Tag: Russ Hall

Murder Mondays: Never Look Back in Texas by Russ Hall

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn CoziesLeave a comment

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!

CeeCee’s Book of the Month: Making it Rain in Texas

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn CoziesLeave a comment


Well howdy there, folks! Are you ready for a rootin’ tootin’ good time deep in the heart of the Lone Star State? Well saddle on up to the couch, grab yourself a Shiner brewski and crack open (or tap your screen) this wild ride of a Texas mystery!

The gist: Book five of the Al Quinn mystery series is one heck of a roller coaster ride—chock full of gun-toting con artists and car chases across the scorching Hill Country landscape. In this latest installment, our hapless hero Al must track down a rather talented con artist, trap a goat-killing Chupacabra and sort out his feelings for Fergie (the love of his life who has been waiting too dang long for that ring).

What I liked: This book begins and ends with a bang—and I couldn’t rip through the chapters fast enough. I felt like I was right there with Al and Fergie while they were running from the bad guys—with a few touristy pit stops along the way. I especially liked the scene at the Fredericksburg Brewing Company—my most favorite touristy restaurant in Texas German country! As they say, write what you know, and Russ Hall knows the Texas Hill Country like the back of his hand. Interested in learning more about Texas Germans? Check out my magazine story here.

Thoughts on character development: I’ve been following this colorful cast of characters since To Hell and Gone in Texas (book one in the series), and they just keep getting more interesting. I like my protagonists a little on the messy side. They need to have some character flaws and terrible habits–because how else am I supposed to relate?! Needless to say, Al has issues, especially with his brother, Maury, who did a very bad deed back in the day– a real deal breaker, if you ask me. Yet despite his misgivings, I can’t help but to like him, dammit!  As the books progress, it’s interesting to see how their relationship evolves. Even more interesting is Al and Fergie’s blossoming romance. Will they get past their commitment issues and finally tie the knot? Guess we’ll have to keep reading to find out!

What needs work: More dog action, please! Tanner got very little airtime in this book and it would’ve been great if he could ride shotgun–or maybe just drive the car– in the next novel.  Also, I love that Fergie is a fearless, gun-toting Texas woman, but she does a whole lot of, “Where we going next, Al? What’s happening now?” Next time, let’s get her in the driver’s seat. I bet she’d take Al on one heck of a thrill ride!

A word of warning: Be sure to clear your schedule when you get down to the last few chapters. When it hits the fan, it REALLY hits the fan and you won’t be able to stop reading until the very end! Thanks, Mister Hall, for almost sending me and my palpitating heart to the ER! I’m exaggerating…but only slightly. 😉

Summed up: Another solid action thriller that is sure to please fans of old school Rick Riordan (Tres Navarre, I miss you!).

Starts with a Kiss by Russ Hall

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn CoziesLeave a comment

I just took a trip to my favorite little R&R spot on the Texas coast and decided to take this scandalous read along with me. There aren’t any magical crime-solving cats or amateur sleuths caught in love triangles, so this isn’t really the kind of book I’d choose for myself. But sometimes it’s good to try something new and different.

The word “different” is a good description for this book since the storyline is a departure from the standard beach-read thriller.  It’s really more of a character sketch of a very complicated young guy (unfortunately named Dudie) who’s navigating apartment life with a sociopathic, nymphomaniac roommate named Barrett,  and a slew of horny housewives.

As traveling salesmen, they spend their weekdays lounging around the apartment complex pool, where all the desperate housewives in string bikinis flirt shamelessly with Barrett. Of course, the husbands aren’t too jazzed about all this and, well you can imagine how it all comes to a head.

The story is a little odd, but I couldn’t stop reading due to the “Why” factor. I just kept asking, “Why tiptoe around a small apartment full of naked people when you can just move? Why hole yourself up in a pup-tent to drown out the boom-boom noises?” I cringe just thinking about the germs alone. Yeesh.

Either way, Dudie’s sticking it out at the cesspool of adultry because he’s oddly devoted to his frienemy roommate. But mostly he’s got this weird voyeuristic habit of watching the scandalous events unfold.  Poor Dudie doesn’t have much of a personal life, which we get to learn more about in bits and pieces throughout the book. I found him to be extremely frustrating, a little creepy, and oddly endearing. Despite my misgivings about this young, tragic character, his observations about human nature were spot on.

“…When I started my career in sales, I wasn’t a good listener. None of us are. We like ourselves too much. The big leap is forcing yourself to close the mouth, stare back at the other person and embrace the spirit of the other person talking–that is, get what the person is about; the words behind the words. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Then why do so many people fail?”

Despite my love/hate relationship with Dudie, I had to keep watching the train wreck unfold—and boy does it ever go up in flames! I’ll stop right here before I give it all away, but I will say that the last chapter left me with more questions than answers, which makes me wonder if there’ll be a sequel.

