THE RENTED MULE is Bobby Cole’s third novel and first stand-alone work, following THE DUMMY LINE and MOON UNDERFOOT, which featured Jake Crosby, a competent everyman thrust into untoward circumstances not of his own making. The protagonist of his latest work shares with Crosby many of the characteristics that made Crosby so appealing. But Cole is not repeating himself here; instead, he has crafted a novel full of subtle twists and turns with an occasional humorous touch.

Cooper Dixon, the “rented mule” of the piece, is an unequal partner in the Tower Agency with Gates Ballenger, his longtime friend. Unfortunately, Dixon is a better friend and business associate to Ballenger than Ballenger is to him. Where Dixon is hardworking and honest to a fault, Ballenger is a spoiled swell, a wannabe playboy who treats the business built primarily with Dixon’s sweat equity as his personal ATM. Where Dixon’s tastes are simple --- weekend hunting trips and a fondness for Mexican Coca-Cola --- Ballenger is a sick gambler with a drug monkey on his back to boot. Ballenger is in hock to his bookie in a major way, and the only path he sees for getting out of his predicament is to sell Tower.

"The character development, along with the mystery concerning the identity of The Client, demonstrates why Cole has been steadily building a loyal literary following since the publication of his first two novels."

Dixon has mixed feelings about the proposed sale, but plans to use his share of the proceeds to buy a large tract of land that he can use for hunting. Ballenger has his own plans for Dixon’s hypothetical share, as does Dixon’s wife Kelly, who is very much used to the good life. Kelly sees Dixon’s dream of purchasing hunting acreage as an impediment to her ability to live the lifestyle to which she has become accustomed, and the difference of opinion, among other things, has caused them to engage in too much arguing and bickering and too little intimacy. Dixon, as good a man as he might be, is not entirely blameless in this, given that he has somewhat taken his eye off the ball at home, spending most of his time working even when he really doesn’t need to do so.

Two things happen that contribute to the further unsettling of the three-wheeled apple cart that is Dixon’s life. The first is that Dixon is subjected to an almost irresistible temptation by an attractive, down-to-earth femme fatale who sets her sights on him. The second is that Kelly is abruptly kidnapped by an entertaining quartet of very competent but flawed grifters who are working at the behest of a mysterious contractor, known throughout most of the book as “The Client.” The object of kidnapping Kelly is not a ransom, but rather to set up Dixon to take the fall for it.

Indeed, that is just what happens, with the result being that Dixon is soon pursued by a rabid media that is all too ready to believe the worst and a quirky but driven homicide detective named Obermeyer, whose pursuit of Dixon is relentless. As Obermeyer pursues Dixon, Dixon himself goes on the trail of his wife’s kidnappers, aware that he is anything but a superhero, yet willing to do whatever it takes to get his wife back. The story rolls to an explosive climax during which a rough justice of a sort is meted out to some, while others come to realize what is important and what is not.

While THE RENTED MULE is not a perfect book, it is undeniable that Cole is a terrific storyteller. There are points in the narrative where he seems to wander a bit off track or become redundant, but these are neither long nor frequent. Cole’s characters are quite interesting, particularly the quartet of somewhat likable kidnappers who adhere to a bumpy moral code, and Dixon himself, who does the right thing even when it’s difficult to do so. The character development, along with the mystery concerning the identity of The Client, demonstrates why Cole has been steadily building a loyal literary following since the publication of his first two novels. We’ll look forward to the fourth.