya gunna call ? Well you can't call Ghostbusters as they have no franchise anywhere near the town, so it's up to the Sheriff to get to the bottom of the meth cooking and ghostly hauntings that are taking place. Not only that, there have been two high profile murders that have taken place in the town.
And how will Sheriff Rhodes avoid adopting three cats, to which he thinks he is allergic to. All this and more take place in this easy reading, and at times hilariously funny book that takes place in a small Texas town.
An entertaining book by all accounts.
And how will Sheriff Rhodes avoid adopting three cats, to which he thinks he is allergic to. All this and more take place in this easy reading, and at times hilariously funny book that takes place in a small Texas town.
An entertaining book by all accounts.
December 31, 2024
“Emus,” Rhodes said.
“Emus?” Ivy didn’t sound convinced. “How on earth did you get from ghosts to emus?”
“It’s hard to explain.”
“Try.”
The trouble was that Rhodes couldn’t really explain it, not even to himself. He worked mostly by intuition and hunches. He talked to people, he watched their reactions, he tried to observe what was going on around him. And sometimes things just fell into place.
It was like working on a jigsaw puzzle. You could look for hours, trying to locate a certain piece to fit a certain spot, and never find it. Then you could leave the table for a while, come back, and see the missing piece immediately. There was no way to explain why the piece had been so hard to find when you were looking for it and so easy to see when you weren’t. And then when you fit it into place, the whole puzzle would take shape.
“It started with a couple of feathers,” Rhodes said.”
Man, that Hap Leonard has great taste in books, I tell ya what.
But seriously, whatta freaking delight this was. Especially after me not getting very far (aka not enjoying my time very much) in the Bonds. This is really funny. Really textured. And really, REALLY easy to sit with without giving away the whole game until just the right time. Think Texan Encyclopedia Brown for Adults. The perfect sort of recipe you need for an actually entertaining “cozy” mystery.
Basically, elevator pitch is Sheriff Dan Rhodes is a Texan who doesn’t like hats. But loves being the law dog of Blacklin County, despite two septuagenarian deputies who think they are funny as hell as a double act and aided only by his slow but fine mind (and apparently new Deputy Ruth who just fucking rules rules rules).
And now grave-robbers, bikers, and even GHOSTS have come to call and they keep confounding our beloved Sheriff Dan at every turn. But also thankfully around every corner is another really funny side character or genuinely charming turn of phrase between Rhodes and his girlfriend Ivy (who also rules) or one of the deputies or just in the margins of the page, Crider as a writer (heh) just gives you all the good stuff without ever making it feel overtly (or artificially) pastoral or operating like Sheriff Dan is dumb (though Dan himself would probably tell you he is). it’s a really cool and specific needle he threads here and I’m more than excited to find out if he does it again (which I’m sure he does; there are like a million of these)
But MY first one was a real pip and an even bigger ringing endorsement to keep on with them eventually! They have a real Coen Brothers/Soderbergh (sans their coldness and cruelty toward certain characters; very sparse but also very strikingly little violence too) vibe but with a genuine Texan feel and timbre to them I really loved. I really hope I make it back to Blacklin County soon. I could and would read every one of these should my local library allow.
“Emus?” Ivy didn’t sound convinced. “How on earth did you get from ghosts to emus?”
“It’s hard to explain.”
“Try.”
The trouble was that Rhodes couldn’t really explain it, not even to himself. He worked mostly by intuition and hunches. He talked to people, he watched their reactions, he tried to observe what was going on around him. And sometimes things just fell into place.
It was like working on a jigsaw puzzle. You could look for hours, trying to locate a certain piece to fit a certain spot, and never find it. Then you could leave the table for a while, come back, and see the missing piece immediately. There was no way to explain why the piece had been so hard to find when you were looking for it and so easy to see when you weren’t. And then when you fit it into place, the whole puzzle would take shape.
“It started with a couple of feathers,” Rhodes said.”
Man, that Hap Leonard has great taste in books, I tell ya what.
