Gonna give this series a break because it's just not as good as the Spirit Road series. I found myself doing a lot of eye rolling and name calling when a decision was made that was so far out there that I had to say "what a dumb ass" a couple of times. I like Wendelboe, just not this series. May pick it up again in the future.

I've tried to pick up this book several times and we don't seem to be clicking, which is a huge bummer because I enjoyed the first book in the Bitter Wind series. I do think this book has a lot of potential, but for now I'll be putting it aside.

This was a well written mystery, keeping me guessing until the end. Entertaining read. Recommended.

This is my first book by this author and even this is the second book in the series I didn't had any difficulties reading it as a standalone. It was a perfect reading material for this cold days. It kept my attention and kept me turning pages and guessing what will happen until the end. I liked the characters and I am looking forward of reading the next instalments

Retired Homicide Detective Arn Anderson has been hired to catch the person responsible for rustling sheep. The rustler isn't afraid of Anderson or the cops ... but is afraid of the person he just witnessed killing a woman. And the killer wants the witness dead. Now the rustler is on the run from everyone.

Once again Anderson teams up with Ana Maria Villareal, a TV reporter with a nose that refuses to stay out of trouble. Local law enforcement is turning a blind eye to the information they have, instead they have their own theory and they are sticking with it no matter what.

The closer they get to the killer .. and the rustler ... the closer the danger they both face.

The characters were well thought out and finely drawn. Anderson is a unique man, hard as nails on the outside, but soft and giving on the inside. I enjoyed how he and Ana Maria wind up battling not only local police, but townspeople who are only too happy to let things slide.

There are plenty of suspects and most of them are lying about one thing or another. It gets real up close and personal with Ana Marie and Anderson will do his best to protect her.

This is an action packed page turner. The book held me enthralled from the very beginning. I look forward to reading the next story in this most interesting series.

Although this is second in the series, it reads well as a stand alone. As always, I recommend starting at the beginning of this crime fiction series.

Many thanks to the author / Midnight Ink / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Definitely not a cosy mystery! More hard-boiled, and not something I normally choose. It looked good, however, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It kept me reading and I thought I had guessed the killer, although not the sheep rustler, but I was wrong! Which is a good thing. This worked well as a standalone, but is the second in the series. There was only a little bit of wondering who the characters were and how they came together, but was easy to follow.

It's a series I'd like to continue.

This is the second book in the “Bitter Wind Mysteries” Series however, it can easily be read as a standalone novel.

Retired police detective Arn Anderson has moved back to his hometown of Cheyenne, Wyoming to renovate his historic family home that had fallen into disrepair.

Arn has two roommates; one is Ana Maria Villarreal, a television reporter for the local news station, and the second roommate is Danny, a previously homeless man whom Arn has offered room and board in exchange for working on the house renovations.

Arn has been hired by the local ranchers association to try to discover who has been stealing their sheep. Sounds like an easy (and safe) job right? Wrong.

Arn has been unable to discover who is rustling sheep despite staking out numerous fields. Then, the job becomes much more serious when a body is found in one of the fields.

The television station hires Arn to find the killer before local law enforcement does. Seeing visions of central air-conditioning, Arn accepts the job.

What follows is a true whodunit. There are clues, promising leads that go nowhere, and gut feelings that lead everywhere.

Author C.M. Wendleboe’s history as a member of law enforcement shines throughout his writing. I believe that his past gives him a unique perspective on the limitations placed on the police when trying to investigate a crime.

Between the mystery of the identity of the local Sheepherder bandit, the fact that someone might be following Ana Maria and Arn’s gut feelings, it is just a matter of time before he either solves the case or more bodies pile up.

A page-turner with believable and compelling characters, this book will keep you guessing right up until it’s stunning conclusion. Reading this book will immerse readers in the life of a Wyoming rancher and even teach you some things about the use of dogs for herding sheep.

I rate HUNTING THE SATURDAY NIGHT STRANGLER as 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to Netgalley and Midnight Ink for the ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.

