Coyote

by Adam Cosco

Miguel Vargas thought he’d left his past behind—a life of quiet regrets and fractured family ties now his only focus. But when a mysterious phone call dredges up the name Raul Porto, everything Miguel has fought to forget comes rushing back.

The voice on the line knows too much, and its cryptic warnings hint at a shadow Miguel thought he’d escaped. As old sins resurface and tensions boil over, Miguel must navigate a dangerous web of lies, betrayals, and moral compromises to protect his family—and confront the truth he’s avoided for far too long.

Set against the dusty backdrop of Texas, Coyote is a darkly comic, pulse-pounding contemporary western where the past is never as far away as you think. Perfect for fans of the Coen Brothers and gritty, character-driven thrillers.

213 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 19, 2025

About the author

Adam Cosco is an award-winning author and filmmaker whose work dives deep into the shadows of the human psyche. A graduate of the prestigious American Film Institute, Adam cut his teeth in Hollywood before turning his focus to novels—crafting stories that blend horror, psychological suspense, and dark satire.

His novels—Little Brother, Say Goodbye to Jonny Hollywood, Lowlands, The Heart of a Child, and his latest mind-bending thriller The Dream Killer—have captivated readers with their atmospheric dread and sharp psychological insight.

Fearless, provocative, and impossible to ignore, Adam Cosco writes the kind of stories that leave a mark.

Reviews

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy frijoles. Where do I even start? I have to say, most would probably disagree with me, but I don't blame Raul one bit. I actually side with him on this one. He was put in a bind from the get go. And having to do things the way he did….you do what you have to do. I was wondering what happened with Jorge too, so that was a great moment for me. I'm hoping they can stay in contact. This is one heck of a book. It's not for anyone who has triggers or is squeamish. I absolutely loved it. It pulled me in from the first page and I couldn't put it down. Fantastic story

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this, I sat numb and dumbfounded for a period of time about how to explain my experience with this story. It's raw, real, gripping, and grizzly. You can't look away or stop reading even if you wanted to, because the content and characters have you too wrapped up and invested in their plight. It's impactful and compelling and will drag you along, willingly or not!! I voluntarily read a free copy of this book provided by book sirens and am giving an honest opinion.

[sugarnsass_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Western novel slowly drew me in and lingered in my thoughts long after. It explores the humanistic, emotional side of cartels, corruption, the constant threat of violence, border crossings, messy humans, betrayal, and family bonds. Raul, a young teen gets swept in, used as a mule and eventually forced to make a decision. Atmospheric, immersive, storytelling that brings the reader in so close, you can smell the dust and feel the heat. I may revisit this read.
Emotional, Raw, Real and Rough.

[Shayne Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Tony Heck · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Miguel is left standing in the garden, surrounded by the beauty of a life he built but no longer recognizes, haunted by the simple dreams he left behind.” The novel, Coyote, by Adam Cosco pulls us into the past and present of Miguel Vargas, skillfully exploring his life in Mexico and Texas, leading to ongoing surprises at the motives of its characters. We are taken into the complications of a past filled with regret, as we question the ultimate desire of Miguel and how he reaches the destruction of his efforts at a luxurious life. Coyote excels at its use of suspense, as we begin to doubt the priorities and actions of its central character and those around him. The novel highlights the lasting effects of past choices, even those that may be the best one in the moment. Recommended read.

I was provided a complimentary copy and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

[Joanne Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gritty-based story alive with character. Adam Cosco is a master of description and it is compelling reading. I am now going to read his previous books

[Shreela Sen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some book/ movies TV shows, which, after you’re done reading/ watching, linger in your mind, the characters, their actions … This book is like that. It makes an emotional impact.

The story moves back & for the between present day (2018) & past. In the “present”, The very common, usual, real situation of a family with teen/ young adult children, the despair, the emptiness & the suffocation really hits the spot. In the “past”, In this book, it is attempted to show the human side of the the men & the boys, how someone gets sucked into the mafia, the lure & the binding.

The book is mainly a “Western”, depicting the life around Mexico USA border, also a thriller, quite good. It is not humour, dark or otherwise. The novel seems to explore the question, does crime pay, or not pay?

It is at the time Abel forces Raul’s hand that we feel most intensely Raul’s vulnerability. Till this point in the story, I was feeling for Raul a Worried distaste. Raul is simply being a mule, when, within a span of a few weeks, he is pulled into the inner circle of career crime. This is a teenage boy who has been abandoned by his father, forever starved for a father & has no meaningful relationship with his mother, no adult that he himself respects, or might consult. No real friends either. He is being faced by a man who is in-your-face macho & also being paternal, & at the same time, he is constantly in the environment of potential violence. Things happen to Raul before he understands what is happening.

The plot is quite complex with a few twists, reveals & scope for emotional development (which takes an ugly turn). However, Character development is lacking. Only the character of Raul is developed, there is no backstory on Scarlet, Abel, & certainly not minor characters.

The coincidence is a bit much for my liking. Also, I dislike the treatment of the women. I found the sex scenes forced & not really adding anything to the plot. Maybe they added a bit to the characters, but I disliked characterization through sex activities.