But seriously, whatta freaking delight this was. Especially after me not getting very far (aka not enjoying my time very much) in the Bonds. This is really funny. Really textured. And really, REALLY easy to sit with without giving away the whole game until just the right time. Think Texan Encyclopedia Brown for Adults. The perfect sort of recipe you need for an actually entertaining “cozy” mystery.
Basically, elevator pitch is Sheriff Dan Rhodes is a Texan who doesn’t like hats. But loves being the law dog of Blacklin County, despite two septuagenarian deputies who think they are funny as hell as a double act and aided only by his slow but fine mind (and apparently new Deputy Ruth who just fucking rules rules rules).
And now grave-robbers, bikers, and even GHOSTS have come to call and they keep confounding our beloved Sheriff Dan at every turn. But also thankfully around every corner is another really funny side character or genuinely charming turn of phrase between Rhodes and his girlfriend Ivy (who also rules) or one of the deputies or just in the margins of the page, Crider as a writer (heh) just gives you all the good stuff without ever making it feel overtly (or artificially) pastoral or operating like Sheriff Dan is dumb (though Dan himself would probably tell you he is). it’s a really cool and specific needle he threads here and I’m more than excited to find out if he does it again (which I’m sure he does; there are like a million of these)
But MY first one was a real pip and an even bigger ringing endorsement to keep on with them eventually! They have a real Coen Brothers/Soderbergh (sans their coldness and cruelty toward certain characters; very sparse but also very strikingly little violence too) vibe but with a genuine Texan feel and timbre to them I really loved. I really hope I make it back to Blacklin County soon. I could and would read every one of these should my local library allow.
October 20, 2016
I thought this book was very interesting because of the sharp twist and turns in the plot, Sheriff Rhodes has his hands full. I would recemend this book to anyone that likes mystery and excitement because with all these ghost you will have thrills.
July 6, 2009
I like Bill's small town sheriff and admire his storytelling...it's my own roots in a different Southern state--Virginia.
August 1, 2013
Another good book in the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series. This time he's got to deal with ghosts, feuding historical societies, and a drug ring.
I recommend it.
I recommend it.
March 18, 2021
Light crime fiction from a popular American author. A confusing number of characters (though possibly some of them were introduced in earlier novels in this 'Dan Rhodes' series). Fast-paced, set in a context that felt very foreign to me, with people who were so far from my circle of acquaintances that it was hard to believe in them.
No real characterisation, and a complex plot which is solved by a burst of intuition rather than logical reasoning, so I don't suppose there's any way a reader could have worked out 'whodunit'.
Still, it's not a bad book, and if you like this kind of American 'cosy' crime fiction (there's no gratuitous violence or gore, although a lot of shooting happens) it may be worth picking up for a weekend or holiday read.
Longer review here: http://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2...
No real characterisation, and a complex plot which is solved by a burst of intuition rather than logical reasoning, so I don't suppose there's any way a reader could have worked out 'whodunit'.
Still, it's not a bad book, and if you like this kind of American 'cosy' crime fiction (there's no gratuitous violence or gore, although a lot of shooting happens) it may be worth picking up for a weekend or holiday read.
Longer review here: http://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2...
May 12, 2025
“A Ghost of a Chance” sees Sheriff Dan Rhodes finding a body in a grave.
Unfortunately, it's a murder rather than a delayed burial.
The dead man was local historian Ty Berry (who featured in the previous book “Murder Most Fowl”.
Could his death be connected to a spate of thefts of expensive funerary items from small local graveyards?
A secondary story involves meth production (of course bikers Rapper and Nellie are involved).
There's also the slight problem of a ghost in the jail which seems to have re-located to a local graveyard.
On the bright side, Dan has gotten his Edsel repaired!
It's a mostly cosy read in which everyone involved in Dan's investigation is ether lying or being economical with the truth.
As almost always, the answers come to Dan almost out of the blue.
3 Stars.
Unfortunately, it's a murder rather than a delayed burial.