Looking for a new crime series? I would highly recommend picking up the Bitter Wind series by C.M. Wendelboe. Book one, HUNTING THE FIVE POINT KILLER, was a little slower to pick up but with book two, HUNTING THE SATURDAY NIGHT STRANGLER, has a much quicker pacing to it that will keep your attention throughout.

We are back with retired detective Arn Anderson and Anna Maria Villarreal (a TV reporter) as they try to track down a killer before they strike again. This begins with the murder of a young woman right away, and the only witness was an unknown sheep stealer (yes, a person stealing sheep). Arn and Anna Maria have their work cut out for them in trying to track down this mysterious witness. Meanwhile, another body appears on the following Saturday night, killed the exact same way as the previous victim. Looks like we have a serial killer on our hands!

I always like to see how authors will illustrate small communities and how they interact, or don’t interact, with outsiders investigating crimes. Always guarded and secretive, they make roadblocks at every turn. I can see some of these details with the sheep herding and the small town being drawn out for some readers, but I appreciated those details!

If you’re looking for a slower-burn crime series, then I would highly recommend picking up the Bitter Wind books. This one was a little better with the pacing, so it inched out ahead of book one for me.

This two-pronged mystery begins with the Midnight Sheepherder rustling sheep in the dead of night. The scene is so vivid that I felt I was right there in the pasture with the thief and the thief's canine accomplice. The second mystery needing to be solved is, of course, the identity of the strangler. Both held my interest all the way to the end of this fast-paced book, and if I'd paid attention to one of my rules of armchair detecting, I would've figured out the rustling mystery. Oh well... sometimes I get so caught up in a story that I forget all about those rules of mine.

Arn Anderson and his motley crew of friends provide both humor and excitement to this second Bitter Wind mystery. He gets along well with Police Chief Oblanski but has a much more difficult time developing a rapport with Slade, the lead investigator on the homicide case. (Probably because Slade is one of these guys who knows he's always right.) But back to that motley crew.

Danny Spotted Elk was a homeless man who thought he'd found a home in a derelict house until Arn decided to fix up his deceased mother's home so he himself could live in it. Danny talked himself into staying because he's a first-rate carpenter/plumber/electrician... and not a bad cook either. Arn's saving a bundle on the renovation, getting fed, and finding out that it's much better when there are two smart alecks on the premises instead of just one. Ana Maria's the one who goes out investigating most often with Arn because she gets her TV station to hire him to investigate things. Wonder of wonders, she's a TV reporter with scruples and smarts, not the typical pains in the neck you usually read about in crime fiction, so you don't want to sic the Saturday Night Strangler on her.

Hunting the Saturday Night Strangler has an excellent double-barreled mystery, laugh-out-loud humor, and some hair-raising action scenes added to a very strong cast of characters. C.M. Wendelboe's Bitter Wind novels are a good way to spend an afternoon or two. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Title was archived before I could review it sadly. Guess I will have to buy it if I would like to read it. I am new to the Galley and was not aware of the fact that the archival date meant that I could not access the title anymore. Too bad

Arn and Ana MariaTHINK they are hunting for a sheep rustler. The sheep rustler just wants to steal sheep. Unfortunately, the rustler witnesses a murderer and then the game is on. It's always hard to review without spoilers but this is a neatly done pseudo-procedural in a great rural setting with an odd couple pair of investigators. Arn is retired law enforcement and Ana Maria is a tv reporters. They're sharp, though. I liked how the ins and outs of the community and the sheep business were used to frame the murders. It's just twisty enough. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This is the second book in this series, I read the first one but this book could also be read as a stand-alone.
Arn Anderson has decided to stay in Cheyenne his hometown to restore his boyhood home. He’s a retired high profile homicide detective from Denver metro. He’s decided to take the job of Range Detective to catch the Midnight Sheepherder. This thief has been plaguing the area and Arn has been unsuccessful in catching this wily thief.
One night the Midnight Sheepherder gets more than they bargain for when they are rounding up some sheep and they notice another truck pull in. They witness a murder, unfortunately, the murderer notices them as well. They tear out of the pasture ahead of the murderer but they mess up their truck getting out of the gate ahead of him.
The rancher calls Arn in and he finds some clues as to what type of truck the Midnight Sheepherder drives or could it be the killer’? It’s a long shot but it’s the only break he’s had in his case.
The Midnight Sheepherder not only has Arn on their case but the killer, who can’t afford to have any loose ends.
This is a real whodunnit that keeps you guessing until the end on who the Midnight Sheepherder, as well as the Saturday night strangler, could be.
I like the characters in this series plus this rugged setting of Cheyenne.
Disclosure: I would like to thank Midnight Ink and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of e-galley in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinion I expressed above are my own.

