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Tommy Smith High Mountain Noir #3
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
"Mr. Paul, a veteran rancher as well as an author, writes fine action scenes, and his descriptions of nature and animals can seem just as thrilling." —Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal
For readers of Craig Johnson and C. J. Box, a taut, fast-moving contemporary thriller that builds to an explosive, action-filled conclusion.
The third book in the acclaimed western thriller series that debuted with Under Tower Peak —named one of the Ten Best Mysteries of the Year by the Wall Street Journal — See That My Grave Is Kept Clean once again features Iraq War sniper and Eastern Sierra packer Tommy Smith. With his new wife, Deputy Sheriff Sarah Cathcart, and their baby daughter, he is building a home and a new life as he opens his own pack outfit in the high country of his youth.
When a young girl is reported lost in the canyon above their home, Tommy leads the search, but instead of the missing child, he discovers a corpse that may hold the key to a long-unsolved local bank theft and a fortune in stolen cash. The FBI is called in. Though Tommy tries not to get involved, the promise of easy money has lured unsavory characters from the hard streets of Reno, and speculation about the missing cash is undermining the social fabric of their little town.
Facing threats to his family and the way of life he is fighting to preserve, Tommy must call on all his skills to uncover the connection between the missing girl and the long-dead body—a link that will inevitably lead to an explosive showdown deep in the Sierra wilderness.
For readers of Craig Johnson and C. J. Box, a taut, fast-moving contemporary thriller that builds to an explosive, action-filled conclusion.
The third book in the acclaimed western thriller series that debuted with Under Tower Peak —named one of the Ten Best Mysteries of the Year by the Wall Street Journal — See That My Grave Is Kept Clean once again features Iraq War sniper and Eastern Sierra packer Tommy Smith. With his new wife, Deputy Sheriff Sarah Cathcart, and their baby daughter, he is building a home and a new life as he opens his own pack outfit in the high country of his youth.
When a young girl is reported lost in the canyon above their home, Tommy leads the search, but instead of the missing child, he discovers a corpse that may hold the key to a long-unsolved local bank theft and a fortune in stolen cash. The FBI is called in. Though Tommy tries not to get involved, the promise of easy money has lured unsavory characters from the hard streets of Reno, and speculation about the missing cash is undermining the social fabric of their little town.
Facing threats to his family and the way of life he is fighting to preserve, Tommy must call on all his skills to uncover the connection between the missing girl and the long-dead body—a link that will inevitably lead to an explosive showdown deep in the Sierra wilderness.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published September 17, 2019
69 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Bart Paul
5 books37 followersBart Paul is the author of TV documentaries, short stories, the biography Double-Edged Sword: The Many Lives of Hemingway's Friend, the American Matador Sidney Franklin (University of Nebraska Press, 2009), Under Tower Peak (Arcade, 2013), and Cheatgrass (Arcade, 2016). Throughout his school years, he spent summers working on cattle ranches and pack outfits in California's Eastern Sierra. After graduating from U.C. Berkeley and years in southern California, he now divides his time between Bridgeport, California, near Yosemite, and Smith Valley, Nevada - the ranching country of his novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
July 7, 2019
This third story in Bart Paul's thrilling western series is just excellent as the previous two. Tommy Smith, a young veteran of the US Army, finds his newly won domestic bliss, with his wife and baby daughter in their newly built ranch house, at serious risk when a missing little girl sets off an explosion of deadly greed over a fortune stolen from a local bank. Paul describes the spare Sierra wilderness with knowledge and love, the scenery and simple life juxtaposed against the brutal toil the harsh landscape takes from families and ranches. Paul injects plenty of gun action and thriller moments, making this story very hard to put down.
May 24, 2019
Thank you NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing / Arcade for this arc.
I enjoyed this read very much. It felt like C J Box's Joe Pickett on steroids (think Nate). While this is the third book of a series, I read it as a stand alone and had no problem keeping up, but will definitely be looking for the earlier Tommy Smith books. The characters all felt genuine (except maybe Mitch, but who doesn't need a thorn in their side?) and the pace was hectic! Just the way I like.
A great read for a 90 degree plus afternoon. 4.5 stars rounded up.
I enjoyed this read very much. It felt like C J Box's Joe Pickett on steroids (think Nate). While this is the third book of a series, I read it as a stand alone and had no problem keeping up, but will definitely be looking for the earlier Tommy Smith books. The characters all felt genuine (except maybe Mitch, but who doesn't need a thorn in their side?) and the pace was hectic! Just the way I like.
