Red Sky Warning

by Randall R. Saxton

When Hudson Jones, a JAG attorney with ties to the CIA, learns of a friend’s victimization by a kidnap for ransom scheme in Eritrea, he unwittingly puts himself on a trajectory to prison break, revolution, and learning why ignoring the Constitution can be a slippery slope. In a country ravaged by war and despotism, Hudson, while saving the children, revives their long march to democracy.

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 11, 2016

About the author

Randall R. Saxton is an attorney in Madison, MS and founded Saxton Law, PLLC. Practicing in the areas of business planning, estate planning, tax controversy, and bankruptcy, Randall also serves as the JAG officer for the Mississippi State Guard, Vice President of the Mississippi State Guard Association, on the Board of Directors of the Madison Chamber of Commerce, and on the Executive Committee for the Madison County Republican Party. He does volunteer work with the Mission First Legal Aid Clinic and as a Mediator for the Jackson Municipal Court.

Reviews

[Regina Cattus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a copy of this in a Goodreads giveaway. It's a strange mix of fact and fiction, with real places but fictional characters, the prime example being the civil unrest and fight for liberty in Eritrea that is real but in this book lead by different people. It's kind of like an alternative history, though only in the very smallest of places. I suppose I should stress that that's not a major problem with the book, as you almost certainly couldn't write a fictional book about the real leaders.
The whole book is almost an auto-fanfiction - I mean the main character shares his name with Saxton's dog, for goodness' sake. But hey, it's still got a fast-paced, taut storyline. Now, when a book is good, with light, elegant prose and a moving storyline, I'm more r less willing to overlook a smattering of grammatical errors or typos, especially if they've probably not used a professional editor. But if they HAVE used a professional editor, they definitely should look into getting a better one. The mistakes were bearable but not preferable.
I also took a little chagrin at the hefty chapters of distracting, somewhat confusing exposition. I think they were worth having in there, but they would make much more sense if only Saxton had put a year at the start of those chapters. That's all they needed. I also have an issue with Hudson's magical military training (including being a remorseless killing machine at times), given he's a JAG not a soldier, but that's not entirely impossible. Even worse are the insane coincidences, and the incredibly loose leash the US government allow him. Especially since he goes and is largely responsible for facilitating a coup there. Much as he did so with all the best intentions, and it really adds to the story (whilst simultaneously detracting from the supposed main arch...), the US would have a real issue dealing with the political fallout of this interference and would probably have to imprison Hudson for his involvement. Finally, much as we are told that Hudson can speak very good French, Eritrea isn't quite a French-speaking country. Their main languages are Tigrinya and Arabic. Now, to be fair, the majority of characters could probably speak English, and so would speak it around Hudson. But the issue comes near the end where a political figure is speaking to a crowd of Eritrean people and Hudson understands him. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be speaking English to his own people - that would be like saying "yes, we're owned by the Americans now". So does that mean that Hudson also knows Arabic. The way I see it, it's either that, or a parallel world where that makes sense.
All of that aside, it's worth the read if you're into action scenes and being reminded once again how lucky you are to live in the Western world (or in any country not run by a dictatorship... or just at worst it will give you hope, I guess).

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red Sky Warning is a dramatic thriller that will keep the pages turning. Presented in a fresh way, the author immerses you into the story and dazzles you with turns. Randall Saxton captures the audience well with an impressive protagonist that remains relatable and a plot that will keep you on your toes. Filled with military espionage and criminal syndicates. Check out this book! A great work from this fantastic, up and coming author!