The dead man was local historian Ty Berry (who featured in the previous book “Murder Most Fowl”.
Could his death be connected to a spate of thefts of expensive funerary items from small local graveyards?
A secondary story involves meth production (of course bikers Rapper and Nellie are involved).
There's also the slight problem of a ghost in the jail which seems to have re-located to a local graveyard.
On the bright side, Dan has gotten his Edsel repaired!
It's a mostly cosy read in which everyone involved in Dan's investigation is ether lying or being economical with the truth.
As almost always, the answers come to Dan almost out of the blue.
3 Stars.
August 19, 2025
Deserves 3.5 stars.
Enjoyable, easy to read continuation of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series. Rhodes is the sheriff of a small county in Texas. As the book begins, the prisoners in the county jail claim they have been seeing a ghost late at night. A group of teenagers comes to the jail to say they saw a ghost in the town's cemetery.
The investigation of ghost s becomes far less important when the president of one of the 2 historical societies in the county is found dead in the bottom of an open grave at the cemetery that had been prepared for a funeral the next day. There have been many thefts of decorations from that cemetery as well as other cemeteries in the county.
Enjoyable, easy to read continuation of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series. Rhodes is the sheriff of a small county in Texas. As the book begins, the prisoners in the county jail claim they have been seeing a ghost late at night. A group of teenagers comes to the jail to say they saw a ghost in the town's cemetery.
The investigation of ghost s becomes far less important when the president of one of the 2 historical societies in the county is found dead in the bottom of an open grave at the cemetery that had been prepared for a funeral the next day. There have been many thefts of decorations from that cemetery as well as other cemeteries in the county.
July 22, 2020
Another entertaining number in the Dan Rhodes series. This one has Dan trying to solve several crimes at once, with (or in spite of) help from his "staff" - the dispatcher and jailer) and his wife. He is called upon to figure out who is stealing concrete sculptures and grave markers from local cemeteries, clear out the local ghosts, and to make things more interesting, solve two murders. Needless to say, he manages all that, involving all sorts of interesting characters in the county. Fast and fun to read.
April 13, 2022
Goat roping. Emu roping. Cat herding. Three of the minor features of this version of murder and theft in rural Texas. Dan Rhodes is old school. He looks, he questions, he probes, he revisits suspect, he gets shot at, he gets dirty and he thinks. After combing through all the stuff related to a case despite how trivial most of it seems, he gets the guilty. And his wife hates how he messes up his clothes while doing it. LOL.
October 10, 2025
Sheriff Rhodes is used to fighting bad guys or at least trying to outsmart them. But when a ghost is reported both in the jail cells and in the local cemetary; no one is quite sure what to think. A call comes in that there is a body in a grave. It's the wrong body and Sheriff Rhodes is off on an investigation filled with cemetery vandals, drugs, and ghosts in the graveyard.
April 25, 2020
Another entertaining Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery.
It seems as if there is a ghost in the county jail, and maybe one in the local cemetery as well.
Rhodes is investigating a rash of cemetery thefts and a dead body found in a empty grave.
Great characters, good plot and some good chuckles as well.
It seems as if there is a ghost in the county jail, and maybe one in the local cemetery as well.
Rhodes is investigating a rash of cemetery thefts and a dead body found in a empty grave.
Great characters, good plot and some good chuckles as well.
April 2, 2018
The more books I read in this mystery series, the more I like Rhodes, the easy-going, low-tech sheriff of Blacklin Co.,Texas. An easy read.
July 26, 2018
Good story. Wasn't too fond of it at first, but it really grew on me. Of course I didn't realize it was 10th in a series, so...
August 15, 2018
Fun mystery in a "typical" old Texas town, with a passel of interesting characters. It's a fun read with several crimes going on at once.
June 19, 2021
I feel like I know the people in this town. One of my very favorite series.
July 26, 2025
This one dragged a bit, but still an enjoyable light read. Looking forward to the next one.