A great read for a 90 degree plus afternoon. 4.5 stars rounded up.
January 7, 2020
I didn’t enjoy this book, it was a western mystery. Deputy sheriff Sarah, husband and baby are making a home in the high country. Tommy is a former Army sniper, who hauls supplies for the forest service. While looking for a lost girl he finds a corpse that might be the answer to a long unsolved bank theft. The FBI is called in and Tommy tries to stay out of it and protect is way of life which leads to a showdown.
September 12, 2019
See That My Grave is Kept Clean by Bart Paul
Tommy Smith High Mountain Noir #3
Coming into this series on book three and after a long day with perhaps more wine than necessary to tackle a book such as this I pushed it aside, told the publisher it did not make sense as I had not read the first two books and went on to other books instead. Then, today I realized that perhaps my vision was skewed by wine and revisited the book AND it is definitely worth reading. I had no trouble understanding the plot and the characters and though I would like ot know more about Tommy and Sarah and others...still was perfectly able to read and enjoy this book.
What is it about? Well, Tommy is out of the military with sniper skills used in war and perhaps in other books. He is wise and savvy and trail wise. He is an interesting character. He is also the husband of Sarah who works for the police force and he has a daughter. Sarah and Tommy have previous history from the books I have not read.
Into the life Tommy and Sarah are building walks a couple with a ten year old girl and they move on as Tommy prepares to pack items to a destination. On his way the couple say their daughter has disappeared and a hunt is on. BUT nothing is as it seems and there are more balls being juggled in the air than I thought there would be. There is a matter of missing money from a bank, sibling difficulties related to that money, biker gangs, prostitution of underage girls, corrupt cops, murder(s), coercion, trips into the wilds, hero-worship AND the saving of one life that perhaps made it all worthwile.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes
Note: I learned some interesting new terminology and I enjoyed that :)
Thank you to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing – This is my honest review.
4-5 Stars
Tommy Smith High Mountain Noir #3
Coming into this series on book three and after a long day with perhaps more wine than necessary to tackle a book such as this I pushed it aside, told the publisher it did not make sense as I had not read the first two books and went on to other books instead. Then, today I realized that perhaps my vision was skewed by wine and revisited the book AND it is definitely worth reading. I had no trouble understanding the plot and the characters and though I would like ot know more about Tommy and Sarah and others...still was perfectly able to read and enjoy this book.
What is it about? Well, Tommy is out of the military with sniper skills used in war and perhaps in other books. He is wise and savvy and trail wise. He is an interesting character. He is also the husband of Sarah who works for the police force and he has a daughter. Sarah and Tommy have previous history from the books I have not read.
Into the life Tommy and Sarah are building walks a couple with a ten year old girl and they move on as Tommy prepares to pack items to a destination. On his way the couple say their daughter has disappeared and a hunt is on. BUT nothing is as it seems and there are more balls being juggled in the air than I thought there would be. There is a matter of missing money from a bank, sibling difficulties related to that money, biker gangs, prostitution of underage girls, corrupt cops, murder(s), coercion, trips into the wilds, hero-worship AND the saving of one life that perhaps made it all worthwile.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes
Note: I learned some interesting new terminology and I enjoyed that :)
Thank you to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing – This is my honest review.
4-5 Stars
May 25, 2019
Billed as something for fans of Craig Johnson, I couldn't help but have high hopes for this one. In the end, though, the book didn't suit me...or I didn't suit the book.
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean (tentative connection to content) featuring Iraqi War veteran Tommy Smith is the third book in the series. A missing ten-year-old girl, a corpse of a missing embezzler, and a sinister owner of a "titty bar" and abuser of women and underage girls, an ineffectual sheriff, and plenty of dead folks.
Although not a book that I wanted to abandon, I had trouble connecting with the characters on more than a superficial basis and had little confidence in the plot.
There are a lot of admirers of this series, but ultimately, it wasn't a good fit for me.
Read in May; blog review scheduled for Aug. 31, 2019
NetGalley/ Skyhorse Publishing
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean (tentative connection to content) featuring Iraqi War veteran Tommy Smith is the third book in the series. A missing ten-year-old girl, a corpse of a missing embezzler, and a sinister owner of a "titty bar" and abuser of women and underage girls, an ineffectual sheriff, and plenty of dead folks.
