Saturday, May 05, 2012

Review: "Capitol Offense--A Bill Travis Mystery" by George Wier

Norman Howell sits in the Ellis Unit in Huntsville, Texas awaiting his execution date.  About a decade ago he killed the couple that ran a small gas station, took 158 bucks and a case of beer and fled with the whole thing recorded by a hidden VCR. Bill Travis has come to the prison unit with a simple request. All Bill Travis wants, beyond a quick get in and out of the prision, is for Howell to sign some paperwork on a trust account.


Instead, he gets told bits and pieces about Howell’s role in a dark period of Texas history back in the 80’s when somebody blew up Vietnamese fishing boats along the Texas coast. Howell does not go into much detail but he does mention the name Dick Sawyer. The same Dick Sawyer who sits in the governor’s mansion as the duly elected governor of the great state of Texas and who might have paid to have those boats blown up.


That gets Bill Travis a little interested and he starts poking around. Before long, Travis is running for his life across Texas is wanted for murder, and folks are dead in his wake. Throw   in plenty of Texas history, the legendary Marfa Lights, modern day politics involving the succession movement, and lots of other stuff and you have quit a cauldron of mystery and intrigue.

Capitol Offense - A Bill Travis Mystery is the second book of the series and again author George Wier sets yet another breakneck pace across Texas. For a guy who is supposed to be a glorified accountant, Bill Travis manages to get very well known on both sides of the law and have quite the adventures. This second read in the series is another good one and continues to build on the solid foundation evidenced in The Last Call.


Having established the main character of Bill Travis quite well, this book focuses more on the world around him, the odds against him, and how those in power control others. At its core, this book is more adventure than mystery but there are plenty of twist and turns to keep mystery readers and others happy and turning pages. The result is a solid second novel in a series that is mighty good on all levels.


Capitol Offense - A Bill Travis Mystery
George Wier
Flagstone Books
November 26, 2011
E-Book
$0.99


Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2012

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