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Champagne Cowboys
The powerful sequel to Double Wide, the blockbuster Western Writers of America double Spur award winner for Best First Novel and Best Contemporary Western… and True West Magazine's Best Western Crime Novel of the Year A wealthy Tucson couple is murdered in a home invasion burglary-gone-horribly wrong. They were close friends of Prospero "Whip" Stark, a one-time major league phenom pitcher now living with a colorful group of outcasts in his remote, desert trailer park... and honing his detective skills reading classic crime novels. Hell-bent on justice, Whip's search for the killers leads him to the Champagne Cowboys, a gang of thieves covering their tracks with corpses.PRAISE FOR CHAMPAGNE "The writing flows easily, the dialogue is peppered with wry observations, the plot tightly braids its seemingly disparate strands into a fascinating pattern, and the characters zing with life. This intelligent, pleasurable western noir will have readers longing for more." Publishers Weekly STARRED Review"Champagne Cowboys stands out from the herd of mysteries and thrillers. I loved the brilliant quirkiness of its central characters, the skillful balance of tension and unexpected humor, and the celebration of Tucson and the saguaro desert. A good read from start to finish. A tip of the Stetson to author Leo Banks." Anne Hillerman, New York Times bestselling author"If your reading choices embrace something a bit different, coexisting with a first-rate mystery, Champagne Cowboys is a definite five-star read." Green Valley News"This book is a western through and through (with) misfit characters so clearly realized you’ll know them immediately. These are characters we run into every day in real life—the people who don’t fit in the preassigned paradigms of our society. The West becomes a character unto itself. Really enjoyable and highly recommended." Sixgun Justice Podcast"This sequel is strong enough to stand on its own merits. Author Banks gives Stark a perceptive insight into his fellow characters, as well as himself, and tosses in enough sarcastic wisecracks to keep the narrative lively and entertaining. Like the debut novel, the lesser traveled back roads of the mountains, valleys, and small towns outside the urban centers of Arizona are not only a backdrop to the plot, but also as essential to the novel’s ambiance as the characters themselves." Bookgasm
- GenresMystery
249 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 2, 2020
196 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
About the author
Leo W. Banks
16 books44 followersIn high school, Leo W. Banks worked loading delivery trucks with the Sunday edition of the Boston Globe. In those days the Sunday paper was really heavy, so he switched from lifting to writing. He graduated from Boston College and earned a masters degree from the University of Arizona, where he later taught writing. His articles have appeared in the USA Today, Newsday, Miami Herald, National Review, National Geographic Traveler, Sports Illustrated, Wall Street Journal and many others. He has been a correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and, yes, the Boston Globe.
He has written four books of Old West history for Arizona Highways publishing and co-wrote a book about the Grand Canyon. His book about the saguaro cactus won’t stop selling. He has won thirty-eight statewide, regional and national journalism awards.
Leo has written four novels: Double Wide, Champagne Cowboys, .45 Caliber Perfume, and his latest, The Flying Z.
He has written four books of Old West history for Arizona Highways publishing and co-wrote a book about the Grand Canyon. His book about the saguaro cactus won’t stop selling. He has won thirty-eight statewide, regional and national journalism awards.
Leo has written four novels: Double Wide, Champagne Cowboys, .45 Caliber Perfume, and his latest, The Flying Z.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 4, 2020
Desert Warrior
Crime fiction doesn’t always revolve around cigar-smoking fedora-wearing Private Eyes operating out of rundown offices on seedy city streets. Out in the terrible beauty of the Sonoran desert, it’s the brutal edge where civilization meets wilderness and things tend to happen out there. Whip Stark, former baseball player, has set up a double wide in the desert with a colorful grouping of characters. Around him, smugglers traipse the desert routes and a trio dubbed the Champagne Cowboys are putting their government-trained military talents to good personal use back on the homefront till something goes wrong. Stark just happens to be on hand investigating when he finds the first body. It’s hard enough he’s determined to prove his dad’s innocence and spring him from the pen, but now he’s knee-deep in this new mess. Banks delivers in this nasty and brutal story that takes place in the hills outside of Tucson.
