Sam Griffith's new novel, Rendezvous with Death, spins a tale of intrigue and suspense. His investigation takes him through a number of alleys and dead ends, from Dallas neighborhoods to the little Texas towns that hold and withhold answers.  Rendezvous with Death is at once a compelling story and mesmerizing read in the tradition of some of Texas' best authors, such as Joe R. Lansdale and Cormac McCarthy.  Griffith's place among his contemporaries is obvious:  he understands the Texas character, needfully suspicious and economical with what he or she discloses; he writes with clarity and credibility about the Texas landscape and the distances that bear a striking familiarity with the distances that sometimes exist between people; and, in the undercurrent of the serious, there is an unmistakable Texas humor that drives the novel forward.