The Genuine Article by A.B. Guthrie Jr. (1977)

I am back for another installment from Rich's Crimes of the Century meme over at Past Offences. This time around we are in the year 1977. 

The Genuine Article 

by A. B. Guthrie Jr.

A Sheriff Chick Charleston mystery  

Not many people in Midbury liked Grimsley, a rancher with twenty thousand acres and five hundred head of cattle. Still, when Grimsley is found dead on his back doorstep with a mysterious gash on his head, Chief Chick Charleston and his crew have to use their detective skills to root out his killer. They are aided by Deputy Jason Beard, who, though he grew up in Midbury, has been away for two years at college. In their small Montana community, Charleston and Beard must conduct their investigations delicately, ignoring local prejudice, sifting through gossip and speculation, enduring the pressures of higher-ups, dealing with some less-than-savory characters, and eliciting information from those who would prefer not to talk. And things get worse before they get better. A second body is discovered, and relations between the sheriff, the Indian reservation, and the town deteriorate until finding the murderer becomes more than just a matter of enforcing the law. It becomes crucial to keeping the peace in this small ranching community.

Printing History
written by Arthur Bertram Guthrie, Jr (1901-1991)

 Houghton Mifflin
978-0395253618
1977