Crime fiction doesn’t always revolve around cigar-smoking fedora-wearing Private Eyes operating out of rundown offices on seedy city streets. Out in the terrible beauty of the Sonoran desert, it’s the brutal edge where civilization meets wilderness and things tend to happen out there. Whip Stark, former baseball player, has set up a double wide in the desert with a colorful grouping of characters. Around him, smugglers traipse the desert routes and a trio dubbed the Champagne Cowboys are putting their government-trained military talents to good personal use back on the homefront till something goes wrong. Stark just happens to be on hand investigating when he finds the first body. It’s hard enough he’s determined to prove his dad’s innocence and spring him from the pen, but now he’s knee-deep in this new mess. Banks delivers in this nasty and brutal story that takes place in the hills outside of Tucson.
September 25, 2020
Terrific sequel to Leo W. Banks
.
In many ways, superior to that fine debut.
Possibly even more action packed than the first novel in the Whip Stark series.
. In many ways, superior to that fine debut.
Possibly even more action packed than the first novel in the Whip Stark series.
The ranch was a paradise of order and worry free living. No trash, no potholes, no kids, no loud music. Everything was perfect, and perfectly bloodless.
It had the feel of the last stop, the place where the ball game ended.
Over a year ago, a longtime fan and supporter of Whip Stark during his Triple A baseball career, a lawyer for the ball club named Paul Morton and his wife Donna were murdered presumably after interrupting burglars who were ransacking their home. They'd returned home early and surprised the gang of burglars in the middle of the heist. They left behind two young boys.
Whip has reason to believe that a gang consisting of four Marine veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were behind the burglary and the murders. So he does what all heroes in crime novels do - he goes out to bring them to justice.
Meanwhile, Whip's father remains in prison on death row for a murder he insists he didn't commit.
Whip's working on his own to find the real murderer and save his father.
There are more bad guys in this one. Most of them are superior marksmen. Lots of random violence and a whole lot of action. The feel of this novel was more akin to an exceptional episode of The Rockford Files.
Palmer's face curled in contempt. "Just like that, eh? You want everything I got? Walk in here in your fucking cowboy boots."
...
Palmer said, "You know an awful shit lot for a guy threw baseballs for a living."
Loved this novel.
Highest Possible Recommendation
May 26, 2020
I have good news and bad news. I read CHAMPAGNE COWBOYS by LEO BANKS, book two featuring his Tucson, Arizona former major league baseball player Prospero “Whip” Stark turned mystery solver. The good news is that it is even better than DOUBLEWIDE that was the first. The bad news is that I now have to wait and see if there will be a book three. Woe is we fans! His publisher needs to blow his horn louder.
“Whip” lives in an RV park/town that he owns in a suburb southwest of Tucson. There are eight or so habitable RVs in his community. Some are occupied. One of the residents is Cash Miller a gun-toting veteran of Special Warfare operations. Another is Charlie O’Shea a house painter who is possibly wanted by the police. Teenager Opal lives there as well. She has bolted from the nearby Native American reservation and is a talented yet undiscovered artist. Whip’s 1979 Airstream trailer is city hall and community dining facility for the residents. A new straggler that joins this group is Sister Joseph Philomena who holds the key to at least two murders.
Roxanne Santa Cruz is a gorgeous TV reporter and Whip’s lady friend. She helps Whip’s crew to solve crimes. Her father is Rod Santa Cruz a retired Tucson police detective He still has connections with the Tucson Police Department. Benny Diaz is an active duty Tucson police detective who comes in for the finales.
Sam Houston Stark is Whip’s father. He is in jail accused of murder. This is one of Whip’s mysteries carried over from Doublewide. He is trying to prove his father is innocent. Donna and Paul Morton were two of Whip’s closest friends. Paul was Whip’s lawyer. They were robbed and murdered in book one. Whip needs to find their killers still.
