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    Highway Robbery
    Dismal Mountain
    Contrary Blues
    Audiobook series5 titles

    Owen Allison Series

    Written by John Billheimer

    Narrated by Jerry Sciarrio, Gene Engene and Kevin Foley

    4/5

    ()

    About this series

    After the death of J. Burton Caldwell, president of the First National Bank of Contrary, West Virginia, federal bank examiners find three-quarters of a billion dollars missing. A hick bank in a hick town, it stacks up to be one of the biggest failures in the history of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. When the FDIC attempts to recoup investor's losses by auctioning off the banks' assets and the museum's holdings, the attractive museum curator vanishes and suspicious accidents start to befall winning auction bidders. Failure analyst Owen Allison, brooding over his approaching fiftieth birthday and worried about his mother's Alzheimer's deterioration, demonstrates that the auto "accident" that killed a successful bidder was rigged and joins in the hunt for the missing millions. A successful bidder himself, and the suitor of the vanished curator, Owen soon finds himself the target of a mysterious series of attacks.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBooks in Motion
    Release dateJun 15, 2003
    Highway Robbery
    Dismal Mountain
    Contrary Blues

    Titles in the series (5)

    • 1

      Contrary Blues
      Contrary Blues

      Contrary Blues

      John Billheimer
      3/5 - 1 rating
      3/5 - 1 rating

      Not much happens in Contrary, West Virginia - a sleepy town with failing coal mines, a few local moonshine stills, and an urgent need for revenue. A Federal grant for a nonexistent bus system seemed to be just the ticket. If only the government auditor, sent to look things over, hadn't drunk too much white lightning, then ended up dead. Now his successor, Owen Allison, down from D.C., must check out the situation. Disgruntled with life on the Beltway, Owen is willing to give Contrary's officials the benefit of the doubt - and himself some romance with Mary Beth, the alluring town controller. Instead, he feels like 17 kinds of a fool when another body is found, and there are signs he may be next. Something more than corn mash is brewing in Contrary, and it's up to Owen to uncover the secrets hidden deep in this Appalachian town.

      Not much happens in Contrary, West Virginia - a sleepy town with failing coal mines, a few local moonshine stills, and an urgent need for revenue. A Federal grant for a nonexistent bus system seemed to be just the ticket. If only the government auditor, sent to look things over, hadn't drunk too much white lightning, then ended up dead. Now his successor, Owen Allison, down from D.C., must check out the situation. Disgruntled with life on the Beltway, Owen is willing to give Contrary's officials the benefit of the doubt - and himself some romance with Mary Beth, the alluring town controller. Instead, he feels like 17 kinds of a fool when another body is found, and there are signs he may be next. Something more than corn mash is brewing in Contrary, and it's up to Owen to uncover the secrets hidden deep in this Appalachian town.

    • 2

      Highway Robbery
      Highway Robbery

      Highway Robbery

      John Billheimer
      0 ratings
      0 ratings

      Owen Allison Mystery Series, 2 - When road construction by West Virginia's highway department uncovers human remains near the small town of Barkley, everyone involved stops dead in their tracks. Everyone, including Owen Allison, whose mother calls him home right away on a trumped-up excuse, seems to have a theory on the skeleton's identity. But when another dead body is discovered–this one a lot fresher–the simple forensic investigation turns into something much deeper. And it all seems to begin and end with the Allisons. Thirty-five years ago, Owen's father, West Virginia highway commissioner Wayne Allison, disappeared, thought to have drowned when a burst dam flooded the town. Owen's mother is convinced the skeleton is her husband's. But that's not all of the trouble on the Allison home front. Now Owen's troubled older brother George is highway commissioner, and he's facing problems both personal and professional, from his political appointee boss to a team of environmental activists determined to stop local highway expansion. Owen must piece together the mysteries in Barkley's past - as well as those in his own family history - and uncover the truth before he becomes the next victim. Highway Robbery is an outstanding follow-up to John Billheimer's original and acclaimed debut, The Contrary Blues, once again tackling small-town politics with humor and a good measure of suspense.

      Owen Allison Mystery Series, 2 - When road construction by West Virginia's highway department uncovers human remains near the small town of Barkley, everyone involved stops dead in their tracks. Everyone, including Owen Allison, whose mother calls him home right away on a trumped-up excuse, seems to have a theory on the skeleton's identity. But when another dead body is discovered–this one a lot fresher–the simple forensic investigation turns into something much deeper. And it all seems to begin and end with the Allisons. Thirty-five years ago, Owen's father, West Virginia highway commissioner Wayne Allison, disappeared, thought to have drowned when a burst dam flooded the town. Owen's mother is convinced the skeleton is her husband's. But that's not all of the trouble on the Allison home front. Now Owen's troubled older brother George is highway commissioner, and he's facing problems both personal and professional, from his political appointee boss to a team of environmental activists determined to stop local highway expansion. Owen must piece together the mysteries in Barkley's past - as well as those in his own family history - and uncover the truth before he becomes the next victim. Highway Robbery is an outstanding follow-up to John Billheimer's original and acclaimed debut, The Contrary Blues, once again tackling small-town politics with humor and a good measure of suspense.

