Hello and happy Memorial Day Weekend to you all! While the hordes of freedom-loving ‘Mericans are out flooding the beaches and communal pools (ick!) without their face masks, I’ll just stay here behind my laptop to catch up on my blog. Maybe I’ll even get started on this dang book project while I’m hiding away from the world! Someone told me that Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls fans, you know who I’m talking about!) wrote her book by just plugging away one hour per day. That sounds doable, yeah? We shall see…

But I digress. I’m here to talk about Russ Hall’s latest Al Quinn mystery, Never Look Back in Texas. As expected, it was a super fast read filled with Texas shootouts, wise-cracking humor and a small dash of romance.

Disclaimer: I received a free advance copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. The book will be out on the Amazon shelves soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

The gist: Our crime-solving heroes Al and Fergie head out to the Texas ranchlands to rescue a dysfunctional family caught in the crosshairs of a Mexican drug war. They’re up against an armada of sadistic gangsters as they pursue their mission (suicide mission, really) to rescue a hostage. We’re talking machetes, machine guns, snipers and missiles!

What I liked: I’m not the biggest action-thriller fan, but these books are always a good break from the norm. Where this author shines is his knack for character development and punchy dialogue. Also, I love his descriptions of the various Texas settings—from the rolling hill country peppered with bluebonnets to the congested Austin cityscape to the long and lonely desert roads. I can’t wait to see where they will land in their next adventure—perhaps a fishing trip turned bad on the Texas Coast!

The setting: In this newest shoot-em-up adventure, we’re heading to the outskirts of Houston, where there’s nothing but scrubby bushes, sprawling cattle ranches and coyotes howling at the moon—yehaw! I’ve traveled these roads, so it was easy picturing Al and Fergie’s escapades in my mind.

What irked me: I’ll be honest, I was slightly annoyed by Fergie’s willingness to take on a case without discussing money matters ahead of time. In the real world, there ain’t no way anyone would throw themselves into the line of fire pro bono. I get that the victim was the son of her old high school frenemy, so there’s sort of a personal connection there. But really, she never really liked this person to begin with, so why should she risk everything to help her—and without any guaranteed pay? We’re talking blood-thirsty drug cartels here! And, of course, Al is ready to tag along on Fergie’s first case, but come on! I would’ve been out of there the second that motorcycle-riding lunatic assaulted me on the road. I get that there was an innocent little girl caught up in the middle of this, but couldn’t they have called in the authorities instead? How can two people take on an entire Mexican cartel? I’m just SO glad they didn’t drag Tanner into this one!

Overall: Aside from the suspension of belief, this is a quality read for anyone who enjoys a good Texas thriller. Fans of old school Rick Riordan are sure to be pleased!