Later, I dislike when Raul feels that he now faces his fate. Raul had been seriously wronged, to an extent which is unimaginable for regular people. That wrong cannot be forgiven even if it has been in some way somewhat avenged for. Upon facing the perpetrator of that wrong, it is strange that Raul feels fear & sees a nemesis. Perhaps it works in different ways for people who have never taken human life & those who have.

The end is a little ambiguous, as it is definitely not possible for the family to live on in that location. But I liked how the end is tied to the beginning & the reference to the family tensions at the beginning of the novel. I found the trump reference funny, it was a completely relevant reference, & still it amused me.

Overall, it is satisfactory fiction, blending “Western”, family drama & contemporary elements.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dorrita Winch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one amazing book. Grabs your attention and hold on.
Miguel Vargas is beat down from life and his secret past. His authority non existent with his family. His wife and kids having no respect for him. With his family figuratively walking over him. The family has no closeness. And closeness and love is what they will need for what’s ahead of them.
Scarlet is his wife, stunning and put together. Juan is their son. Camilla is his seventeen year old daughter.
The family’s French Bulldog loves Miguel and is his loyal companion. His only companion, his confidant, his shadow.
Things went from bad to worse one day at the Castaway Cove, water park in Texas. Were introduced to Fangs (Rich) Carver. He is charming and predatory. His teeth sharpened into vampire like fangs. Which you learn is very appropriate. And is hiding his evil within himself but with someone from Miguel Vargas past.using Miguel daughters to get close to Miguel.
Then the calls..The voice that knows everything, and sees every thing. Address’s him as Raul Porto. Telling him to tell his family who that was. Followed by threats on both himself and his son.
We learn as we read that
Raul Porto at nineteen worked in the Agave Dahlias fields in Juarez Mexico. That he gets turned away from journey for knowledge, wanting to be an engineer…back then Scarlett is twenty and lives in the Cantera house in the distance. Beautiful and confident. But more carefree and warmer with youth.
Abel Blanco is twenty five with a yin-yang symbol tattooed on his muscular back. She’s married to Abel.
Abel becomes Raul’s boss. Pulling Raul into the darkness of cartels and dirty marshal’s like Romero who deals with Abel.
When things go wrong and Abel tries to use him as a patsy, Raul gives info and goes into WITSEC. Taking Scarlet with him. Rebuilding their lives together. His identity changing to Miguel Vargas.
The once desperate boy longing for a father figure, transforms into something more.
But new lives don’t always last. Sometimes the past comes back and bites you. HARD!
This is a very deep, excitement filled book dealing with cartels, border crossings, double dealings, portals, murder, new identity, difficult and messy home life and much more.
Together the family comes to see that some bonds, no matter how twisted or broken, hold tighter than anything else.
Does have a happy ending. Highly recommend…👍🏻.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rhiannon Boyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A neo-western crime drama that gives off Breaking Bad and Taylor Sheridan vibes, this reads more like a screenplay than a novel – it’s written in these spare, short little vignettes and jump cuts that are a brief, uneasy glance into a family going inextricably off the rails as the secrets of the past catch up with them, blowing up their comfortable lives.

There were some weirdly jarring plot inconsistencies and small details that didn’t make much sense that I found very distracting and troublesome, like this:

“…grabbing her phone and hurling it across the room. It shatters against the wall.”

And then moments later

“A sharp ping breaks the silence, and Camilla glances at her phone.”

Or later on:

“Abel drives the Mustang through the deserted outskirts of Juarez, blindfolded and uneasy”

(my emphasis) Um, what?

That kind of thing.

And I have to say that the basic underlying ‘mystery’ was kind of obvious to me right from the jump. I stuck around because Cosco does an amazing job of painting a scene and I really did enjoy the quiet menace of the book and was curious to see how it would all play out. All of the characters are morally ambiguous, but I think the female characters were given short shrift and were only there to serve as a sexual foil for the men.

I think it would make an excellent movie, more so than the actual book.

My thanks to the author and Booksirens for the complimentary copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily; all opinions are my own.

[Samiksha Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

I’ve just finished Coyote. Reading this book makes you question how important your life choices are, and how deeply they can shape your future and affect your family. Adam Cosco’s writing brings these themes together brilliantly.

The story moves between the lives of Miguel Vargas and Raul Porto, set in two very different worlds. One is surrounded by wealth, power, and quiet expectations, while the other is shaped by survival, hardship, and difficult choices from a young age. At first, it feels like you’re reading two completely separate stories, but there’s a subtle tension that keeps building beneath the surface.

Blending crime fiction, drama, and a coming-of-age story, the book also weaves in the harsh realities of cartel influence and cross-border crime, adding a layer of danger and realism to both worlds.

What really stands out is how it focuses on people and their environments. Miguel’s world feels controlled and polished, influenced heavily by his family, while Raul’s journey shows how resilience is built when life doesn’t give you easy options.

It’s not fast-paced in a flashy way, but it’s gripping in a quiet, thoughtful way. You keep turning pages because you want to understand how everything connects.