Four Paws Up to ‘Throw the Texas Dog a Bone’

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn CoziesLeave a comment

Al Quinn is a man after my own heart. He’s a dog rescuer, a deer lover and an ace detective to boot! He captured my heart in the opening chapter when he swooped up a condemned shelter dog while investigating a crime scene. Needless to say, Al earned some major cool points right from the get-go.

Though this is a hardboiled Texas mystery, Al is anything but a puffed out gun-toting good ol’ boy. At home, he knows the women rule the roost, especially his main squeeze, Fergie. I say main squeeze, due to his….shall we say… alternative lifestyle. He has a couple of squeezes, per say, in his love-triangle household. The swinging lifestyle isn’t my cup of tea but it made for an interesting subplot.

But I digress. Let’s get down to the mystery, shall we? Our leading man is a retired detective who refuses to start living the sweet life in an RV, so he spends the majority of his free time consulting at crime scenes. This time around, he’s responding to a puzzling scene at the local animal shelter, where human remains are found in the incinerator.With his team of sidekicks—including Tanner, his loyal rescue pup, and a cantankerous rookie detective—Al is hot on a trail that leads to Austin’s seedy underbelly of human trafficking, a burglary ring and rural bordellos. I’ll stop right here before I reveal too much!

I will say that this Al Quinn mystery series is a hidden gem. These books fill the void that Rick Riordan left behind when he stopped writing Austin-based mysteries to become a world-famous children’s fantasy author. Being a native Austinite, I love how the author gave his readers a sense of place in a city that is a character in its own right. Through his atmospheric descriptions, I could picture myself at Al’s lake-front homestead on the rural outskirts of the city. I felt like I was riding in the backseat of Cam’s cruiser as she and Al drove along the perennially congested highway to interrogate suspects. We went on some wild rides together (in my head) and I can’t wait for the next one!

As for Cam, Al’s reluctant partner, talk about a complicated character! Trust me, you’re going to loathe her at first, but then you’ll see there’s many layers to that onion. This is a highly character-driven mystery that just keeps getting better with every book. Hats off to Russ Hall for delivering another quality Texified mystery. May I suggest a spinoff narrated by none other than little Tanner? How fun would that be!?

Go here to read my review of Al Quinn’s previous adventure in To Hell and Gone in Texas.

To Hell and Gone in Texas by Russ Hall

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn CoziesLeave a comment

22538055Russ Hall does it again! He pulled off another rootin’ tootin’ rollercoaster ride of a thriller—complete with helicopter explosions, forest fires, shoot-em-up car chases and even a little bit of fishing. True, this is far outside the realm of chick lit, but I just have to spread the word about this fantastic Texified mystery!

An avid fisherman and animal lover, Al Quinn is a man after my own heart. After an ugly divorce and a monumental falling out with his deadbeat brother, he’s quite content to live out his retirement years in total solitude at his lake-front house. Well that is if you don’t count his pet, Bob, the three-legged deer.  This hardened retired detective may look tough, but he has a real soft spot for wayward animals and family members.

Despite all the nastiness that went down with his brother, Maury, Al couldn’t bring himself to leave him in the lurch during a time of crisis. Maury is not only a lousy brother, he’s also in cahoots with some dangerous criminals. Oh and did I mention that he’s a raving nymphomaniac? Gee, what a catch.

Russ (far left) at the Texas Book Festival.
Russ (far left) at the Texas Book Festival.

Karma rears its ugly head when someone tries to snuff him out with a heaping dosage of Viagra, rendering him bedridden and completely vulnerable to another attack. Unable to let his own brother die, Al has to hang up his fishing rod and dust off his gumshoes.

As he questions Maury’s many lady friends, he finds more questions than answers about his brother’s shenanigans with the Mexican mafia.  Why on earth was Maury living in a retirement home? And how could he even afford it? What’s the deal with Maury’s strange obsession with sea shells? You’ll have to read the book to find out?

There’s even a dash of romance between Al and his fellow investigator, Fergie. Things heat up pretty fast, leaving Al even more confused about his future…if he even has one.  Is it worth the risk to welcome another woman back into his life? Is a life of solitude really what he wants? If he and his team of sidekicks can live through this harrowing ordeal with the Los Zitos drug gang, perhaps he’ll sort it all out. But first things first, he must take down the Los Zetos before they throw down the gauntlet.

Warning—when you get to the last few chapters, be sure to free up your schedule. It’ll be nearly impossible to set the book down when all hell breaks loose! And just when you think the white-knuckle ride is over, another shocking twist will knock you off your seat. Seriously, y’all, I did not see that one coming.