There is a lot that gets in the way of this story. Maybe if the focus was more on the meat of the story and used the gossip of the town as less of a distractionary tactic it would be better and more enjoyable. I feel there wasn’t as much mystery and suspense as there was futile distractions thrown in to try to confuse the reader but it only took away from the actual mystery at hand.

Arn Anderson, former homicide detective, is back in his second book in the Bitter Wind series. Arn is now working as a range detective for the Wyoming Wool Growers’ Association. He is trying to track down the person or persons responsible for stealing sheep from the area farms. Someone is using a truck and a sheep dog to round the sheep up in to the truck. At one of the farms, where the theft was thwarted, a body is found. A young woman was strangled and Arn believes that the killer fled the scene after noticing that there is now a witness to the crime. Now this is not the job that Arn planned on taking after his retirement, but it pays the bills. When Arn is offered a larger sum of money to investigate the murder, at the request of woman’s father, he does so as he continues to investigate the thefts. He will have the help of Ana Maria Villarreal, a local TV reporter. The killer is hunting the witness and Arn is hunting both of them. I enjoyed the unique story line and the dry wit and satire that the characters display. Another excellent read by Mr. Wendelboe. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to give an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

A retired police detective turned investigator searches for a killer in a small ranch town. Unfortunately the small town gossip and ranching techniques bog down the story. I couldn't keep up with who was cheating on their spouse with who and I really didn't care about all the sheep talk. This book just couldn't keep my attention and I stopped reading half way through it.

This is my first read by C.M. Wendelboe and I wasn’t disappointed. I really enjoyed this book. Who doesn’t love a good serial killer plot!!! Arn Anderson a retired homicide detective is hired to find a sheep hustler. The sheep hustler gets more than they bargained for when they witness the brutal murder of a young local woman Jillie. With so many suspects and no clues, the Cheyenne Police Department are up against it. The local tv station hires Arn and their crime reported Ana Marie (who is also Arn’s housemate) to investigate.

A second body is found the following Saturday night killed in the same manner, strangled numerous times. Can they find the killer before more bodies turn up?

With many twists and turns, this book is a fast paced read and would highly recommend it.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Midnight Ink and of course C.M. Wendelboe for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a fast paced little mystery! I really enjoyed it! It kept me guessing to the end. I will definitely be watching for more by this author. I’m hoping it’s a series

I enjoyed this book once its got going was a good mystery thriller i had not read anything by this author but plan to read some more of there books.

Hunting the Saturday Night Strangler by C.M. Wendeboe is a Bitter Wind Mystery, This thriller begins with the murder of a young woman witnessed by an unknown sheep stealer. And that's only the first chapter.
Arn Anderson, a former homicide detective who has retired to Wyoming and his roommate Anna Maria Villarreal, a TV reporter soon find themselves involved in a case which has dead bodies piling up and many suspects.

With so many clues, one thinks they have it finally figured out and then something else happens. This book was definitely a page turner with an exciting and satisfying ending. The characters are quirky and enjoyable, especially the three house mates Arn, Danny and Anna Maria who you would not expect to ever belong together.

This book is a mystery, thriller I could not put down. Please look for Hunting the Saturday Night Strangler in October of 2018.

Never heard of this author before but this was an okay book for me. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. I think it started off slow in the beginning and a few chapters in.