Sheriff Chick Charleston Books In Order

Publication Order of Sheriff Chick Charleston Mysteries Books

Sheriff Chick Charleston stars in this mystery and western series that is written by A. B. Guthrie, Jr. despite being a western, it is set in modern times. It follows both Charleston and his partner Jason Beard while they have to solve murder cases. It is young Jason that narrates these stories, offering up his own ideas as to the crimes that are committed. These are crimes that were rarely ever committed in the small towns in Montana like theirs.

The series began publication in the year 1973 with the release of “Wild Pitch”. It ended after five novels, the last one was published in the year 1989 when “Murder in the Cotswolds” was released.

“Wild Pitch” is the first novel in the “Sheriff Chick Charleston” series and was released in the year 1973. Buster Hogue gets shot during the yearly town picnic, there are plenty of motives present, but there are zero clues to who the sniper actually is. Many people could have held a grudge against Hogue or even wanted him dead because of some unhappy and personal experience different people had. That does not mean a grudge count when there is so little evidence.

Chick Charleston (who is the small town Montana sheriff) has never had a case like this, mainly due to the county never having anyone kill anyone before. The county office does not really have the equipment to find the murderer. He does have quite the sense of humor, a great keen understanding of how humans are, persistence, and patience. He has a sharp assistant in Jason Beard (who is only seventeen years old and pitches for Midbury’s baseball team). Jason is an amateur detective, Watson to Charleston’s Holmes, and Jason takes down notes.

Fans of the novel found this to be amusing and refreshing read. Some feel that this author is top notch, and this book is a reason why. The characters come right to life, the story line is satisfying and solid, and there is intelligent humor that does not take anything away from the story. This book made some readers want to check out the rest of the series.

“The Genuine Article” is the second novel in the “Sheriff Chick Charleston” series and was released in the year 1977. There weren’t that many people that actually liked F. Y. Grimsley (who used to be a rancher that had twenty thousand acres and five hundred cattle) in Midbury. He is found dead on the back doorstep with a suspicious gash found on his head.

Chick and his crew have to dust off their detective skills to figure out who killed him. They have the aid of young Jason Beard, and although he has been in Midbury since he was a kid, he went off to college two years back, just waiting to get into the real world.

In the small town in Montana, they have to conduct any investigations very delicately, ignore the local prejudice, endure many pressures from higher-ups, filter all the speculation and gossip, deal with some pretty sketchy people, and get info from those that do not really want to talk.

Things turn worse before they get any better. Another body is found, and the relations among the Indian reservation, the town, and Chick corrode until the need to find the killer is more than just a matter of law enforcement. It turns into a vital way to keeping peace in this small community of ranchers.

Here are some books that are easy to get hooked by and continue to read until the end. Fans of the novel found that once again, Guthrie delivered a fun novel that was quite enjoyable for them to read. The books pull the reader right in and keep them hooked the entire way. The cast in the book is just as raw as the wild countryside the books are set in.

“No Second Wind” is the third novel in the “Sheriff Chick Charleston”series and was released in the year 1980. It is forty below in Midbury, Montana at the moment, while the wolves howl. The town is still a tad heated over a debate about strip mining that rapidly went past a polite discussion’s bounds. The ranchers are determined that their land not be destroyed. The trailers of the miners come into town, and it makes the tension rise that much more.

Chick has the unenviable job of keeping all the hotheads on either side in this, and just make sure the law is carried to the letter. Jason is back by his side in this, but the police force is short handed at the moment. It means that Jason has to find a different deputy. It should say something about the problems that Charleston is facing that the best candidate is Ike Doolittle. He is currently up on a charge in front of Judge Bolster, a charge that some would not believe even when told about it.

The book was hard for some to put down, as they just wanted to know what would happen next. The readers found themselves guessing the entire way through. Fans of the novel found this to be an intriguing story that has a great sense of place and time. It was a book that made some shiver until they reached a conclusion that was quite satisfying. The book is quite enjoyable and comes from a series that some feel is one of their favorites.

“Playing Catch-Up” is the fourth novel in the “Sheriff Chick Charleston” series and was released in the year 1987. Women in Midbury are being killed, the first is a hooker. It makes Jason uncomfortable, in part because he has to interview the woman who is the madam of Midbury. Partly because of the fact that he has to deal with the seamy side that comes with the male sex drive, while trying to find a woman to love.

Chick tells him that it should not surprise him when a woman turns to whoring. Another woman is found dead, but this one was not a hooker, but a promising young singer. She had enough promise as a singer that some in the community were putting together enough money to send her to get training at a conservatory.

Their work on the case, not to mention preventing more killings, is hampered by Gewald (who is an investigator with the state). He is a bully to witnesses, he redoes fine police work that is conducted by both Jason and Chick, and is an obnoxious person in general.