What do you think?
Rate this book
Back Roads
WARNING:
What you are about to read is not a full-length novel. It is a collection of short stories that feature characters from my Troy Bodean Adventure series in their own complete vignettes. You will not need to buy anything else to “see what happens” in an unsatisfying cliffhanger. In fact, this collection will be updated from time to time with new stories – and you will never be charged for updated content.
Stories:
Troy Clint Bodean
The Peppermint Hippo
Troy Bodean is back from Afghanistan with no family, no job, and no money. So, he does what everybody does eventually, he goes to Vegas. Just before he's about to throw in the towel and head back home to Louisiana, he stumbles on a job and a girl at The Peppermint Hippo. This strip joint advertises 46 hot chicks and 1 ugly one - and has just lost their D.J. Enter Troy Bodean. This is the story of his short-lived, fun-filled, employment at the sweetest little club just off the Vegas strip.
Joe Bond
Shot Through The Back
Joe Bond was a big help to Troy Bodean in tracking down the wild and wooly hitmen, Darren "The Body" McGlashen and Man'ti in Ocean Blue and later in finding out who killed Caroline Colpiller in Blight House. This is a story from his cold and lonely NYPD days. A day when a shot in the back sent his life spiraling out of control... all the way down to the Keys.
Becky and RayRay
The Dark Glasses And The Naked Truth
Becky Patton like everything about her good friend and exceptionally talented sculptor RayRay Tishomura... except for RayRay's insistence on not wearing dark sunglasses to hide his unusual looking sightless eyes.
So, Becky hatches a plan to amend the situation... unfortunately, she finds an uncomfortable truth to be laid bare... as in really, really bare... for all to see.
Follow Becky and RayRay in a story that accompanies the forthcoming Stealing Savannah - Troy Bodean Adventure #4
Coming Soon
Darren and Man’Ti
A Slow Boat From New Zealand
***
The Gallup Girls
Dancin’ For Bana
***
Ryan “RB” Bodean
Midnight Flying
I hope you enjoy these stories and take them for what they are – vignettes that help give the characters more depth and detail. I love each of these characters for different reasons and these stories get to help me explore who they really are and how they live their lives. And be sure to check out all of the full-length Troy Bodean Adventures:
Books in the Troy Bodean Adventure Series Include:
Back Roads - A Troy Bodean Short Story Collection
Hat Check
Ocean Blue
Blight House
Stealing Savannah
What you are about to read is not a full-length novel. It is a collection of short stories that feature characters from my Troy Bodean Adventure series in their own complete vignettes. You will not need to buy anything else to “see what happens” in an unsatisfying cliffhanger. In fact, this collection will be updated from time to time with new stories – and you will never be charged for updated content.
Stories:
Troy Clint Bodean
The Peppermint Hippo
Troy Bodean is back from Afghanistan with no family, no job, and no money. So, he does what everybody does eventually, he goes to Vegas. Just before he's about to throw in the towel and head back home to Louisiana, he stumbles on a job and a girl at The Peppermint Hippo. This strip joint advertises 46 hot chicks and 1 ugly one - and has just lost their D.J. Enter Troy Bodean. This is the story of his short-lived, fun-filled, employment at the sweetest little club just off the Vegas strip.
Joe Bond
Shot Through The Back
Joe Bond was a big help to Troy Bodean in tracking down the wild and wooly hitmen, Darren "The Body" McGlashen and Man'ti in Ocean Blue and later in finding out who killed Caroline Colpiller in Blight House. This is a story from his cold and lonely NYPD days. A day when a shot in the back sent his life spiraling out of control... all the way down to the Keys.
Becky and RayRay
The Dark Glasses And The Naked Truth
Becky Patton like everything about her good friend and exceptionally talented sculptor RayRay Tishomura... except for RayRay's insistence on not wearing dark sunglasses to hide his unusual looking sightless eyes.
So, Becky hatches a plan to amend the situation... unfortunately, she finds an uncomfortable truth to be laid bare... as in really, really bare... for all to see.
Follow Becky and RayRay in a story that accompanies the forthcoming Stealing Savannah - Troy Bodean Adventure #4
Coming Soon
Darren and Man’Ti
A Slow Boat From New Zealand
***
The Gallup Girls
Dancin’ For Bana
***
Ryan “RB” Bodean
Midnight Flying
I hope you enjoy these stories and take them for what they are – vignettes that help give the characters more depth and detail. I love each of these characters for different reasons and these stories get to help me explore who they really are and how they live their lives. And be sure to check out all of the full-length Troy Bodean Adventures:
Books in the Troy Bodean Adventure Series Include:
Back Roads - A Troy Bodean Short Story Collection
Hat Check
Ocean Blue
Blight House
Stealing Savannah
- GenresAdventure
114 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 23, 2017
53 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 1, 2023
Back Roads is the prelude to the Troy Bodean series. It is a collection of vignettes that is used to introduce the characters for the series. This novelette can be read in about an hour and is a short, quick read. The characters are not all that original. Readers are familiar with the various tropes and scenarios that these specific types of characters will find themselves in, simply because we know these characters. I wouldn’t call this a complete avoid, but there is simply not much here. I received this for free, but that in no way affected my review. 2 stars meaning it's OK, but not very substantial, something like chewing bubblegum when you're hungry.
