Synopses & Reviews
After Ten Years, They Just Found Sissy Fletcher's Cowboy Boot. With Her Foot Still Inside.Some folks think the big-bellied sheriff of Brenham, Texas, isn't smart enough to get reelected. But he's savvy enough to ask retired Texas Ranger Jeremiah Spur for help when Sissy Fletcher is dug up in a pasture outside of town. The hell-raising daughter of a popular preacher, Sissy disappeared ten years ago after a rodeo dance. Everybody thought she ran off with a cowboy. Everybody was dead wrong, and now the Houston TV stations are spotlighting the case. Joining up with deputy Clyde Thomas, a black cop with an attitude problem and the best investigative skills south of Dallas, ex-Ranger Spur figures unearthing Sissy will open a whole can of worms-since some fine upstanding citizen is probably a killer. He just doesn't know how deep secrets are buried in Brenham or how deadly, like prodding a rattler with a short stick, poking into the past will be...
"Illicit sex, blackmail, political corruption, racism, religious hypocrisy, and a few pinches of down-home humor. Hime stokes the embers of Lone Star crime to white hot intensity, while ladling the grill with his distinctive home-brewed dressing. He's a first novelist to bet the ranch on." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"There's a new sheriff in town when it comes to Texas crime writing, and his name is James Hime. The Night of the Dance is a fine debut and destined to be both a mystery lover and Lone Star favorite." -Harlan Coben, author of No Second Chance
Review
"Colorfully written and marked by a compassionate knowledge of small towns operate, Mr. Hime's debut novel is enjoyable and exciting, filled with Texas lore and obvious affection for the state." -Dallas Morning News
"Rangy, shrewd, and heartfelt: an oversized debut stuffed with so many subplots it could only have come out of Texas." -Kirkus Reviews
"Illicit sex, blackmail, political corruption, racism, religious hypocrisy, and a few pinches of down-home humor. Hime stokes the embers of Lone Star crime to white hot intensity, while ladling the grill with his distinctive home-brewed dressing. He's a first novelist to bet the ranch on."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The first novel by Hime is surprisingly polished; it reads like the work of a seasoned, capable pro. The primary characters are carefully drawn, without gimmicks, and each is driven by unique, realistic motives. Top it off with a conclusion that is unexpected but so damn right."
-Booklist (starred review)
Synopsis
A retired Texas Ranger, a good ol' boy sheriff and a hotheaded deputy team up to solve a Texas county's most notorious missing persons case in this jaunty debut crime novel.
Synopsis
Sissy Fletcher, the preachers daughter, disappeared on the night of the Rodeo Dance ten years ago and has been missing ever since. Until now, that is—a team drilling an oil well has made a grisly discovery in an isolated pasture. Seeing as how its an election year, finding her killer is a bigger priority than it might usually be in sleepy Washington County, Texas, where not much ever happens anyway.
Though its becoming clear that the town isnt quite as sleepy as it seems. Martin Fletcher, Sissys brother, seems to believe hes on a mission from God to raise hell in Washington County. He and his partner, Dud Hughes, aim to start small, with armed robbery, and work their way up to bigger things, but an inquiry into his sisters death threatens to draw a little more attention his way than he wants just now.
As the mood begins to the shift in the town, three men put their heads together to work the case: ex-Texas Ranger Jeremiah Spur, who is retired but cant get the thrill of the chase out of his blood; the current sheriff, Dewey Sharpe, who just may not be as dumb as he looks; and Deputy Clyde Thomas, an African-American ex-Dallas cop who is probably the savviest of the bunch. All in all, its a terrifically original, jaunty, and action-packed debut from a writer to watch.
About the Author
Born in Arkansas,
James Hime lives in Houston, Texas, where he and his wife raised two sons and now live with their golden retriever. This is his first novel.