Big Apple : A Cletus Parr Mystery

Rating:
Summary: Fun and well written
Review: Here's a good mystery from an unexpected source. Richard S. Wheeler, has published over fifty titles of historical fiction, and won awards for his work. With Big Apple he ventures into new ground and does it with the same panache with which western fiction readers are accustomed.

Big Apple offers an offbeat, likeable character, Cletus Parr, who is a Private Investigator and occasional livestock inspector in Billings, Montana. Parr is called to action to discover who killed Big Apple, the seven-times National Cutting Horse Champion. His good detective work is punctuated with his quirky habits (like when/where he puts on deodorant) and a cast of highly believable and distinctive characters, from Rex Pattee (Big Apple's owner), to Parr's secretary/girlfriend, Estelle, to the sleazy Willy-Jay--a suspect in the case.

Along with his usual good writing, Wheeler also gives fine details about cutting horses and their people. If you aren't familiar with the sport, Wheeler introduces you to it with style; if you are knowledgeable, you'll appreciate his excellent descriptions.

Mystery fans can only hope Big Apple isn't a one-time occurrence from Wheeler's repertoire, and that we'll soon see Cletus Parr solving another livestock crime.