April 13, 2020
Summer's Here!
I loved the storytelling. There is non-stop action, no confusion in characters nor wasted words and dragginess. Sign me up for more from this author!
I loved the storytelling. There is non-stop action, no confusion in characters nor wasted words and dragginess. Sign me up for more from this author!
August 28, 2017
Good introductory stories to the Troy Bodean novels, August 27, 2017
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Back Roads (A Troy Bodean Adventure Book 0) (Kindle Edition)
As of this writing, there are two stories in this collection. In the forward, Mr. Berens says that he plans to add more to the collection at no additional charge to the reader. Get on his mailing list to receive relevant updates. One of these stories tells how and why Troy Bodean got thrown out of Las Vegas. The other story relates how Joe Bond ended up in Key West. Both stories are good but would probably mean more to readers familiar with the characters in Mr. Beren's novels. They are written well enough that I may try one of the novels.
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Back Roads (A Troy Bodean Adventure Book 0) (Kindle Edition)
As of this writing, there are two stories in this collection. In the forward, Mr. Berens says that he plans to add more to the collection at no additional charge to the reader. Get on his mailing list to receive relevant updates. One of these stories tells how and why Troy Bodean got thrown out of Las Vegas. The other story relates how Joe Bond ended up in Key West. Both stories are good but would probably mean more to readers familiar with the characters in Mr. Beren's novels. They are written well enough that I may try one of the novels.
September 21, 2017
Back Roads - a review by Rosemary Kenny
This is a clever cluster of short reads, from the very talented David Berens.
Each is a stand alone vignette, which introduces very different characters, in this [free], book.
It gives the reader a valuable insight into the back stories of varied individuals - whether a young girl whose attempts at modesty have the opposite effect, an ex-Vet, now cop, who comes home from war injured, only to end up in a worse situation in his own neighbourhood, or even a cowboy looking for work in the bright-lights city of Vegas; their appeal cannot be anticipated...or over-praised....
Miss it and (in my honest opinion), you'll regret it for the rest of your reading life!
This is a clever cluster of short reads, from the very talented David Berens.
Each is a stand alone vignette, which introduces very different characters, in this [free], book.
It gives the reader a valuable insight into the back stories of varied individuals - whether a young girl whose attempts at modesty have the opposite effect, an ex-Vet, now cop, who comes home from war injured, only to end up in a worse situation in his own neighbourhood, or even a cowboy looking for work in the bright-lights city of Vegas; their appeal cannot be anticipated...or over-praised....
Miss it and (in my honest opinion), you'll regret it for the rest of your reading life!
March 6, 2018
So funny
David Berens cracks me up. No way you can read any of his work without being thoroughly entertained. It's not ALL fun and games but the vignettes into some characters lives are hilarious. I am a forever devoted fan and highly recommend these books to anyone with a pulse and a funny bone.
David Berens cracks me up. No way you can read any of his work without being thoroughly entertained. It's not ALL fun and games but the vignettes into some characters lives are hilarious. I am a forever devoted fan and highly recommend these books to anyone with a pulse and a funny bone.
May 29, 2018
This is some short stories that helps to introduce Troy Bodean to the readers. Each story gives us some insight into poor Troy and why he is the way that he is. The stories are interesting and great reads. No I will not tell you about them, they are short read them for yourself.
January 2, 2018
Interesting character development as 'Santa' solves a murder in the theater.
March 16, 2018
Fun read
Looking forward to reading the series now. Loved the characters.
Always nice to find a new to me author who throws in a bit of humor
Looking forward to reading the series now. Loved the characters.
Always nice to find a new to me author who throws in a bit of humor
January 1, 2019
Enjoyed the short book. Hope to find in ebook the ones with mentioned characters.
February 23, 2019
Short stories.
August 27, 2022
Forgive me for thinking that even freebie short stories should be properly edited.
Three shorts about vets down on their luck and a streaker.
Three shorts about vets down on their luck and a streaker.
May 22, 2018
The book has 3 short stories - each is complete. I think that I particularly enjoyed the third one - Becky and RayRay. RayRay was blind but Becky kept feeling his eyes on her breasts. She decided to take some revenge on him for this behaviour. She chose the wrong night to carry out her plan. She may have started thinking one thing but her world was turned upside down. Fun book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews