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Sheriff Dan Rhodes #15
Of All Sad Words
Strangers are moving into Blacklin County, and none of them is any stranger than Seepy Benton, a math teacher whom the county judge suspects is a wild-eyed radical. Benton and Max Schwartz, who has opened a music store, are among the students in the Citizens’ Sheriff’s Academy, which seemed like a good idea when Sheriff Dan Rhodes presented it to the county commissioners. However, when a mobile home explodes and a dead body is found, the students become the chief suspects, and the commissioners aren’t happy. To make matters worse, there’s another murder, and one of Rhodes’s old antagonists returns with his partner in crime to cause even more trouble. As always in Blacklin County, there are plenty of minor annoyances to go along with the major ones. For one thing, there’s a problem with the county’s Web page. The commissioners blame Rhodes, who knows nothing about the Internet but is supposed to be overseeing their online presence. Then there’s the illegal alcohol being sold in a local restaurant. It was produced in a still that Rhodes discovered after the explosion of the mobile home, and he’s sure it has some connection to the murders. It’s another fun ride with genre veteran Bill Crider, and, once again, it’s up to Sheriff Dan Rhodes to save the day before Blacklin County becomes the crime capital of Texas.
252 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 19, 2008
6 people are currently reading
138 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 41 reviews
February 22, 2016
"Of all Sad Words" by author Bill Crider may be my favorite of the Dan Rhodes novel series so far.
I have enjoyed all the novels in the series (except the one about the local football team) and this volume stands out. The story begins with someone pumping two bullets into Terry Crawford just before blowing up his mobile home. His twin brother Larry however quickly lawyers up, and does not seem too concerned. We quickly turn to the problem with possums in some one's attic, to UFO sightings, to an escaped donkey, or is it a mule?, to Sheriff Rhodes needing to follow up on why the Sheriff's department web site is not up and running. There is also evidence found of illegal whiskey being sold. Not to mention the Sheriff needs to go to the local Walmart to attend a book signing. It's all in a day's work in a small Texas Town.
All of the support characters are present in this volume, both the good and helpful and the familure not so good, including the Sheriff's pets. Yet this installment of the series moves at a tighter pace and seems a bit less "cozy" than previous entries to the series.
This is an altogether enjoyable book and a great way to spend some time with characters and events that entertain and bring a smile to the reading adventure.
I have enjoyed all the novels in the series (except the one about the local football team) and this volume stands out. The story begins with someone pumping two bullets into Terry Crawford just before blowing up his mobile home. His twin brother Larry however quickly lawyers up, and does not seem too concerned. We quickly turn to the problem with possums in some one's attic, to UFO sightings, to an escaped donkey, or is it a mule?, to Sheriff Rhodes needing to follow up on why the Sheriff's department web site is not up and running. There is also evidence found of illegal whiskey being sold. Not to mention the Sheriff needs to go to the local Walmart to attend a book signing. It's all in a day's work in a small Texas Town.
All of the support characters are present in this volume, both the good and helpful and the familure not so good, including the Sheriff's pets. Yet this installment of the series moves at a tighter pace and seems a bit less "cozy" than previous entries to the series.
This is an altogether enjoyable book and a great way to spend some time with characters and events that entertain and bring a smile to the reading adventure.
August 10, 2020
Another good Dan Rhodes mystery. As usual, the eccentric townsfolk are the highlight. Ivy wasn't in this one very much. The ending left several unresolved issues that, no doubt, will be dealt with in coming volumes. Recommended.
July 10, 2009
Sheriff Dan Rhodes has his hands full with the explosion of a trailer and the death of one of the men who lived there. The last thing he needs is some of the graduates of his Citizen's Sheriff Academy deciding to help him out. But that's what he gets, and as if that isn't enough of a problem, he also has Jan and Claudia, the two authors who've just published a book that they claim is based on his exploits, in town for a book signing at Wal-Mart and eager to help him with this crime, too.
August 4, 2016
We listened to two mystery audiobooks, one on the way to West Texas, and one on the way home, both by my favorite mystery writer, Bill Crider. That's what a 9 1/2 hour drive to the other side of the state will do for you. Oh my, did we love hearing the story of guitar-playing Dr. C. P. "Seepy" Benton in Of All Sad Words. And does Bigfoot live in Texas? That's what Sheriff Dan Rhodes has to find out in A Mammoth Murder. We were entranced for nineteen hours and that's no small feat.
