In Edgar-finalist Hime's fine third mystery to feature retired Texas Ranger and “perennially struggling cattle rancher” Jeremiah Spur (after 2004's Scared Money
), the veteran lawman finds himself in the center of a flurry when the daughter of restaurateur Sylvester Bradshaw asks him to look into her father's disappearance. Brenham, Tex., is a small town where plenty of people have large ambitions, including the missing Bradshaw, whose precious food processing secret is protected even from his own sons, Mark and Luke. Bradshaw's fate and the fate of his invention hold the key to the futures of his sons, a doctor, a couple of lawyers, a retired NFL pro, the current sheriff, an ambitious prosecutor and the Texas Aggies' hopes for a football championship. Hime nicely blends broad humor and sharp characterizations, while Spur's mellow approach to investigation contrasts starkly with the blatant self-interest of most everybody else. (Dec.)
