Avalanche: A Sheriff Bo Tully Mystery

Avalanche: A Sheriff Bo Tully Mystery

Patrick F. McManus

Patrick F. McManus

In Patrick F. McManus’s comic mystery, a person who turns up missing during an avalanche turns up murdered—and everyone is a suspect. When the call comes in that Mike Wilson, the unlikable owner of West Branch Lodge, has gone missing, Sheriff Tully is delighted. This is an excellent opportunity for Tully, his tracker pal Dave, and his retired sheriff father, Pap, to enjoy a few evenings of hot tubs and single-malt scotch at the luxurious lodge while working the case. However, visions of R & R vanish in a flash on the drive up, when Tully and Pap suddenly realize an avalanche is thundering down the mountain, straight toward them. Tully manages to outrun the crush of snow, but the road behind is blocked, and there's no telling for how long. Tully's stranded at the lodge with a motley group of vacationers and locals: a sassy co-ed, a group of rambunctious fraternity boys, a shadowy group of what looks like ex-cons, the missing owner's wife, a suspiciously good-looking bartender, and worst (or perhaps best) of all, Tully's old flame, who shows up with her dogsled and naughty intentions. Both vacationers and locals start to look like suspects when Tully discovers startling evidence proving that the avalanche was no accident of nature. But why would anybody want him dead? And then the missing persons case turns into a murder case when Mike Wilson's body turns up in the river a couple of days later. But who killed him, and how? Furthermore, when another murder in Blight City is reported that week, the only suspect who makes sense...is the dead guy, Mike Wilson. But how could that have happened? It's up to Tully to figure it all out in this comic romp through the wilds of Blight County, from bestselling author Patrick McManus.
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Never Cry

Never Cry Arp! and Other Great Adventures

Patrick F. McManus

Patrick F. McManus

America's best-selling outdoor humorist for adults has a secret following: middle-grade and young-adult readers.Never Cry "Arp!" is a lively collection of twelve stories about young Pat's misadventures in the Great American Wilderness.All the McManus regulars are here: Crazy Eddie Muldoon, the best friend everybody wishes they had (and everybody's mother wishes they didn't); Rancid Crabtree, the good-hearted, if gamey, woodsman; Pat's skunk dog, Strange, who lives up to his name; and Pat's pal, Retch Sweeney, who does, too.This is a book for kids who love to start fishing at 4am (at least they say they do) or for those who prefer to experience the mighty outdoors in the safety of their homes."Everybody should read Patrick McManus," said the New York Times. Now, everybody can.
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Real Ponies Don't Go Oink!

Real Ponies Don't Go Oink!

Patrick F. McManus

Patrick F. McManus

Bestsellers by America's favorite humorist:A Fine And Pleasant MiseryThey Shoot Canoes, Don't They?Never Sniff A Gift FishThe Grasshopper TrapRubber Legs And White Tail-hairsThe Night The Bear Ate GoombawWhatchagot Stew (with Patricia "The Troll" McManus Gass)Real Ponies Don't Go Oink!The Good Samaritan Strikes AgainHow I Got This WayThese titles are available from Henry Holt and Company.
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They Shoot Canoes, Don't They?

They Shoot Canoes, Don't They?

Patrick F. McManus

Patrick F. McManus

With tongue pressed firmly in cheek and a gentle but penetrating eye for human foibles, Patrick F. McManus celebrates the hidden pleasures, unappreciated lore, and opportunities for disaster to be found in the recreations of camping, hunting, and fishing in his hilarious collection They Shoot Canoes, Don't They?Gathered here for the reader's edification are such treasures as the true but little known story of the discovery of the efficacy of live bait by Genghis Khan's chef, an examination of the precarious and perhaps fanatical expertise required for ice fishing, and a consideration of the circumstances that can cause a deer to ride a bicycle. Among additional topics explored are The Crouch Hop and Other Useful Outdoor Steps, The Sensuous Angler, and Psychic Powers for Outdoorsmen. Included, too, is The Hunter's Dictionary, an invaluable lexicon that helps the novice sportsman understand such arcane terminology as "Ooooooeee-ah-ah-ah! (If there's one...
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A Fine and Pleasant Misery