    • 3

      Dismal Mountain
      Dismal Mountain

      Dismal Mountain

      John Billheimer
      4/5
      4/5

      The third Owen Allison mystery, following Contrary Blues (1998) and Highway Robbery (2000), finds the transportation inspector defending his Aunt Lizzie against a murder charge. With her land threatened by the construction of a shopping mall, Lizzie parks herself at the edge of her property, shotgun in her lap, vowing to do whatever it takes to stop the dump trucks; then, suddenly, a truck driver is dead. Did Aunt Lizzie really shoot him? Owen smells a rat, but Lizzie seems determined to refuse his help. Throw in an assortment of welldrawn characters (Billheimer's specialty) and a clever scam run by some shady hospital administrators, and you have a firstrate crime novel.

      The third Owen Allison mystery, following Contrary Blues (1998) and Highway Robbery (2000), finds the transportation inspector defending his Aunt Lizzie against a murder charge. With her land threatened by the construction of a shopping mall, Lizzie parks herself at the edge of her property, shotgun in her lap, vowing to do whatever it takes to stop the dump trucks; then, suddenly, a truck driver is dead. Did Aunt Lizzie really shoot him? Owen smells a rat, but Lizzie seems determined to refuse his help. Throw in an assortment of welldrawn characters (Billheimer's specialty) and a clever scam run by some shady hospital administrators, and you have a firstrate crime novel.

    • 4

      Drybone Hollow
      Drybone Hollow

      Drybone Hollow

      John Billheimer
      4/5
      4/5

      Failure analyst Owen Allison recently left his lucrative consulting practice in California to help his mother back home in West Virginia in her fight against cancer. His ex-wife and current lover, Judith, is also back on the West Coast, and now that his mother has mostly recovered, he's itching to get back to his life, to stimulate both his portfolio and his love life. But before he has a chance to leave his small hometown of Barkley, West Virginia, a local dam breaks, sending a black ribbon of coal sludge cascading miles and miles through the hollows across the region. Four people lose their lives in the accident, and the ambulance chasers gnash their teeth and formulate strategies for the inevitable lawsuits against big coal. It turns out that Owen knows the owner of the coal mine, a good ol' boy from his high school class whose success has surprised everyone, even himself. What's more, the classmate knows that finding out why things fail is Owen's speciality, and he hires him on the spot to figure out just what went wrong. Judith and his California practice will have to wait, but Owen is only half-worried about letting those things slide. He's thrilled to be back in the thick of things.

      Failure analyst Owen Allison recently left his lucrative consulting practice in California to help his mother back home in West Virginia in her fight against cancer. His ex-wife and current lover, Judith, is also back on the West Coast, and now that his mother has mostly recovered, he's itching to get back to his life, to stimulate both his portfolio and his love life. But before he has a chance to leave his small hometown of Barkley, West Virginia, a local dam breaks, sending a black ribbon of coal sludge cascading miles and miles through the hollows across the region. Four people lose their lives in the accident, and the ambulance chasers gnash their teeth and formulate strategies for the inevitable lawsuits against big coal. It turns out that Owen knows the owner of the coal mine, a good ol' boy from his high school class whose success has surprised everyone, even himself. What's more, the classmate knows that finding out why things fail is Owen's speciality, and he hires him on the spot to figure out just what went wrong. Judith and his California practice will have to wait, but Owen is only half-worried about letting those things slide. He's thrilled to be back in the thick of things.

    • 5

      Stonewall Jackson's Elbow
      Stonewall Jackson's Elbow

      Stonewall Jackson's Elbow

      John Billheimer
      5/5
      5/5

      After the death of J. Burton Caldwell, president of the First National Bank of Contrary, West Virginia, federal bank examiners find three-quarters of a billion dollars missing. A hick bank in a hick town, it stacks up to be one of the biggest failures in the history of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. When the FDIC attempts to recoup investor's losses by auctioning off the banks' assets and the museum's holdings, the attractive museum curator vanishes and suspicious accidents start to befall winning auction bidders. Failure analyst Owen Allison, brooding over his approaching fiftieth birthday and worried about his mother's Alzheimer's deterioration, demonstrates that the auto "accident" that killed a successful bidder was rigged and joins in the hunt for the missing millions. A successful bidder himself, and the suitor of the vanished curator, Owen soon finds himself the target of a mysterious series of attacks.

      After the death of J. Burton Caldwell, president of the First National Bank of Contrary, West Virginia, federal bank examiners find three-quarters of a billion dollars missing. A hick bank in a hick town, it stacks up to be one of the biggest failures in the history of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. When the FDIC attempts to recoup investor's losses by auctioning off the banks' assets and the museum's holdings, the attractive museum curator vanishes and suspicious accidents start to befall winning auction bidders. Failure analyst Owen Allison, brooding over his approaching fiftieth birthday and worried about his mother's Alzheimer's deterioration, demonstrates that the auto "accident" that killed a successful bidder was rigged and joins in the hunt for the missing millions. A successful bidder himself, and the suitor of the vanished curator, Owen soon finds himself the target of a mysterious series of attacks.

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