Pleasant Grove Murders, The- Jack Vance mystery novel, book review
Pleasant Grove Murders, The- Jack Vance mystery novel AKA: Joe Bain 2 The Pleasant Grove Murders is a 184 page mystery novel that was written in 1965 and first published in 1967 by John Holbrook Vance. This is the real name of the famous and remarkably talented science fiction/fantasy writer, Jack Vance. The book is available in a very nice Spatterlight Press paperback and in hardover under the title of Desperate Days: Selected Mysteries Volume Two by Subterranean Press. Desperate Days also includes two other Vance mystery novels The Fox Valley Murders and The Deadly isles. The setting is in a fictitious setting "a few hours drive south east of San Francisco," named Pleasant Grove in San Rodrigo County. There is an emphasis on creating the atmosphere of a small, rural town with odd or unusual characters who know everything about each other. And, of course, there is a murder and investigation by our honest, down home, local sheriff, Joe Bain. Ba...