The Yard Dog by Sheldon Russell is a historical mystery that is set in Oklahoma during the 1940s. The main character is Hook Runyon, a one-armed railroad agent, also known as the yard dog, hired to run off hobos, arrest trespassers and generally keep things running smoothly. The war in Europe is on-going and this small corner of Oklahoma is also host to a German Prisoner of War Camp.

When a local homeless man turns up dead, Hook is told to write it off as an accident, but Hook is determined to uncover what did actually did happen. Along the way he uncovers a black market scheme that involves both German prisoners and American Army personnel, but as he digs further he realizes that this is a much bigger conspiracy than he originally thought. He is assisted in his investigation by a local man who works at the POW camp and a newcomer to the area, Dr. Reina Kaplan who has been sent to help re-educate the Germans.

I found the story very interesting but much more for the historical information than the mystery which seemed like an afterthought. With so many men away fighting, the locals are living very much hand to mouth and there is both fear of the German prisoners and high resentment for the good food and care that they receive. This is the first book in an on-going series that I probably won’t be continuing on with as I am not sure there is enough here to sustain a series. ( )

I knew that I would love this book before I bought it. I loved the second book in this series, The Insane Tunnel so I backtracked to read this, The Yard Dog the first in this series. I would have loved for my father to read both of them but he died over 40 years ago. My father told me about riding the trains, looking work during the Depression. This story is set during WWII and is out in the middle of nowhere in Oklahoma with a big POW camp of Nazis. Hook Runyon, my favorite character, lives in a caboose, works as a Yard Dog, a sort of local railroad detective. He has a great love for reading so his caboose is stuffed with books that he has collected. Recently, he seeks out First Editions. It is so great to have a character who loves to read!

One of Hook Runyon's friends is found dead but Hook know that it must not have been an accident, the clues add up murder instead. This mystery is great for anyone who loves quirky characters, historical detail, and dry sense of humor. The characters are drawn with a master's touch and after the first 100 pages, I had to stop and do nothing but read this book until the story ended. ( )

Set in 1940s Oklahoma, this debut mystery is centered on Hook Runyon, a railroad detective – a/k/a yard dog. Unable to enlist in the war effort for WW2 because he lost an arm in an auto accident, he is nevertheless fit enough to nab pickpockets and run off hoboes. He lives in a caboose filled with the antique books he collects, and drinks local moonshine made by his friend Runt. When the body of local itinerant Spark Dugan is found under a reefer (refrigerated car) Hook is naturally called to investigate. But he’s immediately suspicious when he is pushed to close the case quickly. The reefer had arrived at the icing station, manned by crews of German prisoners from the nearby Alva POW camp, yet no one saw anything. As he investigates further, Hook suspects a black market ring is being run from the POW camp, but it becomes clear that the conspiracy has larger international implications.

I really like Hook and Runt, who are multi-layered characters with interesting back stories. However, Russell really stumbled in writing the two women characters –Amanda Roswell and Dr Reina Kaplan. They are two-dimensional cutouts, and the well-educated Reina behaves so stupidly as to be completely unbelievable. The bad guys are also pretty thinly drawn and we get little more than villain “types” straight out of central casting. On the other hand, the plot was interesting and drew me in although Russell spends quite a lot of time setting things up and introducing us to the various characters. While he was doing this I had figured out the central issue, but had to wade through the second half of the book for the characters to catch up. Then, after spending all those pages setting up the conspiracy plot, Russell rushes the ending.

This all sounds very negative, but I did enjoy the book, and because of Hook and Runt I’d be willing to read another in the series. I want to get to know them better.
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In Russell’s mystery novel, Hook Runyon is an Oklahoma railroad detective. He’s known hard times in life but is stunned when his friend Spark Dugan is “accidentally” run over by a train. Funny thing is, there was no blood at the scene and with so many witnesses, no one seems to remember seeing a thing. Hook’s instincts urge him to work the case and find the secrets someone is determined to hide. Runyon will follow his wits and come face-to-face with ruthless enemies determined to stop him from succeeding.

A great addition to the A Hook Runyan Mystery series. ( )

I was given this book by a work colleague who really rated it so decided to give it a go as the concept seemed an interesting one.

This is basically a whodunit set in a railway yard in rural Oklahoma during WWII with the main protagonist being a one armed railway detective, hence Yard Dog, called Hook Runyon. When a local tramp,Spark Duggan, is seemingly killed by a railway locomotive no one seems to care, the authorities just want it written up as an accident. Hook is convinced it was murder and believes Spark may have been involved in something bigger so sets out to prove it. The plot is added spice by the fact that there is a German POW camp nearby and some of it's occupants do work details in the rail yard.

As a whodunnit I felt that the plot was a little thin with too many coincidences for my taste and the I pretty well worked out what the real crime was from a very early stage. Then when the main villain captures the hero he decides to kill him later rather when he has the opportunity and then there is the mandatory love affair between the hero and a new arrival in the area. Pretty formulaic.

That said I found it an enjoyable read. I liked the author's writing style, the characters were well drawn, the plot flowed at a reasonable pace but not too quickly but mainly I felt the setting was very atmospheric and that I got a real impression of rural America during WWII.

This is the first book in a series by this author and as such felt that it was a reasonable start and I hope to read more of them sooner rather than later. ( )