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South of Evil
Austin, Texas. Special Agent Walter Curtis knows where a drug lord hid a small fortune in cash before he was killed. It's buried in the desert, just waiting to be found. He convinces Marc Virgil, a disgraced Boston detective, to help him find it. Their simple plan unleashes a chain reaction of violence and murder as the two American cops fight their way out of Mexico against a professional killer, corrupt cops, and an army of cartel hitmen who all want them dead.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 18, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 5, 2019
This was a great book that draws you in quickly and keeps you hooked the whole time. The descriptions of the settings are great and help you really picture some of the grittier sides of life. No spoilers here but the ending was a nice surprise. Can’t wait to read more by this author, highly recommend checking this one out.
June 22, 2019
So, I downloaded this to my kindle as the author had contacted me through goodreads and suggested it to me. I read the blurb and found the story an interesting one and since I had a little time here, I figured why not take a break for those pulps of the 40's and 50's and read something set in a more contemporary timeframe. A story of a Federal Agent, a drug dealer, and a stash of cash just waiting south of the border in a winner take all tale. Well… this review is a story of timeframes, the benefits of finishing well and a reviewer 'read all' tale.
The first third of this novel was plagued by discontinuous timeframes, jumping back and forth, leaving me unsure where I was at times. Then there was an annoying issue with the names of characters, sometimes using a first name to identify a character but then jumping right in an using the character's whole name and back again… when I really didn't see it as necessary and I don't recall any two characters having names that were in anyway similar. And, there are two characters which the author tells us are fond of calling people by nicknames. I love a good nickname, its can be very revealing and characters, but then I really got into the story, I find that only one or two characters are being referred to by nicknames… a little bit of an unfulfilled promises. As I finished the first third I figured I would rate it two stars and shelve it… but, instead, I decided to greatly increase my reading pace and move through the story at a much higher level sacrificing detail while maintaining a cohesive narrative.
As I finished the second third of this novel the timeframes had stabilized and I found myself following a more cohesive story. The characters were all well in place, their relations to one another were fleshed out a bit more, their sense of who and where they were has becoming more clear and the narrative came together and the author was able to pick up the story's pace. As a result I decided to reduce my reading pace. I took a pause as I approached the two thirds mark and felt the story was really keeping me engaged and the characters were starting to grow on me here. Despite the fact that only 'The Russian' had a nickname. I was thinking that this would probably be a good, three-stars overall review if everything stayed stable.
But, every story has an ending… well, at least the ones I finish reading do! And this novel… it really had an ending. No spoilers here… I want you to read it for yourself. It really came together, well planned. The some main characters had really developed and changed in fundamental ways, others remained stubbornly, unapologetically unchanged, and climax was… climatic! It really ended well, a good four-star story once it got its feet under it. I would recommend it and see if there are more stories from Mr. Dunford.
The first third of this novel was plagued by discontinuous timeframes, jumping back and forth, leaving me unsure where I was at times. Then there was an annoying issue with the names of characters, sometimes using a first name to identify a character but then jumping right in an using the character's whole name and back again… when I really didn't see it as necessary and I don't recall any two characters having names that were in anyway similar. And, there are two characters which the author tells us are fond of calling people by nicknames. I love a good nickname, its can be very revealing and characters, but then I really got into the story, I find that only one or two characters are being referred to by nicknames… a little bit of an unfulfilled promises. As I finished the first third I figured I would rate it two stars and shelve it… but, instead, I decided to greatly increase my reading pace and move through the story at a much higher level sacrificing detail while maintaining a cohesive narrative.
As I finished the second third of this novel the timeframes had stabilized and I found myself following a more cohesive story. The characters were all well in place, their relations to one another were fleshed out a bit more, their sense of who and where they were has becoming more clear and the narrative came together and the author was able to pick up the story's pace. As a result I decided to reduce my reading pace. I took a pause as I approached the two thirds mark and felt the story was really keeping me engaged and the characters were starting to grow on me here. Despite the fact that only 'The Russian' had a nickname. I was thinking that this would probably be a good, three-stars overall review if everything stayed stable.
But, every story has an ending… well, at least the ones I finish reading do! And this novel… it really had an ending. No spoilers here… I want you to read it for yourself. It really came together, well planned. The some main characters had really developed and changed in fundamental ways, others remained stubbornly, unapologetically unchanged, and climax was… climatic! It really ended well, a good four-star story once it got its feet under it. I would recommend it and see if there are more stories from Mr. Dunford.
November 11, 2019
Very unnecessarily graphic
The narrative style is ver choppy and hard to follow. There are many minor characters and side stories that I hoped would be tied at the end but never did - they only served as distractions. The hunt for the money was not the major part of the story at all. The book is filled more with unnecessary graphic and gory details to keep you awake but otherwise served no purpose.
The narrative style is ver choppy and hard to follow. There are many minor characters and side stories that I hoped would be tied at the end but never did - they only served as distractions. The hunt for the money was not the major part of the story at all. The book is filled more with unnecessary graphic and gory details to keep you awake but otherwise served no purpose.
October 7, 2021
Dunford has a solid future as a writer. The second half of this book was terrific, surpassing my expectations with well-written, intense action sequences that kept me guessing. Unfortunately, his management of the various converging timelines in the first half of the book left me frustrated at times, requiring some patience for me to stick with it to the pay off. That said, I’m glad I did, and I look forward to seeing what he does next!
February 17, 2019
The start of something great
Couldn't put down this suspenseful, action-packed novel! This fast-paced thriller has many twists and turns (most of which I didn't see coming). Highly recommended, especially for readers of Lee Child, Nelson deMille, David Baldacci, Vince Flynn, etc. I hope to see more from this new author after such a strong first novel!
Couldn't put down this suspenseful, action-packed novel! This fast-paced thriller has many twists and turns (most of which I didn't see coming). Highly recommended, especially for readers of Lee Child, Nelson deMille, David Baldacci, Vince Flynn, etc. I hope to see more from this new author after such a strong first novel!
June 15, 2019
Gritty, Suspensful, Perfect.
This book had me hanging on every turn. Incredible imagery, true to life characters, and although the outcomes are realistically brutal, the author keeps you guessing at what will really happen. Definitely not a light read, but certainly a brilliantly crafted tale.
This book had me hanging on every turn. Incredible imagery, true to life characters, and although the outcomes are realistically brutal, the author keeps you guessing at what will really happen. Definitely not a light read, but certainly a brilliantly crafted tale.
March 3, 2020
Sandpaper
Gritty little crime story. None of the main characters are likeable but that works out just fine for the telling of the tale. Enough p!ot to ho!d interest with a couple twists at opportune times and plenty of violence. Overall a solid novel despite some unnecessary supporting characters and side plots.
Gritty little crime story. None of the main characters are likeable but that works out just fine for the telling of the tale. Enough p!ot to ho!d interest with a couple twists at opportune times and plenty of violence. Overall a solid novel despite some unnecessary supporting characters and side plots.
August 6, 2020
This was an excellently written book. There wasn't a moment that I grew bored or distracted; every scene felt carefully crafted, each decision Curtis made precise and contributing to the plot.
Recommended.
Recommended.
April 2, 2019
If you liked Pulp Fiction, this is the book for you. There are so many twists and turns. The book is told with an authoritative voice that keeps your interest until the very last page.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews