Thread of Fear

Thread of Fear is the fifth book in the Joe Tyler series by Jeff Shelby. I’ve written highly favorable reviews of the first four books in this now seven-book series, and Shelby’s effort in this book did not disappoint. This could be a stand-alone novel, but I would not start with this one. The character development through the first four novels is critical to appreciating the cast of characters about which he writes. And, if you’ve already gotten through the first four, just like me, I doubt that you’ll want to quit there. This is a fantastic crime series.

Just to spoil the plot regarding the first four books, Joe now has his daughter, Elizabeth, and pregnant ex-wife, Lauren, back in the Coronado house where Elizabeth had been kidnapped eight years before. While he was searching for Elizabeth, Joe developed an expertise in finding kids, and he was sometimes hired to find other runaways. Not always, but he was usually successful. But the search for Elizabeth also led him to deal with and get favors from some highly unscrupulous and dangerous guys like John Anchor. One of the cases he never solved was Aaron Dennison, and in this story, Dennison’s mother contacted Joe to help find her husband who had suddenly disappeared. In a guilt-invoking message and in the second sentence of the book, she said to Joe, “You weren’t able to find Aaron, Mr. Tyler.” As if Joe could forget. It was coincidental and critical that Aaron’s father had worked for John Anchor.

Over the course of the book, Joe and Elizabeth spend time together and get to know each other better. One of the things that Joe has not figured out is what sort of work he’s going to do now. He’s not welcome back at the Coronado Police Department and he no longer wants to hit the road to find lost persons. He wants to stay home with his wife and child. And then there’s that new pregnancy.

I’m impressed with Shelby, and when I get through his seven books about Joe Tyler, I’m going to dive into one of his other series of novels. He’s been a prolific writer. Shelby just might belong on my list of 10 go-to authors, but I don’t know who I could kick off the list to make room for him. I think my “island” of writers has to expand.

Thread of Innocence

Thread of Innocence is the fourth book in Jeff Shelby’s now seven-book series about Joe Tyler and the abduction of his eight-year-old daughter, Elizabeth. This is not a stand-alone book and I do no suggest you start with this one. But, this is an excellent story, so begin with Thread of Hope. Without saying too much, in the part of the saga revealed in this book, some of the details about the kidnapping have been solved, and the 16-year-old Elizabeth has come home, at least for a while. Shelby does an excellent job of reflecting the emotional impact of this event on Elizabeth and her parents, Joe and his now ex-wife Lauren. Joe’s search of answers leads him to get involved with some very unsavory characters. The conclusion of this story is very satisfying, and it sets up the continuation of the story. These books are quick and lightning-paced – the story is excellent and emotionally gripping, one which all of us hope never happens to us. I’ve already downloaded the fifth book, Thread of Fear.

The Big Buddha Bicycle Race

The Big Buddha Bicycle Race is a historical fiction novel by Terrence A. Harkin. The story takes place in late 1971 and early 1972. This is Vietnam War era story, but rather than taking place in the usual Vietnam venues, this story primarily is about the scene in upper Thailand and the war-devastated Laos, which lies in between Vietnam and Thailand. During the Vietnam War, the author was stationed in Ubon, Thailand. Harkin’s protagonist, Airman Leary, was really a conscientious objector to the war, but he made the mistake of believing his recruiter who promised him that if he joined the Air Force, that he would be kept at a far distance from the war activities. That was a lie, and Leary, a cameraman, ended up filming live action of the bombing of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the supply route of the North Vietnamese that ran through Laos. The scenes of war carnage were graphically portrayed.

But this is also a love story and a multicultural story as Leary and his fellow GI’s interacted with, fell in love with, and conflicted with the societies they did not understand. There is certainly a strong quimsical quality to Harkin’s writing story, but this is also a life-and-death story which is well-told. Leary and his buddies think the war is coming to and end, and they were able to convince the local brass that it would be a morale building experience to stage a bicycle race to Thailand’s Big Buddha. Of course, that meant racing through the countryside where enemy soldiers were still hiding. You might ask, “What could go right?” In regard to the race itself, nothing went right. But ultimately, the race itself was a small part of the book and the planning for the race served as a backdrop for the description of Leary’s buddies and their interactions with each other and with the locals. Overall, the book was okay and I can give it a mildly favorable recommendation.

Hellhound On My Trail by J.D. Rhoades

When you're good a finding people, trouble seems to follow. When you bring death, hell follows with

you.

