Murder mystery in rural Idaho (kinda sexist and formulaic) ( )

I always know I can depend on Patrick McManus for a well-crafted mystery with a fine cast of characters and plenty of humor, and Circles in the Snow is no exception. McManus has a gift for dialogue, and his humor always stems from his characters and the situations they find themselves in; there's no clever word play or comedic set-ups.

The baffling part of the death of rancher Morgan Fester isn't who done it, but how it was done, and I often find that type of mystery more fun to solve. From the author's splendid descriptions of eagles roosting in trees to his theme of intelligence (or lack thereof) and on to the solution to the circles in the snow, McManus's latest Bo Tully mystery is just plain fun to read. I sincerely hope the sheriff doesn't retire any time soon! ( )

From Amazon:

Bo Tully, sheriff of Blight County, Idaho, has dealt with small-town crime throughout his long, storied career. Now, contemplating retirement after years on the job, Tully is faced with perhaps his most perplexing case yet. When area bald eagles start getting picked off by a ghost-like killer, and when a prominent local rancher is murdered by an arrow with eagle fletching, things gets complicated fast. In this fast-paced whodunit, Tully has a vast array of suspects to chose from—including the rancher’s gorgeous, bird-loving wife who mysteriously leaves for a ranch in Mexico the day of the murder; the beautiful chef at the local house of ill repute, who is well-known as a budding ornithologist; and the ranch foreman, who is rumored to be having an affair with his boss’s widow. Will Tully put the pieces of the puzzle together, yet again? Will sending his dad, the former sheriff of Blight County, along with his number two man, down to Mexico help solve the mystery? And what about the mysterious large circles in the snow that Tully finds around the ranch—with no footprints leading in or out of the area? It all adds up to another engrossing series of twists and turns. And in the end, Tully gets his man . . . or woman . . . or does he?

My Thoughts:

While the book ties up a number of loose ends, the frayed plot leaves many unanswered questions. What ever happened to Tully's mother? Will there be another Tully to continue the family law enforcement tradition? How does the Sheriff manage to retire at the age of 48? What happens to the Blight County judge that the FBI is investigating? Where are the friends we meet in the other Tully mystery books? Why is the least competent deputy sheriff the one Tully recommends as his own replacement? I was so sorry to learn that this is the last book in this long-running series. I will miss these quirky characters. ( )

Bo Tully hunts down the killer of killer of wild Eagles. ( )