June 15, 2019
The best thing about Bill Crider's series about Sheriff Dan Rhodes is the three-way bickering between Rhodes, the dispatcher Hack Jensen and Lawton, the jailer. The whole tale starts with Hack and Lawton arguing about ghosts in the jail. Of course, the two old men decide that the sheriff is the person to inform the inmates that there are no ghosts.
On the heels of that discussion, someone reports that there is a dead person in a freshly dug grave that is to be used the next day -- but not by the person presently in it. It turns out that there are just as many conflicts between civic leaders in small towns as in large cities. But Rhodes doesn't solve things with forensic evidence or DNA profiles. He solves his cases the old fashioned way -- with smarts and logic.
Rapper and Nellie make a return visit to Blacklin County. You would think they would find an easier locale to pull their stunts but Rhodes is happy to give them another dose of his small-town justice.
This story had some gaping errors in the police procedural portion of this homespun tale. I've observed that the rules about protecting a crime scene and getting backup during an armed conflict are explicit and fairly unshakable. Things did not proceed according to my understanding of the rules.
I happened to have listened to this as a book-on-tape. George Guidall was the reader and he added a star to the story for his fine performance. If you have never heard Guidall narrate a story with aged eccentrics, you owe it to yourself to hear at least one in this series. He also does a masterful job with the Tony Hillerman Navaho stories.
Dan Rhodes
1. Too Late to Die (1986)
2. Shotgun Saturday Night (1987)
3. Cursed to Death (1988)
4. Death on the Move (1989)
5. Evil at the Root (1990)
6. Booked for a Hanging (1992)
7. Murder Most Fowl (1994)
8. Winning Can Be Murder (1996)
9. Death By Accident (1998)
10. A Ghost of a Chance (2000)
On the heels of that discussion, someone reports that there is a dead person in a freshly dug grave that is to be used the next day -- but not by the person presently in it. It turns out that there are just as many conflicts between civic leaders in small towns as in large cities. But Rhodes doesn't solve things with forensic evidence or DNA profiles. He solves his cases the old fashioned way -- with smarts and logic.
Rapper and Nellie make a return visit to Blacklin County. You would think they would find an easier locale to pull their stunts but Rhodes is happy to give them another dose of his small-town justice.
This story had some gaping errors in the police procedural portion of this homespun tale. I've observed that the rules about protecting a crime scene and getting backup during an armed conflict are explicit and fairly unshakable. Things did not proceed according to my understanding of the rules.
I happened to have listened to this as a book-on-tape. George Guidall was the reader and he added a star to the story for his fine performance. If you have never heard Guidall narrate a story with aged eccentrics, you owe it to yourself to hear at least one in this series. He also does a masterful job with the Tony Hillerman Navaho stories.
Dan Rhodes
1. Too Late to Die (1986)
2. Shotgun Saturday Night (1987)
3. Cursed to Death (1988)
4. Death on the Move (1989)
5. Evil at the Root (1990)
6. Booked for a Hanging (1992)
7. Murder Most Fowl (1994)
8. Winning Can Be Murder (1996)
9. Death By Accident (1998)
10. A Ghost of a Chance (2000)
August 7, 2012
#10 of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series. Quick read with folksy Sheriff Rhodes wandering around picking up information and getting beat up.
Sheriff Dan Rhodes of Blacklin County, Texas, faces a couple of unusual problems: there's a ghost haunting his jail, and someone is stealing graveyard art from the county cemeteries. When Ty Berry is found shot in a gravesite, Rhodes knows Berry's mission to end the cemetery crimes may be the motive for his death. Rhodes' easy-going nature and melancholic fondness for the way life used to be in small towns, make him a likable protagonist. Townsfolk love to help him with his investigations, and after Faye Knape makes two suggestions, she is murdered.
Sheriff Dan Rhodes of Blacklin County, Texas, faces a couple of unusual problems: there's a ghost haunting his jail, and someone is stealing graveyard art from the county cemeteries. When Ty Berry is found shot in a gravesite, Rhodes knows Berry's mission to end the cemetery crimes may be the motive for his death. Rhodes' easy-going nature and melancholic fondness for the way life used to be in small towns, make him a likable protagonist. Townsfolk love to help him with his investigations, and after Faye Knape makes two suggestions, she is murdered.
