From a review by the HALL OF FAME TOP 100 REVIEWER, Grady HarpThe real pleasure of jumping into this mystery is the manner in which Richard Houston writes. Think Garrison Keillor’s `A Prairie Home Companion’, a dab of Mark Twain, and a dollop of John Grisham – marinate out in nature, and out comes Houston’s style. Not bad ingredients for an author on the rise. Jake Martin is not your ordinary … Martin is not your ordinary sleuth. He’s an ordinary guy with an extraordinary dog. This time the story takes place in the foothills of Denver. Jake is accused of manslaughter and he has to prove the accident was really murder. Along the way he encounters a poaching ring and falls in love with a beautiful game warden. The characters are memorable and the plot is multi-layered. It keeps the reader guessing who dun-it until the very end.
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Jake and Fred make a delightful pair. Not in the thriller category, but a nice, cozy read. I love all these books.
I’m an animal lover, so the Golden Retriever, Fred was a wonderful character. The book was enjoyable and had a nice plot.
I read the previous book regarding the dog also. Although I am not a ‘dog person’, I loved both of these books. The hero is so down to earth believable, and one of those ‘nice guys finish last’, but he remains sincere and honest! Loveable characters, solid values and homey type story. I will read the next one also!
Good solid murder mystery. Main character puts it all together with a romantic interest, who also happens to be a game warden. Loved the dog, also.
Cute story!! But I’m a sucker for a good mystery with a dog as one of the main characters!!!
Very enjoyable.
Love that his books takes place in parts of the country that I am very familiar with and they kept me captivated so much that I went and got the first and third book will probably get more later….
Review of A Book to Die For by Richard Houston
There’s a lot going on right from the start. An out of work computer programmer, writer, and now handyman, is down the road at his neighbors family get together and has been asked to clean up and edit the manuscript of the neighbor Bonnie and her sister Margot. Outside there was an explosion and …
as a life long dog owner and lover i fall for books with dogs in them or on the cover. i hate to say it but this one did not fit the bill. thinking the dog was a central character i was disappointed. story is ok but leaves a lot to be desired. sorry but i would pass.
Wonderful. I loved it.
It was sweet. Clean. Fun. A little unexpected. The author rushed through a little more than I would’ve liked. A quick read. Good stuff.
Reasonably good read
Florida Locale
I just love these book
Could push the boundaries better. Good story, insufficient depth.
Great book
Extremely convoluted–hard to follow. A very unsatisfying ending! Some charming characters, but one’s an alcoholic. Could have been a good series but fell way short.
Characters were believable and existed in an area I’m familiar with. A good mystery with some well developed characters. I enjoyed reading without having to endure profanity that can get in the way of goog reading.
I really enjoy Jake and his dog Fred. I have followed them through a few of their adventures and always enjoy them. Love their neighbor also.
This was a cleverly entertaining book. It had twists and turns in the plot that were unexpected. I read a lot of mysteries and would definitely recommend this book as a light, witty mystery.