If you’re ever in the mood for a character-driven action thriller, check this book out. Fans of Texas-based mysteries by authors like Jeff Abbott and Rick Riordon are sure to enjoy this one.   Read my reviews of his other books here and here.

“Bones of the Rain” by Russ Hall

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies2 Comments

  What’s a girly-girl like me doing reviewing a hard boiled mystery? After all, hard-nose detectives, bar-room brawls and corrupt businessmen are far from fun and frothy. But after reading “Bones of the Rain,” I couldn’t resist writing about the notorious “Blue Eyed Indian” and his fearless, gun-toting sidekick, Cassie Winnick.

When Travis gets dragged to the Kasperville Folk Festival, he expected a lazy weekend in a sleepy Hill Country town filled with middle age hippies reliving their Woodstock days. But just before he could sit for a spell and tap his boots to the folksy blues, the festival shuts down after Austin music star Trish Mirandez is found dead in her dressing room.

Trav soon finds Kasperville isn’t such a friendly place for half-breed Indians after an ‘Injun’ hating cop, Alvin Turnball busts out a Texas-sized can of whoop ass. Suspended for unnecessary roughness, Alvin sets out on a warpath to finish what he started.

Broken, bruised and down on his luck, Travis returns to Austin to lick his wounds with a bottle of “cactus juice.” He soon finds himself in a hot mess of trouble when his music pals ask him to investigate a shady record label owner who may be swindling their royalties. Things really get complicated when he discovers Trish Mirandez’s murder may be connected to an Austin serial killer who has a major beef with prominent, successful women.

With a little help from his friends – including a critter-hording computer genius, a desperate reporter and a feisty gun-wielding vigilante – Trav discovers a connection between the two cases. And as the pieces come together, Trav realizes the people he trusts know more than they’re telling.

Suspenseful from the get-go, “Bones of the Rain” is centered around a compelling plot with one heck of a villain and two main characters you will come to care deeply about. This blogger was guessing all the way to the end as Trav and Cassie closed in on the killer and a motive no one saw coming!

Hall’s style blends the roller-coaster ride pacing of Rick Riordan with the East Texas down-home humor of Joe Lansdale. And like Lansdale and Riordan, Russ draws on the colorful character of his locale – in this case Austin’s music scene – to pepper his narrative. Austinites will especially enjoy the scenes at some of Austin’s most beloved landmarks. Boy am I craving a Huts hamburger right about now!

“Goodbye, She Lied” by Russ Hall

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies1 Comment

My friends always laugh at me for being the only Murder She Wrote fanatic without blue hair and a walker. What they don’t realize is that J.B. Fletcher is a hip, hip lady, who exemplifies the meaning of Girl Power! Not only is she a snazzy dresser (love the khaki trench coat!), but she is also a brazen, balls-to-the-wall crime fighter who puts local law enforcement to shame. That’s what I love about amateur women detectives! And that’s why I had such a great time accompanying Esbeth Walters – a Texified Mrs. Marple – on her quest to help her pal “Boose” find the con artists who cheated his elderly mother out of $64,000. 

A retired school teacher and full-time sleuth, Esbeth is the kind of woman that good ol’ Texas boys would call a ‘pistol.’ Much like my girl J.B. Fletcher, the sleuthing senior gets nothing but eye rolls and condescending remarks from local law enforcement. But that doesn’t stop her from taking on a new case when a friend in need comes knocking on her door. When Boose – an endearingly cantankerous rough-n-tough Texan – asked her to find the tricksters who stole his mother’s rest-home fund, she reluctantly answers the call of duty. After snooping around the local nursing home – run by a shifty director and an imposing nurse with about as much warmth as a prison guard – Esbeth discovers Boose’s mom wasn’t the only resident who was bamboozled by money-grubbing grifters. She soon stumbles upon another mystery when a damsel in distress enlists her help in proving her husband’s bizarre car accident was not a suicide. With the help of her elderly sidekick, Gardner Burke (who, if this ever became a movie, could be played by Clint Eastwood), Esbeth unearths (literally) connections between the two mysteries and discovers her cozy Hill Country hamlet is a hotbed for swindlers and cold-blooded murderers.

 I’m not sure what disturbed me the most about this mystery, the two ruthless hit men who like their weapons a little too much, or Esbeth’s foreboding dread of living her last remaining years in a grim rest home that reeks of Lysol and death. This book definitely left me feeling a little uneasy in many ways. But that’s not to say I didn’t have a heck of a good time reading it!

 This read is perfect to snuggle up to with a steaming mug of chai tea – my fave!  With  the nights getting darker and colder, what better than a good murder mystery with a good dollop of Texas grit thrown in too! Thanks Russ, for creating another fun and feisty female detective series. Keep em’ coming!

Do you have a favorite amatuer sleuth? If so, who?