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

Review: "The Devil To Pay: A Bill Travis Mystery" by George Wier

The fourth book in the “Bill Travis Mysteries” series opens with Bill Travis at work in his office when his friend Walt Cannon comes by to see him. Walt is a Texas Ranger with a thirty plus year career in the elite law enforcement agency. Walt is also under suspicion by some within the organization. Some believe that Walt committed a murder. Walt expects to be arrested soon. Walt swears he didn’t kill Phil Burnet, though he certainly had a good reason to kill him.

Bill Travis knows Walt and is pretty sure his friend is telling him 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. Bill seems to have a knack for investigating things and finding the truth even though his day job deals with money and all the tricks investment counselors, like Bill, use to make money grow for their clients.

One thing that will help Bill when he starts poking around is that the guy who found the body of Phil Burnet in the water at what used to be called Town Lake is Perry Reilly. The same Perry Reilly, notorious womanizer, who runs an insurance agency right next door to where Bill has his office. Bill has known Perry since way back in the day before Bill was married with kids. Before long, Bill is over at Perry’s office asking a few questions and reluctantly agreeing to let Perry tag along in the investigation. A decision that Bill will have more than one chance to regret 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 author George Wier. Bill Travis is a unique character firmly grounded in his everyman roots who gets involved in things again and again because of the people he knows. Often in this series, what starts as something relatively minor soon explodes in a major way with links to the Governor’s Mansion, political double dealing, and notorious crimes decades old.  Bill can’t help getting involved and becoming a target. It is in his nature and he can’t help it. Even these days with a wife, a new baby in the house, and lots more going on.

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. That novel was reviewed again yesterday here as my selection for Friday’s Forgotten Books.

The Devil To Pay: A Bill Travis Mystery

George Wier

http://www.georgewier.com

Flagstone Books

December 2011

E-Book

(Estimated print length 141 pages)

$3.99

Material provided by the author some time ago in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2012