When a purported methamphetamine lab explodes and the body of one of the trailer's tenants is found nearby--members of Sheriff Dan Rhode's Civilian Sheriff's Academy are immediately suspected. Another murder occurs and Rhodes must piece together the clues and try to clear his prot?g?s names.

Dan Rhodes is a low-key law officer; events and people that agitate his colleagues never seem to get him overly excited. His deliberate, plodding approach seems sluggish at times, but it only belies exceptional intellectual abilities. Rhodes' astute inquiries underscore an uncanny knack for remembering everything he hears. And he not only remembers, he has an outstanding ability to correlate casual remarks from a variety of sources to help guide him in his investigation.

Other intriguing characters in this 15th installment in Crider's Sheriff Rhodes series range from ex-hippie college professors to staid lawyers and judges to small-town good ol' boys. I am consistently amazed at how, with just a few words, Mr. Crider creates characters so realistic that I feel I know them personally. The author offers an adroit sociological study on how people form opinions of others in Blacklin County, where residents draw conclusions about a person based on one's make of car or the state of one's lawn. An absorbing, enjoyable mystery.