Review: The Nighttime Is The Right Time by Bill Crider

The Nighttime is the Right Time by Bill Crider kept me company this past weekend.

Crider, known for his mystery series, with the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series perhaps being his best-known work, writes several other series. This collection of short stories is a great way to meet some of his other sleuths.

With a sly sense of humor evident in most of his writing, the author infuses a wry, often ironic tone, to his prose. Even some of his titles make me smile, like "See What the Boys in the Locked Room Will Have." (Show me a mystery reader who won't smile at that!)

This dozen of mystery short stories is perfect reading for those odd moments in the day when you need a short break, or, do as I did, and read them one after the other on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

From small town Texas Sheriff Dan Rhodes to a werewolf teenager, Crider's characterization never makes a misstep. Whether the character is "real" like the sheriff or a fantasy creature like a werewolf, Crider makes them all believable.

In case you don't know, Crider also writes edgier, darker -- much darker -- fiction too, and some of these short stories show that.

Takeaway Truth

Short story collections are a great way to sample the diverse offerings of an author. When the voice appeals, let it lead you to a longer work -- perhaps even to a new series. Happy reading!