#ThrowbackThursday – A View to Die For by Richard Houston

Renee began the #ThrowbackThursday meme on her blog, “It’s Book Talk“ to share some of her old favorites as well as sharing books published over a year ago. Hopefully, you’ll find either a story or author that interests you and you’ll check them out. And, if you’d like to join the fun, you’re welcome to use Renee’s pic from her website. Just provide the link back to her please).

This week I am highlighting Richard Houston, another terrific, prolific author who wrote A View to Die For, #1 in the series, which I reviewed on Goodreads. He has actually written a number of books in the Books To Die For series. I also read #2, A Book to Die For (also downloaded from BookBub). If you’ve been reading this blog for any period of time, you know I’m a sucker for dog pics or doggy stories. Read this for the dog, Fred. (I hoped he lived more than two books. To see why, read the review that follows.) This novel was published on October 8, 2012. Houston consistently runs approximately four stars for any of his books sold on Amazon. Just look at that face!

Originally posted May 29, 2014

Book Blurb:

The story is not your typical murder mystery. The sleuth is not a detective, private eye, or lawyer. He’s an ordinary guy with an extraordinary dog.

Jacob Martin is trying to make the best of a divorce and mid-life crisis when he gets a call at two o’clock Sunday morning from his mother. His sister has been arrested for the murder of her fourth husband, and his father is near death. Thus begins an adventure that takes Jake and his golden retriever from their Colorado retreat to a backwater town in the Missouri Ozarks where they search for cold-blooded killers, a cache of gold coins buried by Jesse James, and the love of a beautiful nurse.

My Review:

Raunchy guy, rough around the edges. The average American guy? One would certainly hope not, but this single, hard-drinking, McDonald burger man from a one-room cabin in Colorado goes to Missouri to help out his sister from the tight spot she’s found herself in following the death of her husband.

The house sits on a bluff overlooking the Lake of the Ozarks–gorgeous view–hence the title, but underneath the beauty of the home and the humidity of the land lay a chorus of characters caught in a multi-plot of intrigue and felonious activities.

Jake owns Fred, his Golden Retriever, who is rapidly having his liver ruined by the beer and burger diet of his owner, and perhaps doesn’t realize dogs are supposed to have food of their own. Jakes sister, Megan, is not only looking at a possible homicide charge in the death of her husband but is apparently in the process of defaulting on the loan of that gorgeous house on the bluff and seems to handle her stress with an over-abundance of alcohol as well.

Jake and Megan must prove that she neither killed Mike, nor that he committed suicide–a serious obstruction to collection of the much needed insurance money if she expects to save her home. Megan has a son, Kevin, whose best buddy is Travis, both of whom seem to personify today’s teen generation and might be enough to make a barren couple feel better about the situation.

Thrown into the mix is a cast of characters adding to the twists and turns of the plot. Jake struggles mightily with each twist and turn but eventually triumphs, and in the meantime, you’ve enjoyed a well-plotted fast and easy reading story. Returning to Colorado, however, Jake discovers the fat lady had not yet sung. Interesting and different, a bit of tongue-in-cheek Americana. Men might identify better with this entertaining laugh and scratch novel. I downloaded this free ebook from BookBub (you know I did, as so many of my other early reviews), and I could recommend to anyone with mid-western origins or who enjoys a very earthy male tale.

About the Author:

USA Today Best Selling author, Richard Houston, lives and writes at his lake home in Missouri where he and his wife are raising their granddaughter, two dachshunds, and a rescue dog that is mostly Golden Retriever.

More Throwback Thursday Blogs

Renee at Its Book Talk

Jill at Jill’s Book Cafe

Rebecca at The Book Whisperer

Lynne at Fictionophile

Sam at Clues and Reviews

Holly B at Dressedtoread

Deanna at DeesRadReads and Reviews

Amanda at Literary Weaponry

Annie at The Misstery

Mischenko at Read Rant Rock and Roll

Laurie at Cozy Nook Books

Ann Marie at LItWitWineDine

Susan at Susan Loves Books

Cathy at What Cathy Read Next

Cathy at Between the Lines

Amy at Novel Gossip

Diana at A Haven for Booklovers

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