Jack Keller was good at finding people, but tried to quit looking for bail jumpers in NC to rehabilitate himself in the desert outside of Phoenix. Found a dive bar he kinda liked and became a regular. One night he ingratiated himself to Julianne, the owner, by breaking up a particularly nasty bar fight. Some weeks later, he moved in with her in her trailer behind the bar. Life was looking pretty reasonable for Jack.

Senator Shea has recently died. Served in 'Nam, then did a career in public service all the way up to the Senate. Now his daughter, Kathryn, is looking to ride his legacy to her own place in DC. But she's worried something from her father's past might derail her ambitions. Puts her chief-of-staff, Cordell, on the task to make sure any evidence is squashed and any people with any knowledge are silenced, "by whatever means necessary." Cordell has used a former DEA sniper for some touchy work in the past and calls on Riddle again. One of the loose ends involves Keller's father.

Guy named Maddox shows up at the bar right about the same time as two of Riddle's thugs. Maddox wants to deliver a parcel to Keller from his father. The thugs think otherwise, but Keller manages to persuade them from venturing any further. One of the guys ambushed by Keller was the son of the head of a Mexican cartel.

Keller and his father, Trammel, are estranged to say the least. Jack never met him. Trammel was on leave from Ft. Bragg, impregnated Jack's mother, and was never heard from again. After his tour in 'Nam, he too went into government work doing wet work for various agencies. Trammel is dying of cancer and has sent Maddox with an enticement that might encourage Keller to meet him.

The parcel contains only a DVD. The gunner's video of a helicopter attack during Gulf War 1. Keller was a squad leader and a good one, up until his squad members were all killed in an explosion. Keller went off the rails and was eventually discharged for medical reasons. The DVD opens old wounds when he sees that his squad was killed by friendly fire.

At first Keller is reluctant to go meet his father. Dad had no time for him then, Keller has no time for him now. But Keller is curious. When he tries to board a flight back east, he is stopped and detained by TSA. About the same time, Riddle breaks into Julianne's bar looking for the parcel missed the first time. When Jack gets to go to the can, he tries to call and checkin in on Julianne, gets no response, freaks, steals a cargo van from in front of the terminal only to find his girl dead.  Needless to say, law enforcement is after Keller and Keller has a new target.

The chase is now on. He gets jailed, released, taken in by his lawyer and her wife, captured by the Cartel head, drives across country to SC, up to Bragg, and finally to the DC area where he meets his father, learns the real truth behind what Kathryn Shea is so scared of before finally coming face to face with the pilot who was pressured to pull the trigger that night in Iraq.

I think this is #5 in the Jack Keller series and everyone is better than the previous. For me, Rhoades is one of the very best at telling a complex story that is filled with sudden and exhaustive violence. Keller is who he is because of his father's rejection that changed the very nature of his being when his squad was destroyed. Yes, Keller has some serious issues, but not so serious that we aren't fully on his side no matter who is his foe is at any point in time.

Rhoades has cornered a unique dungeon in the mystery genre referred to as Redneck Noir. I've read some similar titles from lesser authors and can say without hesitation that Rhoades is the crown prince of redneck noir. No one else even comes close.

ECD

Savage Season by Joe R. Lansdale

As promised, after reviewing Blood and Lemonade, I managed to find and read #1 in the Hap and Leonard saga. 

This 1990 copyright is set in rural East Texas (Never been there. Wonder if that is redundant?) circa early 1980s. Hap and Leonard have been tight since their middle teens. Leonard served in Vietnam and Hap did two years at Leavenworth after refusing to pledge to protect and defend the Constitution of these United States. 

Hap had gotten married to Trudy, a serious knockout in and right after high school. She got into the 60s in a big way, but never too seriously. Hap hung around so he could chase Trudy's skirt and then managed to marry her. They marched and protested like every good flower child should, then Hap got the 'Greetings' letter all guys feared back then. He stuck with his principles and went to jail. Trudy wrote and visited, but eventually strayed and joined up with some hippie freaks headed for San Francisco leaving Hap in the joint.

But Trudy is back. After getting married a couple more times, she finds Hap and plays on his emotions to get him to join in a quick money scheme. Leonard is skeptical. "A hard dick knows no conscious." He and Leonard have been cutting roses on a corporate farm for chump change. Trudy is offering Hap (not Leonard. They don't get along too well) a cut of a lost heist of a cool $1 million.

Ten or so years ago, a bank was hit by two guys. In the getaway process, the car went through the woods, over an embankment, then into the river. Car sunk. One crook dead. Money in (mostly) sealed containers went to the bottom. The surviving crook only remembers an iron bridge near where they went in.

