Ain't Nobody Nobody

July 29, 2019
Set in rural Texas in 1996, Ellett’s auspicious debut boasts a cast of zany characters, starting with former sheriff Randy Mayhill, who resides alone in a small house, hunts wild hogs with his three dogs, and pines for his days as a lawman. When a body is discovered on the fence of the property belonging to his late best friend, Van, Randy instructs Van’s teenage daughter, Birdie, to keep quiet about it while he stakes out the corpse to see if the killer returns. Alas, the body disappears when Randy’s not paying attention. Caught up in the ensuing complications are Birdie and her grandmother, Onie, who are both still coping with Van’s suicide a year earlier as the authorities were about to arrest him for growing marijuana, a crime then-sheriff Randy was aware of but did nothing about. The cover-up cost him his job. Ellett balances the goofiness of the crimes and setting with some effective storytelling, never letting the real emotional stakes for the characters get obscured. Carl Hiassen fans will find a lot to like. Agent: Josh Getzler, HSG Agency.

September 1, 2019

DEBUT In 1996, disgraced former sheriff Randy Mayhill passes the time drinking Dr Pepper, reading his favorite books, and tending to his dogs. When a man is found shot dead and perched on a fence, Mayhill launches an entirely unofficial investigation into the crime. The unidentified body is on land owned by the late Van Woods, who was Randy's best friend and the reason he lost his badge. Still, Randy feels bound by a personal sense of duty to solve the crime and protect Birdie Woods, Van's teenage daughter. Birdie is consumed by grief and anger toward her father for committing suicide. She also vaguely recognizes the dead man but doesn't trust Randy to handle things. Meanwhile, Bradley Polk, a decent yet impoverished young man who occasionally works for Birdie, has become involved in a shady but potentially lucrative operation that may be connected to the murder. The mystery unfolds at a meandering pace, but the various threads eventually come together in surprising and satisfying ways. VERDICT This debut novel is most notable for Ellett's supremely witty prose and the oddball but deeply relatable characters. Readers looking for a fresh, offbeat voice in the mystery genre will find it here.--Andy Northrup, Eugene P.L., OR

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