So here we
are, at the height of vacation time, when we should be getting our annual
sunburn on the beach or cracking our fillings on popcorn in a frigid movie
theatre as we watch the forces of good battle those of evil against incredible
odds. But 2020 had other plans for most of us. To make up for a bit of it, I
offer for your consideration Hawke’s Prey (Pinnacle Books, 2017) by
Reavis Wortham, which is the first appearance of Sonny Hawke, a Texas Ranger in
the small town of Ballard in West Texas.
Everyone in
Ballard and the surrounding area is watching the sky with concern as snow falls
at a rapid clip and the wind speedily stacks it up in attractive but impassable
drifts. Since blizzards are not generally seen in those parts, the residents
scurry to town to lay in supplies and take care of other business that cannot
wait. Sonny’s wife Kelly proceeds with her plan to take her teenaged students
from high school on a tour of the county courthouse, knowing school will likely
close around noon. Sonny follows her on Ranger business. After completing his
tasks and visiting with a few folks, he goes to the very top floor in the
courthouse to check out the weather. He lingers there, absorbed in the snowfall
and its implications until he hears gunfire. A lot of it. A cautious peep over
the balcony reveals a group of terrorists shooting their way into the
courthouse, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake and shepherding everyone
that is still alive into a courtroom at gunpoint.
Sonny quickly
realizes that he’s the only person in the courthouse that the terrorists have
not captured. He also recognizes they are being led by someone who knows his
business. Most of the doors to the building are blocked and the terrorists are
strategically deployed to ensure no one enters the remaining ones. He texts the
sheriff with the information he can gather, using a cell phone with a fading
battery.
The sheriff
in his turn is reeling from a pre-emptive assault on his office. Phone calls to
the state police, Homeland Security, and the FBI are no help, as the snow is
rendering transport impossible. Even the media can’t get through to Ballard. He
collects his remaining personnel, deputizes a few military veterans, and plans his
own strike. To complicate an already bad situation, all of the parents of the
children in the courthouse are demanding immediate action and threatening to
mount a rescue on their own.
The action
does not stop in this story. It could have been tightened effectively here and
there, and characterization is not its strong suit, but if you liked the move Die
Hard, you will like this book. A fine summer read.
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File Size: 1311 KB
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Print Length: 480 pages
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Publisher: Pinnacle Books (June 27, 2017)
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Publication Date: June 27, 2017
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ASIN: B01LYDQSBC
Aubrey Hamilton ©2020
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It
projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
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