Although not a book that I wanted to abandon, I had trouble connecting with the characters on more than a superficial basis and had little confidence in the plot.
There are a lot of admirers of this series, but ultimately, it wasn't a good fit for me.
Read in May; blog review scheduled for Aug. 31, 2019
NetGalley/ Skyhorse Publishing
August 18, 2019
Noir is a good description of this series. I really love this modern day western style adventure series about ex soldier Tommy Smith who only wants to in peace in his beloved mountains. Bad things finds him time and time again. I really recommend y'all to try this out.
October 15, 2019
The title of the book first grabbed my attention. The jacket synopsis pulled me in and I'm very glad it did. While the outside of the book sets reader expectations, the characters and their story deliver so much more. Bart Paul first developed these characters two story lines ago. He has kept them true to the back story that he set them in while allowing them to grow and mature as they moved on to develop the kind of lives they'd always wanted. It's almost like reading a journal. Throw in outside influences that have stirred up old grievances and you have one heck of a read. See That My Grave is Kept Clean is more than just a catchy title.
January 3, 2020
Very good contemporary "Western" set in the California Sierras, east of Yosemite, close to the Nevada state line. I happened onto this author by buying a discounted e-book version and I see that this is the third in a series. My local library has only one of the previous books, in book form, so I will be able to put a hold on it and follow up soon.
The hero of the stories is a cowboy who grew up in the sparsely populated community and is now back home after serving in Afghanistan. He and his wife, a county sheriff's deputy, are starting their family and also starting a guide business to take tourists up into the high mountain country for fishing, hiking,etc. Of course, there are also some mighty dangerous aspects to be confronted in this isolated area, that will capture your interest from the start to the end!
The hero of the stories is a cowboy who grew up in the sparsely populated community and is now back home after serving in Afghanistan. He and his wife, a county sheriff's deputy, are starting their family and also starting a guide business to take tourists up into the high mountain country for fishing, hiking,etc. Of course, there are also some mighty dangerous aspects to be confronted in this isolated area, that will capture your interest from the start to the end!
March 6, 2021
I just finished reading this book. I am a sucker for C. J. Box books or Craig Johnson books. I like modern cowboy stories where the good guy mostly wins but isn’t so squeaky clean as Hop Along Cassidy. Tommy Smith is an army vet, his wife is a sheriff’s deputy. He just wants to run a pack horse business in the mountains. When a shaved head, biker flips him the bird and makes obscene gestures to his wife, what does Tommy do but lasso him off his bike. Needless to say, an enemy is made and Tommy gets swept up in an old robbery. Lots of authentic cowboy lore and you learn about the pack horse business. All the while Tommy chases the bad guys, saves a young girl and solves a year old bank robbery. Great story. Fast paced and well written. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes Joe Pickett or Walt Longmire.
August 15, 2019
This is the third in a series of Tommy Smith, a former Iraqi war vet who is now running packing trips in the High Sierras. He is now married with a baby girl. Although the population is sparse, the rate of bad guys and incompetent people seem to be higher than possible. Perhaps, that is what disappointed me in this book. The mystery initially involves a missing girl. But when a corpse of a woman, who may have been involved in a bank scheme, is discovered, all kinds of evildoers come out to plague Smith and family. I had read the author’s first title in the series and found it thrilling. And I intend to go back and read his second one. This one just didn’t work for me.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
January 3, 2020
I started this book not realising that it was the third in a series (a mistake I don’t often make). There is quite a high level of assumed knowledge (from the earlier books in the series) which made this a difficult read initially and at points even quite late in the book. As a non-spoiler example I didn’t realise until right near the end that the main character is apparently Native American. I think that the series would actually be good but I highly recommend that you start with the first book in the series.
September 14, 2019
This is the third book in this series but I read it as a standalone and was able to understand the story.It is mainly about the main character Tommy smith who is a Iragie War Vet that just wants to live in peace with his family but things just keep happening. It has a good mystery and was fast moving. Well developed characters and I loved the discription of the area made it so you could envision where it was taking place. Was a good read to pass the time .
