Allen Kent

Another very good installment in the Colby Tate series. I really enjoy the feel of the Ozarks and SW Missouri that Kent evokes in his writing. The setting in these books is so authentic and the characters are so realistic one might expect to bump into them walking around the square in downtown. The added suspense of the pending election for sheriff heightened the story and made the mystery even more urgent. The interaction between the characters added depth to the story and made for compelling reading. Who would kill the beloved editor of the local paper? Who benefits from his death? And as the investigation proceeds the stories in the final edition of the paper begin to intertwine and complicate the investigation. Add a deputy who wants Tate's job and another deputy who has opted to resign and we have to wonder will Tate be able to solve the mystery and save his job. A great read!… (more)

Another wonderful foray into the Ozarks to encounter intrigue and mystery. This has been a wonderful series thus far with excellent characters and good plots. Kent draws us into the story through his characters and makes it difficult to disengage either them or the story. This particular installment has multiple story lines with double intrigue as Tate srives to solve a double homicide related to Latin American conterfeiting while at the same time trying to extricate himself and his office manager from a corruption scandal. The plot is intricate and entertaining, the characters colorful and diverse, and overall it is a really good read. But this reader has to wonder: is the Tate Mystery series abuut to go the way of the Unit One books? Is it drawing to a close?… (more)