Trudy has teamed up with Howard (an aging hippie who also did time and shared a cell with the surviving bank robber who, BTW, ended up dying in a cafeteria dustup over the last slice of cake), Chump (fat loser in love with the romance of the 60s), and Paco (60s radical who burned half his face off when a bomb he was making detonated). They want their share of the money to go toward re-birthing the 60s. The getaway car went into the river in an area that Trudy knows that Hap is familiar with. Hap pulls Leonard in because they are friends and Leonard has some diving experience from his days in the military. Haps wants the money and Trudy's charms. Leonard's not so sure. He doesn't trust her a lick . . . plus he's gay so he wouldn't be interested in her at all.

But Hap really wants to find the money, less for 'The Cause" and more for the chance to get into Trudy's pants, which he does. Repeatedly. And they find the money. Not all of it as some has wilted away due to the ravages of time and water. But still enough to tempt everyone's resolve

Paco still has some connections and one is called Soldier and his Amazon psychopathic bitch partner, Angel. On his own, Paco made contact with Soldier with the intent of stealing all the cash and buy weapons once the money was found. Once Soldier enters the picture, the playful banter stops. Soldier has no interest in 'The Cause'. Only the money. And when it isn't just handed over, he and Angel unleash what can only be described as holy hell on this bickering set of has-been radicals.

Believe it or not, this book is marketed as a comedy. And for 75% of the book, it is outlandishly funny before turning deathly dark when Soldier and Angel don't get what they want. When those two break out the weapons, shovels, hammers/nails, Lansdale's style changes course in a heartbeat going from clever and funny to deliciously bleak and violent.

While reading Blood and Lemonade, I found out that Savage Season had been made into an eight-part series for The Sundance Channel. It's being re-run right now (April-May 2017) in prep for the Season Two's rendition of book #2, Mucho Mojo (now just beginning). One nice thing about a limited episode series, they tend to be pretty faithful to the original source material. Just can't do that with a 2 hour movie. The TV version takes a few liberties from the book, but not enough to disappoint Lansdale's fans.

Just because it takes place in east Texas, I'm not sure I'd call it Redneck Noir. JD Rhoades might take issue. If asked, I think I'll describe it as White Trash noir (even though Leonard is black).

Lucky me. The local library has Mucho Mojo.

East Coast Don

In the Shadow of the Prophet

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In the Shadow of the Prophet is a bit off-genre for the usual books in this blog. Aida Afaf has written a historical fiction about the life of a family in ancient Syria in about the year 600 when Mohammed was establishing himself as Islam’s last prophet. This is a four-generational story that involves a couple Hajj trips to Mecca, both before and after Mohammed became known. The danger of the trips was integral to the plot. The author addresses the customs of the time and shows that the unequal treatment of women was not universally practiced by all communities. This is a family story of coming of age, birth and death, triumph and tragedy. The dialogue has a simplistic quality of the sort that I expect captures the way people spoke to one another in that era. I thought Ms. Afaf caught the excitement and danger of Mohammed’s word spreading across the continent, spreading the belief in one god rather than the polytheistic Islam that had existed before him. If this era and content is of interest to you, then I recommend this book.

The Prague Ultimatum

I’m not even sure how this book got on my Kindle. Someone else on my account must have ordered it, but given that I’ve been looking for books about The Czech Republic and Hungary, I decided to give The Prague Ultimatum a try. This is the first novel for James Silvester that has been reviewed in the blog, and he’s better known for Escape to Perdition.

The premise of this 2017 book is that the Czech Republic and Slovakia have been reunited under the charismatic leadership of Prime Minister Miraslava Svobodova. However, there’s a secret organization, best known as “The Institute” which is keen to see the reunified country be separated once again. Czechoslovakia is really a bit player in the power/greed conspiracy, but they been chosen as the sacrificial lamb to achieve the control of Europe by the Institute.

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What is interesting about this book is the way terrorism and ultra right racism is used to foment rebellion. There are actually some great speeches given by the primary characters on those topics. But, that’s as far as my favorable comments can go. I liked the protagonist, Captain Thomas Stone of the 4^th Royal Tank Regiment, but I also found his wild mood and temper swings to be unbelievable. The other characters were inadequately developed. Finally, while I’m used to having to suspend my own sense of reality when reading crime and espionage novels, there’s a limit to how far that suspension can go. And I thought this one was just too much. I can’t give The Prague Ultimatum a favorable recommendation.