November 26, 2018
Of all sad words of tongue or pen/The saddest are these: "It might have been!" Author Bill Crider is channeling Whittier here when he titled Of All Sad Words, one of his Sheriff Dan Rhodes mysteries. Crider passed away on February 12th of 2018. When I was in my twenties I made a conscious decision to expand my reading horizons. Having read science fiction and fantasy almost exclusively for over a decade I needed something new, so I sought out authors of other genre fiction. I targeted mystery fiction, and read Rex Stout, Earl W Emerson, Jonathan Valin, George C Chesbro, and...Bill Crider. So I have been reading the Dan Rhodes series for quite some time-these books are the perfect blend of humor and detecting plus they are a great slice of apple pie, taking place as they do in rural Texas towns. Bill Crider could write, and so Of All Sad Words is a smooth as silk reading experience. As it turns out Mr. Crider resided in Alvin Texas-not really all that far from my front door. I might have been able to meet him, gotten an autograph, told him how much I enjoyed his books...that would have been sweet. But it is not going to happen now, sadly. Constant Reader, hear my plea: if there is something you have been meaning to do, do it. Don't wait. Of all sad words...
September 12, 2009
I've enjoyed many Bill Crider mysteries and my favorites are those with Dan Rhodes. I enjoy seeing his character develop further in each book. I especially enjoy the twists and turns of the plot. Though a quick read, what could be better for a summer's day escape?
April 3, 2010
A Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery.
This one has a lot of stuff going on. In Blacklin County, the trailer of twin brothers explodes and one of the brothers is found dead near the hole. Neighbors had thought the pair were running a meth lab.
Investigation proved different though. Bottled gas had exploded. And the dead brother had been shot, then crawled away before the trailer went. Not only that, Rhodes finds a still near the crater in the woods behind.
A large black pick-up truck, windows blackened so you couldn't see the cab's occupants, tries to run Rhodes and a deputy down. The still disappears, the truck shows up again later and runs down a restaurant owner, crushing him.
Two of Rhodes' recurring foes reappear, a pair of bikers that show up from time to time to bounce the Sheriff around. That they usually end up suffering more doesn't seem to deter them.
Rhodes also has a county commisioner on his back and has to deal with all the small problems small county Sheriffs get stuck with.
This one has a lot of stuff going on. In Blacklin County, the trailer of twin brothers explodes and one of the brothers is found dead near the hole. Neighbors had thought the pair were running a meth lab.
Investigation proved different though. Bottled gas had exploded. And the dead brother had been shot, then crawled away before the trailer went. Not only that, Rhodes finds a still near the crater in the woods behind.
A large black pick-up truck, windows blackened so you couldn't see the cab's occupants, tries to run Rhodes and a deputy down. The still disappears, the truck shows up again later and runs down a restaurant owner, crushing him.
Two of Rhodes' recurring foes reappear, a pair of bikers that show up from time to time to bounce the Sheriff around. That they usually end up suffering more doesn't seem to deter them.
Rhodes also has a county commisioner on his back and has to deal with all the small problems small county Sheriffs get stuck with.
November 13, 2012
#15 in the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series. Dan Rhodes get falsely criticized for creating vigilantes in his Sheriff's Academy and his County Commissioner is after him to get the Sheriff's web site up and running. But there is also crime: a mobile home, owned by brothers accused of running a meth lab, explodes - there is no meth but one of the brothers is found murdered and a still is found. A new restauranteur is accused of selling moonshine, then he is murdered and a second still is found. Someone is trying to kill Rhodes with a large, black pickup and he gets into two shoot-outs. The sheriff is also expected to show up at a book signing, take care of a stray donkey, evict 'possums from an attic, and repel electricity sucking extraterrestrials. Just down-home law enforcement in Blacklin County, TX.
April 29, 2010
This book was my introduction to Sheriff Dan Rhodes of Blacklin County, TX, and, I must say, I wish it had occurred much sooner. In Sheriff Rhodes, Mr. Crider has created a near-perfect example of a rural sheriff. Not only does he have murders to solve, Sheriff Rhodes must deal with officious comissioners, lonely little old ladies, imaginary animals, and a citizen whose electricity has been stolen by UFOs. All in a day's work, though, and alongside the dry humor with which Rhodes deals with these details is a real mystery, and real danger.
This was an excellent book, and I'll be looking for more in this series.
This was an excellent book, and I'll be looking for more in this series.
January 24, 2018
Of All Sad Words by Bill Crider is set in a small town in Texas featuring Sheriff Dan Rhodes. Dan is a lawman ala Andy Griffith of Mayberry fame and is part lawman and part friend to his constituents. Since this is a long-standing series, Crider's fans will know many of the characters that reoccur throughout the series. A quick and enjoyable read.
April 28, 2008
Bill Crider writes many, many quick reading mysteries without a lot of difficult plots - all based in the Texas hill country. The ones that I like the most are the ones that have Sheriff Dan Rhodes as the protagonist. It's a good series. Nothing spectacular, but a good quick read.
