Assassins of Mexico: A Mystery Detective Thriller Series

by John G. Bluck

A SHADOW WAR WAGED ACROSS AMERICA’S WILD FRONTIER—AND ONE MAN STANDS IN ITS CROSSHAIRS.

In this action-packed blend of espionage thriller and crime fiction, Deputy Sheriff Luke Ryder is once again fighting for his life…only this time, the open skies and vast landscapes of the American West become a backdrop for international conspiracy and ruthless revenge.

After surviving an assassination attempt on his own driveway, Luke is dragged deeper into the covert world of international spies and drug cartel hitmen. When the FBI recruits him to shadow a Belarusian KGB defector posing as a tractor salesman on a bus tour of U.S. national parks, Luke expects boredom. Instead, bullets fly, bodies fall, and betrayal lurks behind every panoramic vista.

Haunted by past choices, addicted to the adrenaline that keeps his demons at bay, and torn between duty and family, Luke must navigate a deadly cat-and-mouse game from Fort Lewis to the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. But as the lines between friend and enemy blur, and a mysterious femme fatale clouds his mission, Luke is left questioning whether any truth remains in a world ruled by lies.

Can he survive the boiling rapids of revenge, or will the ghosts of the past drag him under?

A tale as hot as Yellowstone’s rapids, where luck may not be enough—and danger has no borders.

284 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 8, 2025

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

ASSASSINS OF MEXICO is the sixth novel by author John G. Bluck that features Kentucky Deputy Sheriff Luke Ryder. In a previous volume, when Ryder crossed paths with members working of a Mexican drug cartel controlled by Mateo Guerra he killed Guerra’s nephew—with a crossbow! In ASSASSINS OF MEXICO, Guerra sends two sicario hit men to go to Kentucky to kill Ryder. They fail in their first attempt. Then, before they are able to succeed in their mission of revenge, Ryder is asked to take on a special assignment for the FBI and CIA. They ask him to travel across the country with a defecting KGB agent. The agent has agreed to help the Feds bust an Army officer in Washington state who they suspect is trying sell secret information to Russia. Ryder accepts the assignment. The sicario assassins follow him and the KGB defector across the country. The KGB defector takes Ryder on side trips to several national parks he wants to see on the way to Washington. Along the way, the sicarios make more attempts to kill Ryder, culminating in an excellent action scene in Yellowstone National Park. Author Bluck makes Luke Ryder both a likeable regular guy and a different type of action "hero," whose adventures are creatively unique in the realm of detective thrillers.

[Tracey Gerrard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action-packed throughout!
Assassins of Mexico is the 6th book in this detective series, and what a book it is! From the get-go, the story explodes into a dramatic attempted assassination. From there, we follow the brave Deputy Sheriff Luke Ryder across America as he takes on a job for the FBI. But this job won’t be a piece of cake, as the assassins are on the trail.
This story is action-packed, with scenes that are both descriptive and explosive. An amazing detective thriller that I enjoyed immensely. Highly recommended!

[Donadee's Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

One deputy. One defector. And a bus tour where bullets do the talking.

Assassins of Mexico is a high-octane thriller that plunges Deputy Sheriff Luke Ryder into a deadly game of espionage and survival. After surviving an assassination attempt at home, Ryder is recruited by the FBI to shadow a Belarusian KGB defector posing as a tractor salesman on a national park bus tour. What begins as a routine assignment quickly spirals into chaos as bullets fly, bodies fall, and betrayal lurks behind every scenic stop. From Fort Lewis to Yellowstone, Ryder must navigate a world of spies, cartel hitmen, and shifting loyalties—all while haunted by past demons and torn between duty and family.

John G. Bluck delivers a gripping blend of crime fiction and international intrigue, packed with action, suspense, and emotional depth. As the sixth installment in the Luke Ryder series, this novel raises the stakes with cinematic pacing and a protagonist who’s as complex as the conspiracies he uncovers. Grab your copy of Assassins of Mexico now and ride shotgun on a mission where danger knows no borders.

• ASIN: B0FB9J2797
• Publisher: Rough Edges Press
• Publication Date: 7/8/2025
• File Size: 2.4 MB
• Print Length: 317 pages
• Genre: Crime Action Fiction - Men's Adventure Fiction - Crime Action & Adventure

[S.S. Saywack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Assassins of Mexico: A Mystery Detective Thriller Series: 6 (Luke Ryder). I’ve read several of John Bluck’s Luke Ryder series, and all have been good. So, it’s come as no surprise to find this one is as good as the others. Some unsavoury characters return to kill Luke in revenge for what happened in a previous book, and when they don’t succeed, they follow him, waiting for the right time to try again. The timeline that follows each chapter and chapter breaks makes for an exciting read. We’re taken into the story from multiple viewpoints, Luke’s, the assassins, and so on, so minute by minute, we know who is doing what and where and to whom, and the plot drives along. Like the other books, the writing is smooth. Luke, from Kentucky, is given a Kentucky accent in the writing. I don’t quite know what that accent sounds like - I’m from the UK - but I enjoyed reading it, and it made for a lovely detail. A fast-moving, well-paced detective thriller that is highly enjoyable. The short chapters keep it punchy.

[Beverley Latimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review comes with highest recommendations.
Luke Ryder, a deputy sherrif also works for the FBI, and is a happily married family guy, who runs a small farm. But, Luke Ryder has a price on his head for having killed a drug baron's nephew.
What follows is a riveting story where the good guys outwit the bad guys, who finally get what's coming to them.
A thoroughly enjoyable read! What I particularly liked was the absence of explicit violence, explicit sex scenes, and foul language, which added to my enjoyment of this outstanding book. Highest recommendations!

[Annamarie Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

John G Bluck has done it again. Another exciting, fast paced page turner that hooked me from the word go. As well as being action packed, the vivid descriptions of places and scenery give another dimension to this book. His characters, as always, are not stereotypical ‘goodies’ or ‘baddies’ but people I can empathise and identify with. With a budding romance added in to the mix what more could a reader want?