Word of Alpha's recovery spreads throughout the region. The news is welcomed by most - but not all. Some see the small Texas town as a threat, others want to dominate the prosperous community. Often, it's difficult to discern friend from foe, and miscommunication can be deadly. The legendary range wars of the early American West were brutal, bloody affairs. Water was often an excuse for the skirmishes, but rarely was it the true root of conflict. Political competition, an unquenchable thirst for power, and poor communications were the real catalysts for these violent struggles. In the post-apocalyptic world of Bishop and Terri, circumstances are ripe for history to repeat. Electricity replaces water as the point of contention, the new world on the brink of falling into violent chaos, just like in the past. The issues run in tandem, human nature apparently unchanged in 200 years. Join the citizens of post-collapse West Texas as they struggle to rebuild and improve their lives. It's a journey filled with the joy of success and fraught with the peril of defeat.
Joe Nobody (pen name for the author who wishes to keep his identity confidential) has provided systems, consulting and training for the U.S. Army, Department of Homeland Security, Office of Naval Research, United States Border Patrol as well as several private firms and government agencies which cannot be disclosed. He is currently active in this area and for the security of his family and ongoing business, wishes to remain anonymous.
He has over 30 years of competitive shooting experience, including IPSC, NRA, and other related organizations. He has been a firearms instructor and consultant for over 30 years and holds the rights to a United States Patent for a firearms modification.
Joe initially became involved in helping private citizens "prepare" at the request of his students and clients. A conscientious instructor, he would always inquire as to why they wanted to learn certain skills or techniques and often the response was to prepare for more than just simple home invasion or self-defense. If you ask Joe what his greatest attribute is, he will tell you he is a "problem solver" and uses his formal education in Systems Engineering to this end.
"As the economy worsens, world tensions rise, and the modern media propagates bad news faster than ever before, more and more people want to prepare. I wrote HOLDING because it allows me to reach more of the good folks who are concerned about their security. I want them to sleep better at night knowing they have a plan of defense should the 'Event' ever occur."
At first, I thought this one was going to bore me, but as I went into it further I started to realize I love the world the author is trying to portray. I'm glad there isn't always strife and chaos, otherwise it wouldn't be very realistic. Great read!
Joe Nobody is consistent but the format is slipping. As always it is an excellent follow on story. The characters have become familiar to me and I can't wait to see what happens next. The reason for a four and not a five? I am paying real currency for these books. I worked for it. I don't want to give it away to somebody who doesn't care enough to produce a quality product.
Being a writer myself means that I am a bit harder on fellow writers when I review books. It becomes distracting when I read over and over again about the "causalities" as a result of the battle. How about the casualties?
Then Joe keeps putting a Greek pastry (baklava) on the head of his operators. Come on Joe they wear balaclavas
I really enjoyed this 4th book in the series. It's really a chronicles, about Alapha, Meraton and the others small towns (from 31 to 300 people) united against bullies, warlords and looters to create another (better) world from the ashes of the previous government collapse.