New to this story is Ash Sterling, another Special Forces veteran, who leads a “gang” of veterans who call themselves “The Champagne Cowboys”. They think of themselves as modern Robin Hoods – steal from the rich but give themselves the money. He is found murdered on page 6. His part-time house cleaner and possible romantic interest, Bella Kowalik, a Polish refugee, is murdered on page 13. Whip and Roxanne find both victims. The trail leads Whip and Roxanne to Jackie Moreno, Ash’s estranged daughter. Jackie’s neighbors are Holly and her boyfriend Donny Jim. The three are up to their eyeballs in various crimes.
As in the first book, author Banks writes in the style of the great pulp fiction writers of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. There are car chases and shootouts. There is humor. There is great storytelling. The book is fast paced – I read it in three days, to my detriment since I now have to wait for more. The characters are awesome. I CANNOT PRAISE THIS BOOK TOO MUCH. Take the time and effort to find the two books. It will be worth it.
GO! BUY! READ!
“Whip” lives in an RV park/town that he owns in a suburb southwest of Tucson. There are eight or so habitable RVs in his community. Some are occupied. One of the residents is Cash Miller a gun-toting veteran of Special Warfare operations. Another is Charlie O’Shea a house painter who is possibly wanted by the police. Teenager Opal lives there as well. She has bolted from the nearby Native American reservation and is a talented yet undiscovered artist. Whip’s 1979 Airstream trailer is city hall and community dining facility for the residents. A new straggler that joins this group is Sister Joseph Philomena who holds the key to at least two murders.
Roxanne Santa Cruz is a gorgeous TV reporter and Whip’s lady friend. She helps Whip’s crew to solve crimes. Her father is Rod Santa Cruz a retired Tucson police detective He still has connections with the Tucson Police Department. Benny Diaz is an active duty Tucson police detective who comes in for the finales.
Sam Houston Stark is Whip’s father. He is in jail accused of murder. This is one of Whip’s mysteries carried over from Doublewide. He is trying to prove his father is innocent. Donna and Paul Morton were two of Whip’s closest friends. Paul was Whip’s lawyer. They were robbed and murdered in book one. Whip needs to find their killers still.
New to this story is Ash Sterling, another Special Forces veteran, who leads a “gang” of veterans who call themselves “The Champagne Cowboys”. They think of themselves as modern Robin Hoods – steal from the rich but give themselves the money. He is found murdered on page 6. His part-time house cleaner and possible romantic interest, Bella Kowalik, a Polish refugee, is murdered on page 13. Whip and Roxanne find both victims. The trail leads Whip and Roxanne to Jackie Moreno, Ash’s estranged daughter. Jackie’s neighbors are Holly and her boyfriend Donny Jim. The three are up to their eyeballs in various crimes.
As in the first book, author Banks writes in the style of the great pulp fiction writers of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. There are car chases and shootouts. There is humor. There is great storytelling. The book is fast paced – I read it in three days, to my detriment since I now have to wait for more. The characters are awesome. I CANNOT PRAISE THIS BOOK TOO MUCH. Take the time and effort to find the two books. It will be worth it.
GO! BUY! READ!
April 14, 2020
Leo Banks’ sequel to his debut novel, Double Wide, is another home run, which is fitting, since his protagonist, Prospero “Whip” Stark is a former big league baseball pitcher. In Champagne Cowboys, Whip returns with his cadre of misfit pals (tenants, really) and newly acquired girlfriend, Roxy, to track down some killers and help bring justice for the murder of a married couple for whom Whip felt a great deal of affection.
Set in Tucson, AZ, Banks’ first book was quirky fun, and established Whip’s backstory and current, rather unique, living arrangements. Despite having been successful as a pitcher and possessing reasonable funds, he elects to live in a “double-wide” Airstream trailer, among a few other broken down trailers, in a remote part of the desert just west of the city. Among his “tenants” are a seventeen year old Native American gal with kleptomaniacal tendencies, a veteran of Iraq and Afganistan with some PTSD and a dead-eye aim with his AR-15, and an alcoholic house-painter. These folks are just downright odd, but a more lovable collection of secondary characters would be difficult to find. And fortunately, they’re all back for this story.