A Fine and Pleasant Misery

Patrick F. McManus

Patrick F. McManus

"A hilarious compilation" (Los Angeles Times), A Fine and Pleasant Misery gathers twenty-seven witty, cautionary tales of the outdoor life from beloved humorist Patrick F. McManus in a collection edited and introduced by Jack Samson, long-time editor-in-chief of Field & Stream.The great outdoors have never been rendered as hysterically as in the reminiscences—true and exaggerated—of Patrick F. McManus. If you're thinking about getting back to nature, the surreal adventures chronicled here will make you think twice about giving it all up for a life of camping, hiking, and hunting.
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The Huckleberry Murders: A Sheriff Bo Tully Mystery

The Huckleberry Murders: A Sheriff Bo Tully Mystery

Patrick F. McManus

Patrick F. McManus

**Sheriff Bo Tully is the brand of Western lawman who uses as much cunning and guile on the ladies as he does solving his cases. He’s a man with a sense of humor and an instinct for the truth, which comes in handy when trying to capture killers and establish order in Blight County. **Sheriff Tully is famous for his hunches—most recently, his suspicion that local retiree Orville Poulson has been murdered by his ranch caretaker, Ray Crockett, a sociopath with a criminal record. The only problem is that Tully has no evidence and no body to prove that a crime has been committed: supposedly, Orville is alive and well and cashing his Social Security checks from Spokane. But before Tully can follow up on Orville's whereabouts, three unidentified young men are found dead of gusnhot wounds to the head, execution style, in a huckleberry patch on Scotchman Mountain. With the help of confident and beautiful FBI agent Angela Phelps, Tully tries to connect the dots between Poulson’s disappearance, the sudden spate of murders occurring in Blight County, and a big white pickup truck with dual tires wreaking havoc in the area. But when his few potential leads prove either impossible to track down or unexpectedly deceased, Tully must follow his instincts to piece together the puzzle of who is doing the killing, and why. His suspicions lead him straight into a haunted swamp, along with Agent Phelps, his womanizing ex-sheriff father, Pap, expert tracker and good friend Dave, and mountain man Poke. A twisty case packed with murder and mystery, The Huckleberry Murders is the most entertaining tale yet in this beloved series.**
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Circles in the Snow

Circles in the Snow

Patrick F. McManus

Patrick F. McManus

Bo Tully, sheriff of Blight County, Idaho, has dealt with small-town crime throughout his long, storied career. Now, contemplating retirement after years on the job, Tully is faced with perhaps his most perplexing case yet. When area bald eagles start getting picked off by a ghost-like killer, and when a prominent local rancher is murdered by an arrow with eagle fletching, things gets complicated fast. In this fast-paced whodunit, Tully has a vast array of suspects to chose from—including the rancher's gorgeous, bird-loving wife who mysteriously leaves for a ranch in Mexico the day of the murder; the beautiful chef at the local house of ill repute, who is well-known as a budding ornithologist; and the ranch foreman, who is rumored to be having an affair with his boss's widow.Will Tully put the pieces of the puzzle together, yet again? Will sending his dad, the former sheriff of Blight County, along with his number two man, down to Mexico help solve the mystery? And...
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The Horse in My Garage and Other Stories

The Horse in My Garage and Other Stories

Patrick F. McManus

Patrick F. McManus

The Horse in My Garage and Other Stories is a hilarious addition to Patrick F. McManus's existing work in humor. The author weighs in on his childhood, everyday life, and outdoor tales with his typical exaggerated commentary that will elicit a belly laugh from all types of readers.Read about the antics of Patrick's friends Rancid Crabtree and Retch Sweeney in such stories as "Shaping Up for the Hunt" and "Bear Hunters." McManus plays off the recent obsession with hoarders in his surprising story "The Lady Who Kept Things." In the titular story, meet Patrick's horse, Huckleberry, and enjoy the experience of all the problems that come along with owning your own horse—or keeping him in the garage.Other great stories include:"Catch-And-Eaters," about the importance of a forked stick when fishing"$7000 TV Historical Extravaganza," a look at one director's loose interpretation of historical accuracy and political correctness"A Lake Too Far," concerning the woes of Patrick and...
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The Tamarack Murders

