Why I read the book: I saw it on the new book shelf at the library. I’ve read several of McManus's books of humorous essays and enjoyed them, so I decided to give his first mystery a try.

What the book was about: Bo Tully, sheriff of rural Blight County, Idaho, gets a call about a dead body hanging on a rancher’s fence near the town of Famine. His investigation quickly turns up two more bodies. With the help of his father, the ex-sheriff, a deep-fry cook who may or may not be an Indian tracker, and the new county coroner who happens to be an attractive woman, Bo tries to track down the killers.

Bo’s methods are a bit unorthodox — he punches or arrests now and gets warrants later.

In the end, Bo discovers that the townsfolk of Famine, under the supervision of a local rancher, have started a marijuana-growing farm in an abandoned mine. The dead men are distributors from L.A. who tried to take over the business and were killed by the locals. Bo solves the case and makes friends with the new coroner.

What I liked about the book: It was entertaining enough to keep me reading. The characters of Bo, his father and Dave (the Indian? tracker) are likeable. The descriptions of small-town life are funny.

What I didn’t like about the book: There’s no way to solve the mystery with the clues given — Bo doesn’t reveal anything as he investigates. I expected it to be a lot more laugh-out-loud funny, as other McManus books are.

Recommendation: I gave it a 7, although I’m not sure a series of similar books could sustain that high a rating.

Further Comments: The characters swear, but I didn’t have to read it. McManus just says they’re swearing without using the words.