August 31, 2014
Crimes Galore
Ghosts, cemeteries ransacked, the wrong body in an open grave, Sheriff Dan Rhodes has more than enough things to investigate. The plot is ingenious and the sheriff follows false trails and suffers injuries before he solves all of the problems. Through it all he keeps his good humor and enforces the law with a minimum of violence. Probably the only sheriff in Texas without a Stetson, if he wore a hat it would be white. If only he could give up Dr. Pepper and Vienna sausages. His two jailers, Hack and Lawton, are another problem: less of them and their mindless prattle would be better. Still, it is always a pleasure to visit Sheriff Rhodes in Blacklin County
Ghosts, cemeteries ransacked, the wrong body in an open grave, Sheriff Dan Rhodes has more than enough things to investigate. The plot is ingenious and the sheriff follows false trails and suffers injuries before he solves all of the problems. Through it all he keeps his good humor and enforces the law with a minimum of violence. Probably the only sheriff in Texas without a Stetson, if he wore a hat it would be white. If only he could give up Dr. Pepper and Vienna sausages. His two jailers, Hack and Lawton, are another problem: less of them and their mindless prattle would be better. Still, it is always a pleasure to visit Sheriff Rhodes in Blacklin County
May 24, 2013
When the local undertaker calls to report he's found a dead man in the cemetery, sheriff Dan Rhodes is off on another investigation, this one complicated by the return to Blacklin County of two evil motorcyclists, Rapper and Nellie, who are up to something, but what? Suspects in the death include the president of the rival historical society, a dealer in collectibles, a newly successful romance writer, and a neighbor who says she only wants to keep things peaceful. Fast-paced and full of action and humor.
June 2, 2015
A ghost of a Chance
Bill Crider's character Sheriff Dan Rhodes is back in book 10 of series.
And Crider does not disappoint. Clearview,Texas is filled with the most interesting characters .
This time we 2 murders,three loose goats,four roaming emus and tombstone robberies for Dan n Rhodes to figure out and catch.
Fun read. Worth the your time.
Bill Crider's character Sheriff Dan Rhodes is back in book 10 of series.
And Crider does not disappoint. Clearview,Texas is filled with the most interesting characters .
This time we 2 murders,three loose goats,four roaming emus and tombstone robberies for Dan n Rhodes to figure out and catch.
Fun read. Worth the your time.
August 26, 2015
With this being the 10th book in the series, you pretty much are assured that this someone was mentioned in a part book, he/she/them will end up getting "done in" in one of the next. There just aren't that many people left in his county. Still, I enjoyed this one. Also love the fact that Bill Crider feels a good story ought to be able to be told in under 200 pages.
February 8, 2016
I enjoy listening to audios while working in the house, knitting, and cooking. This series caught my eye because it's narrated by George Guidall, one of my favorite readers. These are fun stories, set in a small Texas town and full of all the quirky characters you'd expect, and overseen by the wise and kind sheriff who oversees them all.
April 20, 2016
Getting elected president of the historical society is deadly in this 10th Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery. The Packer family has apparently been breeding criminals for generations. Have they finally managed to breed a murderer? Or two? But the big mystery is: Why did Vernell Lindsey think that a three-foot fence would even slow down the escape of her three goats; Shirley, Goodness & Mercy?
October 30, 2009
Way better then the last one. It's a quick, easy read with fun characters.
January 9, 2010
Sheriff Rhodes has to deal with supposed ghosts, two murders, and thefts from cemeteries in his county. Not to mention two motorcycle thugs that pop up all to frequently in he series.
January 1, 2011
Very funny. Bill Crider continually turns out fast paced witty mysteries with lovable characters.
February 16, 2013
I enjoyed this book very much. Rapper is back. Guess which body part he loses this time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews