Shotgun Wedding (Sheriff Milt Kovak Mysteries (Hardcover))
Milt Kovak, sheriff of Prophesy County, Oklahoma, lives a fairly peaceful existence, despite being an officer of the law. In fact, his county is so quiet that he doesn’t hesitate to leave a temporary guard in charge while all the locals attend the wedding of two of Milt’s deputies. Imagine his surprise when the emergency siren goes off in the middle of the ceremony. Dashing back to town, Milt discovers that the guard is dead, another man has been shot, and the local bank has been robbed of $500,000. The chaos continues when a kidnapping follows the robbery, the local mayor is caught in a compromising situation, and the newlywed deputies, on their honeymoon in the Caribbean, need rescuing from a hurricane and a band of pirates. Although Milt’s laid-back manner and small-town point of view might indicate he’s a hayseed, he’s far cannier than he seems. A crazy plot, a nice tragicomic feel, weird characters, and a healthy helping of down-home, laugh-out-loud humor make this a lively, fun, and funny read. --Emily Melton