April 4, 2016
Still enjoying this series. There is lots going on with Sheriff Rhodes trying to spend time at home with his wife, dogs, and black cat, while contending with illegal moonshine, explosions, and the Internet.
November 13, 2019
Wish I'd managed to snag one from earlier in the series, but I think the author alluded to at least four previous adventures in this one. Likeable Texas sheriff, decent plot. If you're looking for decent mysteries, you could do a lot worse.
June 24, 2008
I haven't read a Sheriff Dan Rhodes book in awhile, and enjoyed this one. It's hard not to like a sheriff whose drink of choice is Dr. Pepper (the national drink of Texas. ;) )
January 3, 2009
Fun little murder mystery set in rural Texas. Eccentric characters, and well-written, I'd recommend it for a lazy long weekend.
August 15, 2011
First one I read in this series, but I enjoyed reading about this Texas sheriff. I will have to find more by this author.
July 24, 2014
I think this book is very good. I can relate to Dan Rhodes.
Read
September 9, 2015Sheriff Dan Rhoades has his usual problems. there is two murders, Rapper shows up in the county, two moonshine stills, UFO's, and raccoons in an attic. All in a day's work.
July 9, 2017
Small town sheriff mixes it up with moonshiners and killers along with a few strange people that live in the town
Good story
Good story
December 12, 2014
loved the poetry references
September 25, 2024
I’ve dipped into and out of this series without paying any regard to whether I’m reading chronologically. For that reason, I think you can read this without worrying much about whether you’ve tapped into the previous books.
Before the events in this book, Sheriff Rhodes had operated a citizen’s academy in which he brought townspeople in to learn more about local policing. Now, he wishes he hadn’t. the well-intended program created a raft of small-time cop wannabees, and the headaches to Rhodes and his department weren’t small time at all.
Someone blows up a mobile home that belonged to two brothers. One brother died, but he didn’t die from the explosion. Someone put bullets in him, and his body didn’t react well to those at all.
While investigating the explosion, the sheriff uncovers a still and five gallons of moonshine. There are no prints on the jugs, that would be too easy. But someone wants Rhodes dead. Twice, a driver tried to run him down in a truck.
Meanwhile, two women in town have written a novel about a dashing sheriff in a Texas Town who has all the looks and brains he needs to snag all the babes he can imagine. The women insist they modeled the character after Sheriff Rhodes, and they want him to appear at the book signing in a Wal-Mart.
When a restaurant owner brutally dies, Rhodes wonders whether he sold any of the moonshine made by the brothers. While I insisted at the beginning of this review that reading previous books in the series isn’t necessary, two criminals from books I’ve not yet read make an appearance here and nearly kill Rhodes in the woods.
I wouldn’t call this laugh-out-loud humor, but I smiled in a place or two. Rhodes asks a music store owner to develop a UFO repellant for a guy who’s sure they keep hovering over his house and taking his electricity. A lonely woman insists the sheriff come and dispose of the possums in her attic. He sends one of his citizen academy grads, and the guy is sharp enough to realize that loneliness, not possums, is the problem.
I’ve no idea whether I’ll read more in the series. If I downloaded them, I’ll stumble onto them eventually.
You’re going to need to 3X this narrator. She’s good, but she’s slower than a Hezbollah leader after the pager went boom.
Before the events in this book, Sheriff Rhodes had operated a citizen’s academy in which he brought townspeople in to learn more about local policing. Now, he wishes he hadn’t. the well-intended program created a raft of small-time cop wannabees, and the headaches to Rhodes and his department weren’t small time at all.
Someone blows up a mobile home that belonged to two brothers. One brother died, but he didn’t die from the explosion. Someone put bullets in him, and his body didn’t react well to those at all.
While investigating the explosion, the sheriff uncovers a still and five gallons of moonshine. There are no prints on the jugs, that would be too easy. But someone wants Rhodes dead. Twice, a driver tried to run him down in a truck.
Meanwhile, two women in town have written a novel about a dashing sheriff in a Texas Town who has all the looks and brains he needs to snag all the babes he can imagine. The women insist they modeled the character after Sheriff Rhodes, and they want him to appear at the book signing in a Wal-Mart.
When a restaurant owner brutally dies, Rhodes wonders whether he sold any of the moonshine made by the brothers. While I insisted at the beginning of this review that reading previous books in the series isn’t necessary, two criminals from books I’ve not yet read make an appearance here and nearly kill Rhodes in the woods.