December 6, 2019
I’d give it a 3.5 if the app permitted. A solidly written page-turner with some beautifully descriptive writing of the Nevada high country. Characters are merely a half notch above cardboard, but that’s enough to keep from spoiling the enjoyment of the plot. And if you’ve actually been on a horse in the mountains (or maybe even if you haven’t), Paul’s writing will evoke the great pleasures of riding in the wilderness.
September 1, 2020
Great story. I liked the characters and thoroughly enjoyed the setting for this tale. I’m familiar with the approximate area and it made the story line that much more interesting.
Veteran Tommy Smith has married his high school love who is now a deputy in the small Sierra Nevada community. They join a search for a missing child that begins a discovery of a body, that entangles them both in a bank heist, missing persons, human trafficking and more bodies.
I was pleasantly surprised to see this was the third of a series of books that include Tommy Smith and I’m now anxiously waiting for the prior two to become available at my local library. Easier 4.5 stars
Veteran Tommy Smith has married his high school love who is now a deputy in the small Sierra Nevada community. They join a search for a missing child that begins a discovery of a body, that entangles them both in a bank heist, missing persons, human trafficking and more bodies.
I was pleasantly surprised to see this was the third of a series of books that include Tommy Smith and I’m now anxiously waiting for the prior two to become available at my local library. Easier 4.5 stars
August 14, 2021
Well Written
This novel was outside my usual reading. However, was I surprised! It was well written, had great characters and plot . I really enjoyed it, read it in one sitting. The descriptions of the country were well done and inviting. I plan on reading the other 2 books with these characters, and take a look at this author's other books.
This novel was outside my usual reading. However, was I surprised! It was well written, had great characters and plot . I really enjoyed it, read it in one sitting. The descriptions of the country were well done and inviting. I plan on reading the other 2 books with these characters, and take a look at this author's other books.
September 8, 2022
I liked that the "personal" relationship from book 1 and book 2 finally had the ending I wanted.
I enjoyed all of the details and scenes in the wilderness (I did not know you could let your pack mules run home the last few miles).
This book had some discussion of kids getting molested and that was difficult to read. It is a very minor portion of the book.
I enjoyed all of the details and scenes in the wilderness (I did not know you could let your pack mules run home the last few miles).
This book had some discussion of kids getting molested and that was difficult to read. It is a very minor portion of the book.
November 12, 2019
Another quick read from Bart Paul!
Great story, great characters, quick read! This story has several plot twists and layers of involvement. The action is fast and moves all around the mountains.
Great story, great characters, quick read! This story has several plot twists and layers of involvement. The action is fast and moves all around the mountains.
November 25, 2020
Cowgirls and Cowboys ( at heart ) will love this
Eastern Sierra’s nothing like the rest of California. High country where air is clear and real people live.
This story will keep you up at night...plenty of opportunity for evil to win.
Eastern Sierra’s nothing like the rest of California. High country where air is clear and real people live.
This story will keep you up at night...plenty of opportunity for evil to win.
July 7, 2021
Highly recommend!!!
excellent book, the third in the series!! I couldn't put it down. Such a good read without any lengthy sex scenes or foul language!! A very refreshing read that keeps you on the edge of your seat!!!
excellent book, the third in the series!! I couldn't put it down. Such a good read without any lengthy sex scenes or foul language!! A very refreshing read that keeps you on the edge of your seat!!!
August 10, 2019
"See That My Grave is Kept Clear is riveting and twisty . Completely absorbing, fast-paced, well-written and with a shocking ending that will keep readers guessing..
wish-list-possibles
September 29, 2019This is written up by Tom Nolan in sept 30 2019 wsj. Looks like there are two books before this one.
October 26, 2019
Great read
Third book in series. All excellent. I look forward to the next one. He left us with a great addition to the family.
Third book in series. All excellent. I look forward to the next one. He left us with a great addition to the family.
November 15, 2019
Bart Paul just gets better.
This is the third fiction book I have read by Bart Paul. Each one gets better. He just has such a great ear and feel for Ranch folks.
This is the third fiction book I have read by Bart Paul. Each one gets better. He just has such a great ear and feel for Ranch folks.
January 14, 2020
This book is another home run in the Tommy Smith Saga. Amazing characters, beautiful language, and a thrilling story.
September 29, 2020
Love this writer
November 15, 2020
Anothe great mystery set in the high country, written by an author that loves and describe the beauty of that area.
February 4, 2021
great story -- very gripping
March 12, 2021
Sure am glad I found this series, looking forwd to more
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews