The Texas Murders: A Texas Ranger Thriller, Book 3

Texas Ranger Thrillers #3

by James Patterson

Brought to you by Penguin.

A cold case is about to turn hotter than the sun...

Texas Ranger Rory Yates has proven his strength on the field time and again. Now he faces the toughest case of his career.

He’s on the trail of two missing women. Both are Native American. Does anything else link them?

As he digs deeper, he discovers that a Native American woman has gone missing every summer solstice for the past few years. The captor leaves no trace, except for a very strange calling card.

The Texas Ranger must do everything he can to track down these missing women.

He only hopes that he finds them alive . . .

'It's no mystery why James Patterson is the world's most popular thriller writer ... Simply nobody does it better.' JEFFERY DEAVER

'No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades.' LEE CHILD

'Patterson boils a scene down to the single, telling detail, the element that defines a character or moves a plot along. It's what fires off the movie projector in the reader's mind.' MICHAEL CONNELLY

'James Patterson is The Boss. End of.' IAN RANKIN

'The master storyteller of our times' HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON

'One of the greatest storytellers of all time' PATRICIA CORNWELL

'Patterson knows where our deepest fears are buried ... there's no stopping his imagination' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

'Patterson is in a class by himself' GUARDIAN

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Audiobook, Suspense

Audible Audio

First published January 2, 2025

About the author

Official US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

Reviews

[Teju A · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOWZA!!!
I'm not going to praise Patterson, he already has all the accolades, Ill give props to his co-writer; this was GOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!

A Texas ranger teams up with A native American trial police officer on the hunt for missing native girls. I had no idea how the two plots worked, but by golly did they ever... Wont give any thing away but I'm so lookin forward to book 2. Great job Andrew Bourelle. I'm on the hunt for all you books now!

Solid 5 stars!!!!!

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me be honest and fully transparent right up front. I read most of James Patterson’s books and have for several years. Some might ask why and that’s another whole discussion best saved for another day. I have really enjoyed some, liked some, and didn’t really care for others. For the most part, I treat them like mind candy and don’t consider them to be too memorable. However, once in a while I am pleasantly surprised with a gem that shines. James Patterson’s Rory Yates, Texas Ranger series co-written with Andrew Bourelle is one those golden nuggets.

2018’s “Texas Ranger” was one of those nice blessings that caught me off-guard and delivered a winning read, introducing Patterson’s rugged new westernized hero, Rory Yates.

2020’s follow-up mystery adventure, “Texas Outlaw”, was another solid outing for Texas Ranger, Rory Yates, including strong storytelling, and most of all, an elusive subjective quality - heart.

I have been waiting for the third book in the series for several years now, and finally in 2025 Rory Yates returns with new crimes to investigate and new partners to work with in “The Texas Murders”. And for me, this one is a winner that adds to what has become one of my favorite Patterson series.

This time, things start off with Rory meeting Ava Cruz, an officer from the Tigua Tribal Police, while being politically forced to compete (by his boss) in a shooting event at a Texas Law Enforcement Charity fundraising event. Rory’s biggest competition turns out to be Ryan Logan, an FBI agent in charge of a special task force investigating the epidemic of Native American women going missing each year in the United States.

After Rory finds himself not hitting it off well with either Ava or Logan, he tries to get himself on the task force along with another ranger, Carlos Castillo, and help with some recent disappearances of local of a couple of college age Native American girls. However, the problem is bigger than that. Logan’s task force team is investigating a large-scale human-trafficking operation in which the young women are kidnapped, hooked on drugs, and then sent off to various illegal brothels in the Southwest.

While helping the task force, Rory, Ava, and Carlos start to realize they may actually be dealing with two different situations. Four of the local girls gone missing had a particular eagle feather left at their homes or places where they disappeared from. Rory thinks they may be related to different kidnappers who is probably killing them for reasons of their own.

If two different investigations aren’t enough, Rory is also experiencing double in his personal life. Not only has his mother set-up him up with Megan Casewick, a PhD student and college instructor whose family own a nearby ranch, but his previous love and rising country western singer, Willow Dawes, has returned to Texas to record new songs and spend some time with him. Rory finds himself trying to spark a new relationship with one while fighting the urge to rekindle one with the other.

However, Rory may not get to enjoy any kind of personal relationships for long when he finds himself up against two opposing forces who have no problems killing to protect their illegal trafficking operations and need to abduct Native American women, even if it means killing Texas Rangers…

There are several different reasons to enjoy Rory Yates, his job and identity as a Texas Ranger, his family, co-workers, and friends. It’s a good recipe of strong characters, excellent plotting and mysteries, compelling relationships, and interesting locations. And then you add in the special sauce – fluid, smooth storytelling with lots of fast-paced action, twists and turns, and a whole lot of heart – to complete a winning recipe.

