Sunset and Sawdust

Joe R. Lansdale

Dec 2007 · Sold by Vintage Crime/Black Lizard

About this ebook

In the middle of a cyclone, beautiful, red-haired Sunset Jones shoots her husband Pete dead when he tries to beat and rape her. To Camp Rapture’s general consternation, Sunset’s mother-in-law arranges for her to take over from Pete as town constable. As if that weren’t hard enough to swallow in depression era east Texas, Sunset actually takes the job seriously, and her investigation into a brutal double murder pulls her into a maelstrom of greed, corruption, and unspeakable malice. It is a case that will require a well of inner strength she never knew she had. Spirited and electrifying, Sunset and Sawdust is a mystery and a tale like nothing you’ve read before.

Ratings and reviews

It's the depression era in East Texas. The Klu Klux Klan is active and many Texas men feel that if they smack their wives around, they won't have to answer for it. Constable Pete Jones comes home drunk and beats his wife, Sunset, and is raping her when she reaches for his revolver and kills him. Since the sawmill town of Camp Rapture is now without a law enforcement officer, with the help of her mother-in-law, who is majority owner of the sawmill, Sunset is appointed as the new constable. She will be assisted by Clyde Fox and a new man in town who goes by the nickname, Hillbilly. Not long after her appointment, a baby's body is found on the land of the only black farmer in the town. Soon after that, a woman's body is found, shot and covered with oil. To the surprise of many, Sunset takes her job seriously. She tries to learn the aspects of her job and to identify the dead woman. When she does, it leads to other complications in her life. She also has to resolve the issues with her precocious fourteen-year-old daughter and her mother-in-law. The story is so realistic that I felt I could picture the action taking place before me. I was also drawn to the difficulty of life at that time and admire the courageousness of Sunset.

About the author

Joe R. Lansdale has written more than a dozen novels in the suspense, horror, and Western genres. He has also edited several anthologies. He has received the British Fantasy Award, the American Mystery Award, six Bram Stoker Awards, and the 2001 Edgar Award for best novel from the Mystery Writers of America. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas, with his family.