Book Review: Between the Living and the Dead

Title:  Between the Living and the Dead
Author:  Bill Crider
Pages:  259
Publication Date:  2015
Version:  Hardcover
Genre:  Adult Fiction/Mystery

Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"Sheriff Dan Rhodes returns to deal with murderers, thefts, and ghosts in a small Texas town

Life is never easy for Texas Sheriff Dan Rhodes. When he is called in the middle of the night to investigate gunshots at a haunted house, Rhodes finds the body of meth dealer Neil Foshee. Recently released from jail, Foshee has his fair share of potential murderers, including former girlfriend Vicki, her new boyfriend, the nephew of Clearview's mayor, and Foshee's criminal cousins Earl and Louie.

Complicating matters is Seepy Benton, the community college math professor who has a new summer job. He's founded Clearview Paranormal Investigations and wants to solve the murder by communing with Foshee's ghost. But when he connects with something else instead and a second body is found, Rhodes is left with more questions than ever. Who's the dead person? How long has the body been hidden? Is Benton really able to communicate with ghosts? And most importantly: What, if anything, does the body have to do with Neil Foshee's death?

Between the Living and the Dead, Bill Crider's latest installment in the critically-acclaimed Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery series, finds Rhodes dealing with ghost hunters, runaway bulls, and assorted low-level crimes, including prosecuting people who don’t use their turn signals. It’s all in a day’s work in Clearview, Texas."

My Review:

Hhmmm, what to say about this book...while I did enjoy it for the most part, it wasn't a top read for me.  This was a book of a series that I have not read any of.  I have found that most times this is not any problem.  In this book, however,  I found that there were many things that I found confusing or wondered about.  I knew from how things were worded that it was info from the other previous books in the series.  Now, don't get me wrong, it wasn't anything super big or needed for the main plot of this book to make sense, but it would have given the book a more complete feel for me had those things not been present.  There was talk of this or that, that happened and I had no idea what it was that really happened.  I know it could be seen as a way to get readers to read the other previous books of the series, but to me it was just annoying.  

All that being said, I did enjoy the book still.  The main plot was a great mystery that played out very well.  The writing of the book was good too, as far as flowing well, being super descriptive, and being easy to get in to.  The book had mystery, murder, drama, humor, and ghosts.  Although not quite as ghostly as I gathered from the book jacket description.  It was a good read that was easy to read too.  I enjoyed the characters, the way the characters developed throughout the book, and the small town the book was set in.  It had a homey feeling to it while reading it.  I could picture the little town in my head and how the people in it functioned.  

All in all, this was a good read.  We're there a few disappointments, maybe...but it had an amazing conclusion that was well worth the read of the book!  I would recommend this book to mystery lovers.  It was a nice read, but maybe those starting out should consider starting at the beginning of this series to get the most out of the read.  It does work as a stand alone read, but I'm sure it would be amazing if read in its place in the series.  

4/5 Stars