I am not saying that these three Rory Yates, Texas Ranger books, are classics, but they have a special ambience that is patriotic and led by a character who lives by an ethical code that we are drawn to as he tries his damnedest to live up to. He’s not too intellectual, pretentious, or complex. He’s peanut butter and jelly; what you see is what you get.

Sometimes less can be better when it comes to mystery series or ongoing lead characters, and this is one of those times. The same can be said for the mysteries. They aren’t necessarily new, but the storylines are related to recent headlines and involve serious problems taking place in our country. Those issues pull you in and make you more aware while focusing on trying to solve the mystery. For me, the delivery of the story makes this one of the better Patterson series.

I know that Patterson has teamed up with many different writers over the years, but this partnership with Andrew Bourelle is a winner. It provides a certain smooth rhythm that ebbs and flows like a classic country or rock song. Although Patterson novels are fast-paced, the tempo, flow of words, and transition from scene to scene just seem to work together in unison better in this particular book and series.

Overall, Patterson and Bourelle’s character of Rory Yates, his job as a Ranger, his family, and Texas settings pays off in a big way, at least for this reader. I don’t know why it and I don’t care. I just thoroughly enjoyed it. It had mystery, great storytelling, and most of all, an elusive subjective quality - heart. And now the authors have added girlfriend problems to Rory’s plate, which also help amplify his storylines on an emotional level. At the risk of upsetting hardcore Patterson fans, it truly felt like I was reading a David Baldacci thriller, and a really good one at that with those tension filled moments that reach out and grab your full attention... The plotting and writing style were so creative, crisp, and enjoyable that I thought I was reading one of Baldacci’s bestselling character driven series.

"The Texas Murders" was another enjoyable Rory Yates Patterson and Bourelle adventure, worthy of a four-star rating or higher. If you only read one or two books by James Patterson this year, please make sure this series is one of them. I promise you will be worth read. Like some of Patterson’s other esteemed characters, like Alex Cross, I cannot wait to experience another Rory Yates adventure.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Texas Ranger Rory Yates and his offsider Carlos Castillo headed for El Paso where the focus was on missing women. Native American women had gone missing each year for the past four, always on the solstice. As well, women were being abducted and forced into slavery - two separate cases. The FBI were involved, and when Rory and Carlos offered their help it was taken. Meeting up with the local tribal police officer, Ava Cruz, Rory could see she was reluctant to accept their assistance, but gradually trust formed. The cases ran parallel, never connected, but time was of the essence for all the women. Could they find the Native American women, alive? And would they find the women being abducted, and apprehend the criminals whose cruelty was abominable?

The Texas Murders is the 3rd in the Texas Ranger Thrillers by James Patterson and I've loved them all. Fast paced, packed with adrenalin, danger and bad guys, Rory's one who does things his own way, often upsetting his bosses. That doesn't stop him though, and he gets results. The only thing he seems to have no control over is his love life - or lack there of! I really hope there will be a #4 soon! Highly recommended.

[Darren Patton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Loved the twists and suprises.

[Donna Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Notes on PART 1:
•Too much time getting to the missing Native American women.
•Too much focus on the main character’s attempt at a love life.
•Too much time and effort explaining things, details seen to be broken down for a very young audience.
•Way too much western music. I may have made a mistake selecting this book to read.
Remarkably boring.

Notes in PART 2:
•A little more action and substance. It is certainly worth two stars.

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️s


Texas Ranger #3


YES! Andrew Bourelle has done it again!

Loved every second, minute, hour of this book.



Audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by: Bolinda audio
Read by Christopher Ryan Grant
Duration: 9 hrs, 1 min. 1.25x Speed

[Kristi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know how many times the author wrote "Texas Ranger" in this book—way too many, so many that it became annoying. At one point, I was scared that Chuck Norris might pop out of this book just to ask me if I knew that the book was about THE Texas Ranger.
All I know now is that Texas Rangers have a huge ego, I mean really, really, huge.

[Graham J. Diemer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the characters and the story was entertaining. I haven’t read many Patterson books, but might read another Rory Yates, Texas Ranger book.

[Valeri · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 but not rounding up

First let me say I appreciate calling attention to the lack of coverage when it comes to missing indigenous women. 5* for that. It’s a plight that we should not have.

But all in all I was bored with this book. I did enjoy the twist but when it comes in the last 40 pages of a 400 page book, it’s hard to fully be excited for jt. Just was expecting more mystery and crime than a conflicted love life and a silly gun shooting rivalry out of this story.

[youarebymyside · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book lasts for 9 hours. It took me 5.5 to 6 hours to get invested and to start caring about the events and that's basically everything you need to know about it.

The first several hours the main character muses over what woman, between the two, he wants/needs to be with and should choose, and it fully sounds like some romance novel because of how much is thrown at you and how important the author makes it sound.

Then the MC forgets about those women at all, finally the murder and its solving starts.

It's the first book in my entire life when an author writes an epilogie and adds a NEW chapter to the story before the epilogue, not starting from the new count, after that. What?

And then the book finishes with the main character still musing what woman he should be dating. Are you freaking kidding me? That romance wasn't important at all! They don't get kidnapped, nor do they play ANY part in the investigation and the story.

My goodness, this was outrageously bad. The only three moments I liked were:

1. "You are under arrest, motherfucker." Women. ♥️
2. Eva hugging Rory after he saved her life.
3. "Forgive me my intimacy." as Rory pulls the tape off Eva's mouth with his teeth.

The rest was SHIT. The audiobook, and the writing, were monotonous af. Where did all those good ratings come from? It was boring and slow as hell. And around 90 chapters. 😵‍💫

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will definitely read (or listen to) the first books in this series. I really liked Texas Ranger Rory Yates. He made a great main character, and I was rooting for him and his team the entire time. His current case strikes a chord with some of the things currently going on in Arizona and missing indigenous people, even creating a new 'turquoise' alert. Overall, I liked the mystery and storytelling in this book. It was entertaining to listen to.

[Martine Tieleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je waant je in het bloedhete Texas. Heerlijk tussendoortje! Lekkere serie over de Texas Ranger.

[Danita Hollander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowowowowow! What a great book. Grabs you from the first line of the book! “Isabella hears the unmistakable vibration of a rattlesnake tail, freezing her in a cold chill.” Such a great book with great characters and a complex plot. Twist after twist after twist. Such an easy read too, keeps you engaged from the beginning!

[Ray Palen · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Patterson teams up with Andrew Bourelle for the third novel in the Texas Ranger series --- THE TEXAS MURDERS.

The Prologue features a young Native American named Isabella who undergoes a painful ordeal. She escaped someone who had taken her and in getting away broke her leg and ravaged her hands as she crawled through the desert. A rattlesnake then confronts her that she overcomes and beheads, like she had been taught at an early age. Unfortunately, she forgot the lessons of her youth that taught her about how rattlesnakes can still bite even after they are deceased and finds herself bit by the venomous head. She is rescued by a police officer but vows to never forget this ordeal and how it has changed her.

Part I, set four years later, introduces our hero Texas Ranger Rory Yates, who is battling his FBI adversary Ryan Logan in an annual shooting contest. Rory barely bests Ryan, but it becomes obvious that this is more than just a professional rivalry. Shortly thereafter, Rory finds himself assigned to a case involving missing Native American women that may be the work of a serial killer. He is invited to join a task force with another Texas Ranger named Carlos as well as a Native American officer named Ava. The ironic thing is that the team falls under the purview of none other than Ryan Logan and the FBI.

The latest missing woman is named Fiona Martinez, a college student, and they begin to track her last known whereabouts as well as working with the FBI to get a profile on the killer. They get a lead on a possible abductor by the name of Llewellyn Carpenter and the task force focuses on finding him before he takes another life. Meanwhile, we get to experience Rory Yates’ complicated love life as he begins a new relationship with a local barkeep named Megan while trying to put the memory of his ex, Willow --- now a country music singing sensation, behind him.

Things go wrong with the case and forces Ryan to take action, which he does in the form of firing Rory from the task force. Rory does not agree with the decision and feels that Ryan had set him up. He continues to investigate, as he is a Texas Ranger and the missing women are from his state, in the hopes that he can get in front of the case before Ryan and the Feds can. When the task force becomes the victim of a deadly set up, Carlos is shot and finds himself fighting for his life. Rory talks his way back into the game and plunges forward with Ava to stop the killer and get revenge for his fallen comrade.

Llewellyn Carpenter ends up being more difficult to capture than they had anticipated and the cat-and-mouse events that follow make for some decent suspenseful moments. Of course, we know that a Texas Ranger always gets his man, but this case will push Rory Yates to the limits of his expertise and all his skills will be tested before the dust settles. THE TEXAS MURDERS features some enjoyable time spent in an area that still feels like the old West in a way. It is this fact that makes the Texas Ranger series unique.

Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Texas Ranger Rory Yates from Waco is a quick-draw champion where wax bullets shot at paper targets have their impact time precisely recorded. At this particular spectacle, the match's final round narrows to a contest between the Texas Ranger and an FBI team leader. These two quick-draw experts end up working together, often with mutual malice, on taking down a large human trafficking criminal ring headquartered in El Paso.

If you have a hankering to experience abundant, iconic Texas idiosyncrasies in a pulp novel-like page-turner then look no further. Lots of tight, saved-at-the-last moment occasions, not to mention more shoot-outs than I can easily remember.

The Texas Ranger, of course, has some women trouble. He is torn between reuniting with a beautiful, former girlfriend who experienced a dream come true as a successful country music star in Nashville and a new, attractive girlfriend finishing college in El Paso with a teaching prospect at Baylor. The Texas Ranger's final line of the book will not soon be forgotten: "If only love came as easy to me as shooting a gun."

[Ramana Ayyagari · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was fine until the main protagonists go from being human to super heroes. They are poisoned by gas leak to the point of vomiting blood, hit in the skull by bolt cutters, tasered, shot in the chest and still manage to chase down the bad guys without stopping for a pesky thing called medical attention. The book lost all the credibility when the so called elite group of cops run into an empty building without checking the messages from their lead investigator or without any backup because I guess they know they have plot armor.

[Jaycee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A crime thriller in Texas balancing the ego battles in law enforcement, relationships, love lost & gained, and doing what’s right even when it feels wrong. The tension and line between pursuing a career, a dream and the things we really care about, love and relationships. Patterson keeps you guessing and the details matter. The devil you know beats the devil you don’t. The Spotify audiobook narration adds to the experience if you have access to it. Solid mystery thriller.

[Lisa Levin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun series from James Patterson about a Texas Ranger, who investigates sex trafficking, drugs, and missing Native American women. It’s everything you expect from a Patterson novel, mayhem and romance.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a way to start the month…An awesome read from the two authors! Tribal community, powwow, golden feathers, kidnapping, sex trafficking and we find the most unlikely pair of law enforcers-Ava, Carlos ,Ryan and of course Rory Yates. Plenty of twists and turns for a page turner…Enjoy

[Sandra McCourt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great wee read. I went off Patterson books for a while. It this one drew me in. It’s all about a Texas Tanger law enforcement officer who usually works alone but teams up with another ranger and an indigenous officer from Texas. They embark on a few enquiries which interlink and the FBI get involved . Of course our Texan boy is the real hero. Fantastic easy read and quite different from Patersons usual pattern

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series and was pleased to see Rory Yates back in action.It was a fast read with the usual short chapters, action, twists , turns,
Suspense,and murders to solve. The Texas Ranger is protecting his
Territory and is trying to find the missing women who disappear on the
Summer solstice. It started off with a bang and continued. Recommended.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not typically my style but I really enjoyed this one. I've been on a true crime/fictional crime kick lately so this scratched the ongoing itch.

Fun characters with depth and a good story that wasn't too predictable.

[Klare · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good follow up to books 1 & 2. Liked the addition of the characters Ava & Carlos.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Rory is back!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great literature?...Absolutely not!...But, a thoroughly entertaining, melodramatic story?...An emphatic yes!...Our intrepid Texas Ranger, Rory Yates is back for his third thriller...Mot only is he trying to bring some balance to his romantic life and working with new partners, he's knee-deep investigating sex trafficking, drugs, and missing Native American women...Exactly what you'd expect from the Patterson Writing Factory!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! I can’t wait for another book with Rory Yates!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Texas Ranger Rory Yates teams up with a tribal officer to search for a young native woman who disappeared.
The catchphrase is that the young woman is only one in a series of disappearances of native American women
over the past several years.
Rory, and the tribal officer, along with a local FBI agent and his team, start re interviewing family and possible witnesses and following clues that may never have been followed in the initial investigations of the missing women.
Suspense and mayhem follow as the story moves along and the investigation takes turns you did not see coming.
Good character development with a plot that moves along well.

[Lindsay Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. This was my first James Patterson book and I was kinda let down. Overall, the plot was okay but not the most engaging.

[Melissa Switzenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could have gone without this one. The first third-half I enjoyed it enough but it dragged out too long.

[Danielle Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very easy read. Short chapters. Easy characters. Classic dudes book where he kills the bad guys and gets the girl
Mildly unrealistic like all action movies you see on the big screen with crazy hiest situations that go wrong but always in the nick of time they get away.

Like I said tho. If your after a quick page turner with short chapters for ease of read. If you’d new to reading and like action then this is for you. Would recommend to any guy who has just started reading and doesn’t know what to read. It’s like going to the movies and watching the blockbuster spy movie. Simple, easy, go for it