Friday, July 30, 2021

FFB Review: The Last Call: A Bill Travis Mystery by George Wier

Earlier this week, the horrible news that Texas author George Wier had passed was posted to Facebook. I was stunned as I had no idea that he was fighting cancer. George was a very talented author and I am a big fan. He was also a cyber friend who occasionally reached out to me as Sandi fought her own battle and far more often after she passed as he tried to make sure I was sticking around and not having stupid thoughts. I suspect he deliberately did not tell me he was fighting cancer these past months so as to not upset me. I wish he had told me, but I get why he did not. The news has been very hard to take. I still have a number of books of his to read in the old eBook TBR pile and it is going to take quite some time before I can even think about trying to do so.

On this final Friday in July 2021 when the world seems mad on so many levels, I offer you my review from many years ago of the first book in this series, THE LAST CALL. George made it a permanently free read in eBook format several years ago, ignoring the naysayers who said not to do that sort of thing, and it did very well for him. If you have not read him, you really should.

 

Bill Travis first saw the beautiful woman while he was driving in heavy traffic on the loop near downtown Austin. The beautiful reddish blonde in the red roadster didn’t seem to mind that Bill Travis was staring at her. For a few minutes they played a cat and mouse game passing each other in the heavy morning traffic. After a smile his way and a couple of quick moves on her part in the stop and go traffic, she was gone down the interstate and out of his life. That left the nearly 40 year old Bill Travis with only one option---head to work as if nothing had happened at all. 


That is until a short time later, as his first client of the day, she walks into his office. 


Julie Simmons may have flirted and then cut him off in traffic, but she has bigger issues then being a sexy and rude flirt. She has crossed Archie Carpin, a North Texan Liquor Baron and legendary figure with a violent family lineage dating back to the 20’s in Texas. This is one family that you leave very well alone if you have any brains at all. Julie was desperate and took two million dollars and ran. Of course, Archie Carpin very much wants his money back.

 

Bill Travis, a man that helps well off people with their money problems can’t help falling for her in every way possible.  Even if there is far more to her story and he knows it from the very start.  The beautiful woman wasn’t kidding when she said her name was trouble. He just didn’t care. He should have as she was not lying about that much at least.

 

On the run and trying to stay alive on a trail that takes them from Austin to North Texas and back again, Texas author George Wier crafts an intriguing tale full of twists and turns. Populated with complex main and secondary characters, plenty of clues, and plenty of action this recently released novel first in a planned series is a good one. Even seasoned mystery readers will be surprised by some of the twists the complex case takes while imparting some legendary Texas history.

 

 

The Last Call: A Bill Travis Mystery

Gorge Wier

http://www.georgewier.com/

Flagstone Books

2011

eBook (also available in print and audio formats 

 

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

 

Kevin R. Tipple © 2011, 2021

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