Police Stories

Plains Crazy

Name: Plains Crazy
Author: J. M. Hayes
ISBN: 9781590583333

by J. M. Hayes

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Overview

Spring bursts into bloom-and a whole lot more-as murder-by-arrow rattles Benteen County, Kansas.

Nothing ever happens in Benteen County, Kansas. Then, on a perfect spring morning, a member of the reality TV program filming in a local pasture dies with a Cheyenne arrow in his back. Sheriff English’s brother, Mad Dog, the county oddball whose Amerind heritage has produced a born-again Cheyenne, is a prime suspect. Murder is a bad way to start the day. Explosive action follows. Notes left for authorities hint at a terrorist assault on the heartland.

If the sheriff, known as Englishman, doesn’t have enough to worry about, his wife has begun acting strangely. She insists he fly off on a Paris holiday with her before sunset - or else. As Mad Dog swings between suspect and target, he encounters his long-lost high school sweetheart, and a secret that just may explain the unlikely mix of arrows and bombs. It’s Murphy’s Law squared, as Mad Dog and his pet wolf, Hailey, test a shaman’s powers, and Englishman struggles to balance his duties to family and community-enough to drive anyone Plains Crazy.

J.M. Hayes was born and raised on the flat earth of central Kansas where Mad Dog & Englishman (Hc 1-890208-49-3, Pbk 1-890208-74-4), Prairie Gothic (Hc 1-59058-050-8, ibooks Pbk 0-7434-7907-6), and Plains Crazy take place. He graduated from Wichita State University and did another three years of post graduate work at the University of Arizona. He shares a home in Tucson, AZ with his wife, two computers, four thousand or so books, two German Shepherds, and a Scottish “Terror”.

About the Author, J. M. Hayes

J.M. Hayes was born and raised on the flat earth of central Kansas where Prairie Gothic takes place. He graduated from Wichita State University and did another three years of post graduate work at the University of Arizona. He shares a home in Tucson, AZ with his wife, two computers, four thousand or so books, two German Shepherds, and a Scottish "Terror."

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly

In Graves's inspirational debut, 45-year-old Jeneva "Neva" Leopold retreats to her Uncle Matthew Burt's abandoned mining cabin in Billie Creek, Ore., for peace and healing after a double mastectomy and the recent loss of her mother. A columnist for the Willamette Current, the resilient, inquisitive Neva also hunts for clues to her uncle's disappearance from his mining claim 15 years earlier. She makes friends in the small desert community with colorful locals, including crusty artifact hunter Skipper Dooley, ex-beauty queen rancher Darla Steadman and miner Reese Cotter. Neva is horrified to discover the corpse of Reese's fellow miner, young Roy DeRoos, and is later skeptical when Reese is accused of murder. Strange events test Neva's courage, leading to a startling resolution that's both macabre and entertaining. (Mar.)

Kirkus Reviews

A journalist suffering from severe depression after a double mastectomy moves to the desert country of Eastern Oregon, where she comes to terms with her vanished uncle. Jeneva Leopold barely remembers her uncle Matthew, who had a falling out with her mother. But her dreams direct her to his abandoned cabin in Billie Creek, where she's determined to heal her body and mind through simple living and strenuous exercise. Although she's avoided getting involved with the area residents, they slowly intrude on her peaceful existence. Rancher Darla Steadman takes her riding; artifact-hunter Skipper Dooley camps nearby and befriends her; and a forest ranger orders her to vacate the cabin. But her real troubles begin when Reese Cotter shows her around his mining operation. Because Reese's brother has run off, Neva takes in his dog. Soon she discovers the body of Reese's helper Roy crushed in a slide, then watches helplessly as Reese is jailed for his murder. Neva's visits to town involve her with some curious characters. Many think she's searching for the gold they're certain her uncle hid before he went missing. Despite Neva's desire to maintain her Zen-like existence, she tries to find out more about her uncle. Unraveling the mystery reveals a gruesome crime and almost leads to her death. Engaging characters, evocative descriptions of a little-known area and a masterful mystery makes Graves's debut a riveting page-turner.