The Devil's Hatband (CJ Floyd Series #1) Book

Met this author at an event at the Denver Press Club and decided to read the first book of his series about a Denver bail bondsman. It was quire entertaining for multiple reasons. For me, the biggest lure was its setting; descriptions of downtown Denver and rural landscapes up into Wyoming abound. The plot itself is intertwined with Western concerns, in particular the cattle industry. Greer gives a vivid insight into the African-American community of Denver, and his background as a doctor provides additional interesting details that distinguish the book from run-of-the-mill detective yarns. The plot is solid, with a bevy of colorful characters and plenty of surprises. Style wise, at times the book reads like a first time author effort, particularly in the realm of point of view (oftentimes a minor character's POV will jump into a scene's viewpoint character, which is like a sudden unnecessary shift in camera angle). Overall, though, The Devil's Hatband reads well. I'd definitely like to explore further books in the series.