Overall, it’s intense, layered, and very human , the kind of story that makes you think about identity, choices, and how much of our path is really in our control.

[Lia's Haunted Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Allow me to be poetic for one second: This felt like getting dragged through the desert by your past while it whispers all the things you tried to forget. Not a gentle read. Not a clean one either.
What really got me was how human this story is underneath all the violence and tension. Miguel isn’t some untouchable antihero. He’s messy, tired, and carrying choices that don’t stay buried no matter how far he runs. And the second that name resurfaces, you can feel everything tightening. The kind of tension that doesn’t explode right away; it just sits there… waiting,

I loved how the story moves between past and present, slowly putting pieces together until you realize just how deep everything goes. It’s not just crime or cartel elements for shock value; it’s about how people get pulled in, how they justify it, and how it follows them. There’s this constant sense of inevitability that I couldn’t shake.

Also, the atmosphere? You can feel it. The heat, the dust, the weight of every decision. It reads almost cinematic at times, but in a way that works.

And I need to say this, I really appreciate when characters are written with moral grayness instead of trying to make them likable. No one here is innocent, but you still understand them. That’s what made it better.

[Tina Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Hard Life
You want to read this story if you think the word 'Coyote' just means someone who moves people through from one place to another. This story has so much more than just movement. It is about things a person has done, what they went through, and sometimes, how things from the past can reach out and bite you!
I was drawn in by the backdrop of story of Miguel's life, and what the name Raul Porto means. Then learning that the word 'omertà' means 'Code of Silence'. That said volumns to me!
Thank you, Adam Cosco, for a wonderful story to open my eyes some more.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Daniel Nobles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story has so many elements that I wasn’t sure what would come of it. Real life feelings of hope and despair, understanding and vengefulness of right and wrong. This story packs a punch and doesn’t leave a stone unturned. Adam Cosco is an amazing writer where you can just sink into the pages of everything he writes.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adam Cosco does a fantastic job in writing this type of book, it uses the Western element that I was wanting from the description. The overall characters worked well in this universe and was glad they worked in this universe. I was invested in what was going on and glad it worked overall.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this book was amazing! Adam has done it again. I was not expecting the twist. The details and characters were amazing. Once I started reading, i was hooked and couldn't stop. This book was so well written that it was so easy to keep up and understand what was going on. It's definitely a favorite.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will be quickly pulled into a great western story, one man past will reappear to spoil his future. There is danger around every corner as he tries to escape it all over again. A brilliant read
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I loved the twists and turns of the story

[Sandra Foote · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from HiddenGemsBooks. I enjoyed how the author switched between the past and the present. It was also a surprise when I found out who Miguel really was and about his past life. I felt sorry for him, but was pleased when life worked out for him.

[Andrew Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid book. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

[Genesia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raul is a young man who wants to be an engineer, so he cycles every day from Mexico to a university in Texas. Then he got caught up in doing work for a ruthless man. He ends up in the USA under WITSEC protection, and he thought now he and his family is save. But your past has a way to catch up with you, and that's what happens now with Miguel Vargas. With threats of revealing his past and put his wife and children in danger, Miguel have to do everything in his power so that he and his family can survive.
Danger, suspense, violence and love is the basis of the book. It's a page-turner that will keep you entertained until the last page.
Thanks to the author for providing me with an advance copy. I'm leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Rebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s something about Coyote that gets under your skin. Maybe it’s the way Adam Cosco plays with tension, letting it simmer just beneath the surface before it cracks wide open. Maybe it’s how he takes a classic Western noir premise and injects it with razor-sharp humor, making you laugh even when you know damn well things are about to go south.

For me, Coyote hit all the right notes—grit, desperation, and that feeling of a past that won’t stay buried no matter how hard you run from it. Miguel Vargas is a man trying to live a quiet life, but the past isn’t just knocking—it’s pounding on the door. One phone call, one name—Raul Porto—and suddenly, Miguel is thrown back into a world of betrayals, half-truths, and choices that feel like they were made for him long before he even had a say.

Cosco doesn’t just write a thriller; he builds a world you can feel—the dust in the air, the weight of unfinished business pressing down on Miguel’s shoulders, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. And damn, does he nail that balance between humor and danger. One minute, you’re chuckling at a perfectly timed, dry-as-hell remark, and the next, your stomach’s in knots because something’s about to go very, very wrong.

Coyote is a must-read. It’s Coen Brothers meets Cormac McCarthy, with a sharp wit and an even sharper bite. And trust me—you won’t be putting it down until you’ve seen exactly how deep Miguel’s past really goes.

[Texas · Rating 2 out of 5]

COYOTE - The story lines sounded great but Coyote was a disappointment. The most of the book was so slow and a bit boring. The last part should have been exciting, or at least interesting, but it missed. The characters are good and the idea behind the story could have made for an interesting read, but the writing style missed. The title and the Texas setting got my attention but sadly, that is all that captured my attention. I had the impression that this lifestyle was simplistically portrayed; like rehashing a movie the author may have seen instead of research. Source: Booksprout. 2*