The Tamarack Murders

Patrick F. McManus

Patrick F. McManus

Bo Tully is a renowned sheriff because he always gets his man—whether by the book or otherwise.Bo Tully, sheriff of Blight County, Idaho, has seen his share of small-town crime. Fact is, everyone in the area knows Tully, and knows his Blight Way of doing things. But when he and his deputy hike into the deep woods, tracking a suspected bank robber, little do they realize that they are about to witness a murder—and that, in turn, will lead the sheriff on an intricate trail, a series of twists and turns demanding his utmost attention and keenest crime-solving abilities.Along the way, Tully has to deal with the likes of a shadowy local named Gridley Shanks, who seems to have a spider web of connections throughout town; two out-of-town elk hunters who don’t know much about elk hunting, but are tied to the murder; an elderly couple who end up dead while caring for a rundown mansion and property out of town; a sassy assistant named Daisy; an attractive, tough FBI agent named Angie, who suddenly finds herself involved in her first murder investigation; and a host of other characters. There’s also the case of missing loot, which no one can find—at least, until Tully puts his mind to it. Will Tully get his man (or men) this time? Does the Blight Way ever fail? Read another page-turning mystery turned misadventure by New York Times bestselling author, Patrick F. McManus.Review“Everybody should read Patrick McManus.” (The New York Times Book Review)“A style that brings to mind Mark Twain, Art Buchwald, and Garrison Keillor.” (People)“Patrick McManus is a treasure.” (Atlantic Monthly) About the AuthorPatrick F. McManus is a humor writer who began writing as an undergrad at Washington State University. Hundreds of his humor articles have been published in magazines such as Field & Stream and Outdoor Life. He has published more than a dozen humor books, several mysteries, and a children’s humor book.  Among his recent works are The Tamarack Murders, The Horse in My Garage, Kerplunk!, and The Huckleberry Murders. He lives in Spokane, Washington.
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The Double-Jack Murders: A Sheriff Bo Tully Mystery (Sheriff Bo Tully Mysteries)

The Double-Jack Murders: A Sheriff Bo Tully Mystery (Sheriff Bo Tully Mysteries)

Patrick F. McManus

Patrick F. McManus

Patrick F. McManus’s beloved Sheriff Bo Tully has his hands full of elusive killers, eccentric backwoods characters, and irresistible women in this latest romp through the wilds of Blight County, Idaho. Sheriff Bo Tully is the kind of western lawman who’s as good with the ladies as he is with his guns, and he never lets a death threat get in the way of a good barbecue. In this latest tale, Tully pursues a seventy-five-year-old missing persons case in which a pair of gold miners (a two-man drilling team known as a double-jack) mysteriously disappeared just as they hit the mother lode in a remote part of Blight County. Meanwhile, a second, more threatening case looms large. After serving only two months of a life sentence, a mentally unstable murderer named Kincaid—a nasty piece of work if there ever was one—manages to escape prison, setting his sights on killing the man who put him behind bars: one Sheriff Bo Tully.**
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Into the Twilight, Endlessly Grousing

Into the Twilight, Endlessly Grousing

Patrick F. McManus

Patrick F. McManus

Like Twain -- or more contemporary humorists Dave Barry and Garrison Keillor -- Patrick McManus shares the belief that life's eternal verities exist primarily to be overturned. In McManus's world, all steaks should be chicken-fried, strong coffee is drunk by the light of a campfire, and fishing trips consist of men acting like boys and boys behaving like the small animals we've always assumed they were.In this, the tenth hilarious collection of his adventures, wry observations, and curmudgeonly calls for bigger and bigger fish stories, McManus takes on everything from an Idaho crime wave to his friend Dolph's atomic-powered huckleberry picker to the uncertain joys of standing waist-deep in icy water, watching the fish go by.
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