Close Range

by Paul Heatley

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 13, 2026

Reviews

[Emerald Maple]

The blurb on this one gives a lot of the storyline away but still a good read as Tom battles the police, mercenaries, moonshiners, weather and more to help save Jack.

While still violent, this one moved away from the harsher skinhead and trafficking story of Counter Strike. While I did feel that needing to read the previous book was necessary to appreciate Counter Strike, Close Range is very readable as a standalone thriller.

I was happy to see that he realised something readers have known for a while so hopefully the next book sees that storyline through. Could settling down be in Tom's future or will it be heartbreak?

Thanks to Inkubator Books for the advance copy for review

[Lori L (She Treads Softly)]

Close Range by Paul Heatley is a highly recommended thriller and the 22nd book in the Tom Rollins series. This time Tom encounters a corrupt police force in Pennsylvania.

Tom Rollins is traveling while waiting for a call from Cindy Vaughn who is tracking down Blake Stavers, the man who killed Tom's Parents. When he is near the town of Furness, PA, he decides to pull over into a quiet spot and get a few hours of sleep. Deputies Holland and Becker out of Furness wake him up and rather than telling him to move on they decide to threaten him. Tom handles them in his own special manner, but is later stopped by Deputies Paver and Olivia Brown which leads to his stay in the jail. After the deputies continue to try to take him down, it suddenly occurs to Sheriff Watson that the local who runs the town could use a man with Tom's skills.

Sebastian Huskey along with his "aide" Charlie (Charlotte) Russell meet with Tom. Sebastian claims his nephew Jack is on meth, cooking it on the mountain somewhere, and he need someone who can track Jack down and bring him home so they can get treatment for him. Helping a young man who needs it is in Tom's wheelhouse so he agrees and heads up the mountain with Riley (Sebastian's son) and hired men Bobcat, Rayjohn, and Gil. However, once circumstances lead to Tom finding Jack without the others, Tom learns what is really going on, and it's time to take Sebastian and his men down. Deputy Olivia Brown is pulled in to assist.

As expected this is another fast-paced, action-packed thriller with clear distinctions between good/bad players in which Tom takes no prisoners and eliminates the bad guys. The setting, search on the mountain, along with an encounter with moonshiners helps add to the suspense and danger, which rises exponentially throughout. There are really no surprises in predicting that Sebastian is dirty, along with the police. The only real questions are when will Tom uncover what is really going on and how will he handle it. Olivia really added little to the plot and her role, other than their brief physical attraction, could have been filled with any honest character, although it does make Tom realize how important Cindy is to him. Set disbelief aside and enjoy the non-stop, over-the-top action.

Close Range is a great choice for those who enjoy action-packed thrillers. As the 22nd book in the series, you might appreciate this latest outing more if you have read some of the previous books and are already acquainted with Tom and his background and very particular set of skills. However, I think new readers can enjoy this and then may want to look at some of Tom Rollins earlier adventures. Thanks to Inkubator for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/0...

[Tom]

Tom Rollins is back to doing what he knows best - finding trouble, rooting out corruption, and kicking ass in the process - in Close Range. After getting hassled by the Man when rolling into town, it doesn't take long for them to recognize his mad fighting skills while locked up in jail, taking out thugs sent it to give him a beating. He's recruited for a quest to bring back the missing nephew of the town's bigwig, but soon realizes that things are not as straightforward as they were laid out, and both he and the nephew have targets on their backs.

With only one cop he can trust to have his back, the odds don't look good. Suffice it to say that with Tom Rollins working to set things right, though, heads will roll and the body count will quickly rise, as the bad guys pay the ultimate price for their greed and corruption.

A rollicking adventure from start to finish! I'm glad to see Tom Rollins back in action, with no-holds barred.

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

[Sandra Robinson]

I love this series as just so much fun. Good start as usual right from the prologue. Well, who would have thought that just sleeping in your car would have led to all this. A young man goes missing in the mountains and Tom is tasked with going to find him. Easy for Tom with his skill sets. But he has to survive a storm, mudslides, gun battles and betrayal and that's just on the mountain. Another exciting adventure for our boy, Tom, who just wants to help. This is a busy book filled with drama, action, suspense and thrills aplenty, but what else would you expect from our one-man wrecking machine. He certainly depletes the population of that town a bit. The finale is something else. Going by the Epilogue the next book should be good. maybe some comeuppance for someone from a previous outing. Give this a read as you won't be disappointed.

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

[John]

I received an ARC through "Booksprout" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The story begins with Tom stopped on the side of the road to get some sleep. Unfortunately, Tom is awakened by a tap on his window by a Deputy sheriff. Eventually Tom was hauled in the jail on a vagarency charge. It seems that almost all of the deputies had it in for Tom and they even brought up two brothers to beat him up in his cell. This action eventually had the sheriff contact Sebastian Huxley who got Tom's charges dropped. Sebastian told Tom about his nephew disappearing and asked for Tom's help.

Follow Tom along on his search for Jack, the nephew, and what sort of dangers he needed to overcome. Discover what the real reason Sebastian had for wanted him found and Tom and Jack escaped.

The ending is quite exciting and the book is well worth the read, don't miss out!

[Carolyn Hughes]

Tom was just sleeping in his car ready to move on when he gets rousted by two Deputies that just won't back off. He winds up in a jail cell, but not charged with anything. That is where it gets interesting as the Sheriff after running Tom's info calls his buddy as he thinks Tom fits the criteria to get a certain job done.

And the deceptions and lies begin, once he finds the boy he knows he can't trust anyone in the town except for Olivia. Start counting the bodies as they start dying.

Good story line, very fast moving book, read it in one day. Highly recommend and now he is reunited with Cindy and looks like they are going to England. Looking forward to that story.

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

[Abibliofob]

Tom Rollins is on the road again, in Close Range by Paul Heatley he just stops by the raod to get some sleep. Suddenly he is awaken by the police and soon he finds himself in jail. This is the start of a manhunt in the mountains and some great fast paced events that turns violent. Heatleyy has created a great character in Rollins and I for one have enjoyed every single book in this series. If you haven't tried any of the books I recommend that you start at the beginning and sit back and have a good time reading these adventures. I thank Inkubator Books and Netgalley for letting me read this advance copy.

[Mary Ryan]

This series has been going for quite a while now and still feels as fresh as ever. Tom is travelling through Pennsylvania when he is arrested by some deputies and thrown in prison. He is then asked to assist a local bigwig to locate his nephew who is missing up the nearby mountain and to bring him back safely. As usual, the task is not as straightforward as expected and Tom finds himself having to fight off moonshiners, local thugs and even the corrupt police.

The pace is frenetic all the way through and I loved watching Tom fight when his back is to the wall. A realisation about Cindy is also really interesting and her update in the end sets things up nicely for the next book. Bring it on.

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

[Sandy T]

Tom Rollins is saving the world again by ridding the world of the evil corrupt people. The action starts in the first chapter and continues to the last. Tom uses his unique skills to help the people he meets everywhere he goes. Trouble always finds him as he travels across the USA. He refuses to abandon those who need his help regardless of the odds.

The books in this series can be read as enjoyable standalones. I recommend the series for a better understanding of Tom's past especially if you like lone wolf hero action novels.

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

[Dawn]

As always Tom is moving, he's kept moving from state to state, town to town just waiting on the call from Cindy. He's pulling off to get a few hours sleep when he's approached by two deputies. They don't like his answers to their questions and things go south. He's ends up in jail, but this isn't where his visit stops.

Read what happens here in this stop. He meets a young man who needs his help. Will Tom be able to help Jack?

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Bren]

Tom Rollins brings riveting adventures full of dangerous situations and gunfights, but this time he gets thrown in jail for sleeping in his car then a deal is made with a man named Sebastian who has a secret agenda when he sends Tom into the Furness Mountains to bring back his nephew and that's when all h€ll breaks loose and I absolutely love it when Tom brings the hammer down on the bad guys.

[Linae]

Never a dull page

I flew through this book, As I did I should say with all the other Tom Rollins books. I love the action and the morality that Tom Rollins operates from. He puts his skills to good use. He always seems to find like minded people to help him carry out his mission. I never know if he's going to make it out of the intense situations he gets himself into. I'm glad that he's going to connect with Cindy again. She is also bad ass. What a pair!

[Shannon Binegar-Foster]

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
Tom really encounters a case of bad luck when he stops to catch a few winks while on the road. The sheriff and his deputies really have it out for him. He agrees to help out a local businessman find his nephew. What ensues is utter chaos. I have come to expect nothing less. It was an intense read. Loved it. Looks like we will get to see more of Cindy in the next book….hopefully.

[Robert Foland]

"Close Range" is yet another thrilling addition to this captivating series. Paul Heatley delivers a compelling storyline and a memorable cast of characters, with Tom Rollins at his finest—focused and ready for action.

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

[Jim Cerone The Perfect Host DJ MC]

Non-Stop Action

Yes there’s some lame dialogue and some unrealistic rescues, but this series delivers exactly what it promises: a thriller. The Rollins character has been developed well, and even though there are similarities to another tall drifter, there’s enough unique history to keep comparisons at bay.

[Michelle Webb]

Another great book in the Tom Rollins series and it is amazing as usual. Tom is back at it and is drawn into another situation that he would rather stay away from. When the town realizes what a great fighter he is he is told he has to save the missing nephew of the town big wig. It doesn't take long before he and the nephew have targets on them and it's not going to be an easy fight to win.

[Kim Hammork]

I loved Close Range! I got so wrapped up in the story that I hated to put it down. It’s one of those books I was genuinely glad I took a chance on. Great story line.

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

[jimmy robson]

Family Inheritance

Like most of these books can pick the storyline but Tom attacks the story with vigor. He seems to have some bad luck running into corrupt towns but luckily finds a keeper amongst them. Still a badass, takes quite a few guys down with him

[Connie Hamby]

What a great book!

If you want a book to keep you turning pages and on the edge of your seat and you can't put down I suggest you read all of Tom Rollins books like I have! You want be sorry!

[Brent Enticott]

Great!

Enjoyed this book again. Easy read tht keeps you coming back for the next. Waiting for the next instalment soon

[Christopher Bowen]

Another Great Book from Heatley

Have read all 22 and would read 22 more. Loved them all. Excellent characters you get invested in. Thank Paul!

[Dr Barry Cripps]

Tom Rollins at his best

A very different kind of story, well developed plot, fast moving and believable.Will await Tom’s next story with anticipation for