Gunslinger by Jeff Ridenour sizzles. One murdered bookstore owner, two disgruntled employees, and rumors of more extramarital affairs than you can shake a cactus at. Petra Barcotti, owner, with her husband, Antonio (Tony), of It’s A Mystery! Bookstore in Scottsdale, AZ, is murdered. Was it because she refused to take Preston Silvernale, an employee, on as a partner in the bookstore? Or was it because of the affairs in which she engaged? Did a jilted lover see red enough to bludgeon and shoot Petra? Or was it someone or something else? Suspects abound, including two detectives with the Scottsdale Police Department. Also among the suspects is Petra’s husband, Tony, who makes plans to marry Vera Crenshaw, Petra’s sister, before Petra is barely cold in her grave.

Ridenour sets the right pace with his easy, spare prose. His characters are believable, especially Stu Fletcher, the private investigator brought into the current case by a local detective. Fletcher sums up the suspects and other locals he meets with considerable insight. He catches the murderer through the process of elimination and ingenuity. He also catches the eye of a few of the local women. That makes his stay in Scottsdale more enjoyable. This is the fourth installment in Jeff Ridenour’s Stu Fletcher series. But it’s the first one I’ve encountered. I enjoyed Gunslinger enough to find and read the first three books in this appealing saga.

I received a free copy of Gunslinger from www.readersfavorite.com in exchange for an honest review.