Senior News--- December 2012 Column

For some time now I have been writing a monthly book review column for the Senior News newspaper. The Senior News is aimed to the 50 and over crowd with news relevant to seniors regarding various issues, humor pieces, and my review column among other things. The newspaper is a giveaway at doctor offices, stores, etc. and can be received by mail via a paid subscription. There are multiple editions across the state of Texas and therefore there is some fluctuation in content in each edition.

My column every month focuses on books of interest to the Texas audience. Therefore books selected for the column, fiction or non-fiction, are written by Texas residents, feature Texans in some way, or would have some other connection to the Texas based readership. At least two books are covered each month in the short space I am given.

Below is/was my December 2012 column with the addition here of the relevant book covers……

 

Texas author Jan Christensen is back with another mystery novel well worth your time. Set in late 1987 the book features a religious cult preparing for the end of the world, a murder mystery, and a dysfunctional family under tremendous stress. After two long years Kirk is back home though he isn’t ready to talk about why the cult, known as Celestial Village, or why he left, but they don’t care about that right now.  Thanks to a murder and a kidnapping, soon Kirk is back in Texas with the cult and the future looks pretty bad. 

A good story that shows the dark side of religious extremism and mental disorders, Revelations: A Darker-Side Mystery moves at a rapid pace to its climax. The mystery of why Kirk left is what drives the majority of the book before being morphed into what the cult leadership is planning for the remainder of the book. Though the novel is set in twelve days in late 1987, this fiction read could easily happen today, next year, or at any time.

The Devil To Pay: A Bill Travis Mystery

George Wier

Flagstone Books (CreateSpace)

E-Book Only

Estimated print length 141 pages

The fourth book in the “Bill Travis Mysteries” series opens with Walt Cannon needing Bill’s help. Walt is a Texas Ranger with a thirty plus year career in the elite law enforcement agency who just might be arrested for murder any day now. Walt swears he didn’t kill Phil Burnet, though he certainly had a good reason to kill him. Bill Travis knows Walt is telling the truth when he says he didn’t do it. But, something is wrong with Walt and he won’t come clean about it.

All Walt wants is Bill’s help in clearing his name.  One thing that will help Bill is that the guy who found the body of Phil Burnet is Perry Reilly. Bill has known Perry since way back in the day before Bill was married with kids. Before long, Bill and Perry are in a dangerous case that will take them back and forth across Central Texas chasing a killer.

The Devil To Pay is another fast moving read in the series showcasing the obvious talents of the Texas author George Wier. While you could read The Devil To Pay as a stand alone it would be better if you read this series in order starting with The Last Call.
 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2012