A Book A Week

Back in April, I was just getting used to the idea of working from home and living life in quarantine. I was really taking advantage of all the extra time by reading things outside of my normal reading habits. At a certain point, however, I started to hit a wall. I was needing something to read that was a bit more familiar and comfortable. I turned to one of my go-to authors James Patterson. His book Texas Ranger, was everything I needed at that moment, a quick escape from reality with likable characters and plenty of twists and turns.  All these months later, it is hard to believe that we are still living through the same scenario. Lucky for me, Patterson has released a sequel to his Texas Ranger thriller. Once again, I was able to quickly settle into the familiar comforts of Texas Outlaw. 

Texas Ranger Rory Yates has gained a bit more notoriety since we last looked in on him. Solving a string of high-profile murders and dating an up and coming country music star will do that to a man.  Today, Rory is enjoying the relative anonymity of visiting a local bank branch. This lunch break is not meant to be, and Rory soon finds himself in the middle of a good old fashioned bank robbery. This is nothing a seasoned Texas Ranger can't handle. Rory tries to talk some sense into the culprit, but the burglar continues to be threatening and violent. Given no other choice, Rory shoots the robber, ending any chance for the thief to hurt any of the innocent bystanders.

There's one thing Rory wasn't counting on. One of the bystanders in the bank has their phone up and recording the entire altercation. That video quickly made its way onto social media and spread like wildfire. Now Rory and the Rangers have a different kind of notoriety, the kind that has called into question the practices of law enforcement. Eager to let the flames from the viral video ease a bit, the Rangers send Rory to work in a small town until things cool off.

The Chief of police in Rio Lobo is not happy to have a Texas Ranger interfere with what looks to be a pretty cut and dry case. A woman died of an apparent allergic reaction (those pesky peanuts), and that seems to be the consensus around her untimely demise. Strangely, she phoned a friend hours before claiming she needed to speak to the police. As Rory begins investigating this peculiar death, it becomes very apparent that he is not welcomed in the town. When another man is shot and killed in the town, however, Rory realizes that things aren't as open and closed as they seemed. He pokes around and makes some discoveries that blow this case wide open. The only problem he doesn't have the power of the town's police or the Texas Rangers backing him up. If he's going to solve these murders, he'll have to go against all of his training and the rules of the rangers and become a true Texas Outlaw.

With Texas Outlaw, James Patterson and co-author Andrew Bourelle provided the kind of fast-paced escapism that I was needing. This sequel allows the pair to take their hero Rory Yates on a more nuanced emotional journey than the origin story first novel granted. As such, I'd give a slight edge to this one over the previous book. Patterson's trademark short chapters, non-stop action, and plentiful twists are all there, but it is the character work in this one that really elevates it from his usual fare. The familiarity I was craving was completely satisfied, and that is pretty much what I look for when I pick up one of his books. Texas Outlaw is escapist fiction at its most basic level. Sometimes that is all you really need.

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
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