I wouldn’t call this laugh-out-loud humor, but I smiled in a place or two. Rhodes asks a music store owner to develop a UFO repellant for a guy who’s sure they keep hovering over his house and taking his electricity. A lonely woman insists the sheriff come and dispose of the possums in her attic. He sends one of his citizen academy grads, and the guy is sharp enough to realize that loneliness, not possums, is the problem.
I’ve no idea whether I’ll read more in the series. If I downloaded them, I’ll stumble onto them eventually.
You’re going to need to 3X this narrator. She’s good, but she’s slower than a Hezbollah leader after the pager went boom.
May 20, 2025
“Of all the Sad Words” is one of the weakest murder mysteries I've come across in a while.
However the 'Sheriff Dan Rhodes' series has never relied on breakthrough material, relying instead on a same old, same old diet of down home humour and observation.
There are new characters in each book but the central cast never varies.
This time around Dan is investigating a murder which, in turn, leads to an illegal still.
That opens into a search for the distributor and seller(s) of the hooch.
He's also been instructed to get the Sheriff's department website online asap, something which proves easier said than done.
It's the fifteenth episode of the series and anyone who has read this far will know exactly what to expect.
3 Stars.
However the 'Sheriff Dan Rhodes' series has never relied on breakthrough material, relying instead on a same old, same old diet of down home humour and observation.
There are new characters in each book but the central cast never varies.
This time around Dan is investigating a murder which, in turn, leads to an illegal still.
That opens into a search for the distributor and seller(s) of the hooch.
He's also been instructed to get the Sheriff's department website online asap, something which proves easier said than done.
It's the fifteenth episode of the series and anyone who has read this far will know exactly what to expect.
3 Stars.
August 8, 2017
Oh, the characters populating Sheriff Dan Rhodes' section of Texas! The Crawford brothers start the chain of events with their trailer exploding, and one brother dying. Citizens who participated in Rhodes' Citizens' Sheriff's Academy and now think they are experts are not always a help. His previous nemesis duo, Rapper and Nellie, enter again. And, of course, he has his in-house characters--Hack and Lawton. He even has to contend with himself, Sage Barton, his alter ego in a new book published by earlier characters--Claudia and Jan. He even had to sign their book at a Wal-Mart book signing. Always a fun read.
July 9, 2019
Sheriff Dan Rhodes leads the way! He's the most laid-back crime solving sheriff known, and many people are jealous of him. The county government came up with the Citizen's Sheriff's Academy, and it has been a headache for him but a blessing in disguise in many ways. Many regular citizens want to help solve crimes, but some just get in the way. The sheriff chases leads of hooch being manufactured in the county, two murders, and a trailer explosion.
I admire the way the author portrays his main character. He keeps his cool in spite of all the chaos surrounding him. I wasn't aware that sheriffs put up with so much that is petty. Maybe the Academy is a good idea after all!
I admire the way the author portrays his main character. He keeps his cool in spite of all the chaos surrounding him. I wasn't aware that sheriffs put up with so much that is petty. Maybe the Academy is a good idea after all!
March 19, 2020
I like occasionally visiting Sheriff Dan (this being about my 12th visit), the thoughtful, hard-working sheriff of Blacklin County, Texas. Sheriff Dan’s laid-back detecting style makes for down-home, small-town, low-key crime solving. I go to visit him occasionally between longer, more intense books! As always in Blacklin County, there are plenty of minor annoyances to go along with the major ones (murder and an illegal still/alcohol). There are always a couple quirky characters involved, including Hack and Lawton, his dispatcher and jailor. The FIRST book in this series is Too Late to Die. (I also like Inspector Gamache and Sheriff Longmire...and the series they are in.)
August 5, 2023
When Sheriff Rhodes holds a Citizens Academy and members of the county who are newcomers attend the Academy, the County Judge is a little concerned because he considers the newcomers vigilantes. When a mobile home explodes and a body is found the Sheriff and his deputy investigate and discover a still. How this leads to another murder and a lot of complications for the Sheriff makes for a great story. A good mystery and entertaining book.
April 13, 2022
No wild animals this time - well one small donkey - but it was no big deal. Alien space ships, book signings at Wal-Mart and a crazed black pickup truck with a brush guard on front - oh and a still or two for good old fashioned moonshine. And the sheriff gets shot at again, attacked by the truck several times, gets dirty and banged up but like the mounties - always gets his man.
September 25, 2023
Not having read the previous 14 books in the series, that might be a reason for me not really liking this. There were too many characters and it appears that I should've known more about most of them. Regardless of that though, as a standalone book, it was just ok.
July 11, 2020
Audiobook performed by George Guidall
November 29, 2025
Love this series. Easy going, small town Texas sheriff solving crimes. Perfect for just unplugging.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews