A Bullet for Billy: A Brutal Texas Rangers Western Thriller of Murder and War

Journey of Jim Glass #2

by Bill Brooks

Captain Gus Rodgers of the Texas Rangers is dying—and before he goes, he needs Jim's help to free his grandson from a Mexican prison. Trouble is, the Federale general holding him wants the head of the boy's brother, Billy, who has already confessed to murdering the general's daughter. Gus believes Billy deserves to die. The old ranger's just worried he won't live long enough to do the deed—which is where Jim Glass comes in. Gus's wild grandsons may be a lot of things—brutal, ignorant, and dangerous, to name three—but they may not actually be guilty of this particular crime. And when the truth comes out, there's bound to be a war. And no one's going to escape unbloodied . . .

Genres: Westerns

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 26, 2007

Reviews

[pearl 🪻 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was an editor too expensive??

[Shawn Cote · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've been reading western fiction--from the traditional oaters of Louis L'Amour, to the more literary and challenging cowboy stories of Cormac McCarthy and Larry McMurtry--since I was an adolescent, long enough to have a pretty good sense of what works and what doesn't.

Let me just say this novel did not work for me.

But then I have a thing about half-baked plots, thin character development, lazy editing, and second-rate prose.

Still, when a horse is shot dead in Chapter 17 and then found grazing at the river's edge in Chapter 19, it becomes difficult to maintain the suspension of disbelief necessary to keep reading a book whose hold on you had already been tenuous for at least a couple hundred pages.

Fortunately, I paid less than a dollar for this book at a Marden's Surplus and Salvage, where I was simply looking for a good rainy-read. Unfortunately, the time I spent reading this novel probably would have been better spent re-reading an Elmore Leonard or Elmer Kelton western.

If you haven't read either of those guys, do yourself a favor and seek them out. But don't waste your time on a slight book that should never have been accepted by a Big Five publishing company like HarperCollins.

[David Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it high literature? No. Is it a deep story with lots of character development? No. Does a horse die and inexplicably come back to life later? Yes. It’s a fun story written in an exciting way. There are flaws, but over all it’s just a fun western.

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story. Jim Glass the main character of this series is now almost 46 years old, has a small ranch and a good woman. Has his retired captain Ranger come and ask him a favor. Enjoyed this story, a little different from other westerns I have read but I liked it.

[Tyler Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Brooks creates a story where the reader feels the tense and tender emotions of all the characters, sees the landscape, feels the rain, the heat and the hard life on the open frontier. Bill Brooks is a brilliant story teller.

[Richard R. Aarstad · Rating 1 out of 5]

Crap

It is actually a zero. Paper thin plot, and halfway through the author starts taking short cuts that killed any desire to finish.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast, excellent read. A wonderful voice and story.

[Caprice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect combination of romance, desert, and grit!!!