Whip is also falling in love with Roxy, a local, gorgeous television reporter whose father is a retired cop who was a legend within the Pima County Sheriff’s Office. Roxy is a hoot, both smart and brave, and despite seeming self-serving when we first met her in the previous book, now displays some truly sensitive emotions for Whip. Call me a sucker for a budding love-story embedded in a rip-snorting Western Crime novel, but I like this element and Banks manages to keep it in balance so we aren’t overwhelmed with too much sugar.
The plot itself is a good one and the reveal is pretty clever. The only real “tough to buy” part is that a former baseball player could become so adept at crime solving. But hey, it really isn’t pertinent, since the novel doesn’t take itself too seriously to begin with.
Banks knows the territory, though he takes some fictional liberties with Tucson’s landmarks and locations. But he does a great job creating both a sense of place and memorable, wholly enchanting characters with whom I’d be delighted to spend another few days should he write another in this series. I sincerely hope that he will, but in any event, I’m very pleased to have stumbled onto this series. 4.5 stars and loads of fun.
Set in Tucson, AZ, Banks’ first book was quirky fun, and established Whip’s backstory and current, rather unique, living arrangements. Despite having been successful as a pitcher and possessing reasonable funds, he elects to live in a “double-wide” Airstream trailer, among a few other broken down trailers, in a remote part of the desert just west of the city. Among his “tenants” are a seventeen year old Native American gal with kleptomaniacal tendencies, a veteran of Iraq and Afganistan with some PTSD and a dead-eye aim with his AR-15, and an alcoholic house-painter. These folks are just downright odd, but a more lovable collection of secondary characters would be difficult to find. And fortunately, they’re all back for this story.
Whip is also falling in love with Roxy, a local, gorgeous television reporter whose father is a retired cop who was a legend within the Pima County Sheriff’s Office. Roxy is a hoot, both smart and brave, and despite seeming self-serving when we first met her in the previous book, now displays some truly sensitive emotions for Whip. Call me a sucker for a budding love-story embedded in a rip-snorting Western Crime novel, but I like this element and Banks manages to keep it in balance so we aren’t overwhelmed with too much sugar.
The plot itself is a good one and the reveal is pretty clever. The only real “tough to buy” part is that a former baseball player could become so adept at crime solving. But hey, it really isn’t pertinent, since the novel doesn’t take itself too seriously to begin with.
Banks knows the territory, though he takes some fictional liberties with Tucson’s landmarks and locations. But he does a great job creating both a sense of place and memorable, wholly enchanting characters with whom I’d be delighted to spend another few days should he write another in this series. I sincerely hope that he will, but in any event, I’m very pleased to have stumbled onto this series. 4.5 stars and loads of fun.
February 22, 2020
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and promised to review it. To say that I have been dying to read this book would be an understatement. So... was it worth the wait? Was it as good as the first book in the series? ... HELL YES! What a wonderful cast of characters Whip has surrounded himself with. Leo W. Banks has imbued each one with genuine and original authenticity. And what a magnificent story. I burned through every single page as if my fingers were on fire. I won't give away any spoilers except to say that the last page touched me so much that I actually teared up. Powerful stuff. I HIGHLY recommend this book.
March 11, 2020
Leo W. Banks Southwestern Noir.
The author is fast becoming one of my favorites. First Double Wide and now Champagne Cowboys. I can’t wait for his next book. His writing is riveting, his plot grips you in a vise that holds you from beginning to end. Whip Stark is totally believable and lives by a code of ethics that might be uniquely his but one that is in every part of his being.
The author is fast becoming one of my favorites. First Double Wide and now Champagne Cowboys. I can’t wait for his next book. His writing is riveting, his plot grips you in a vise that holds you from beginning to end. Whip Stark is totally believable and lives by a code of ethics that might be uniquely his but one that is in every part of his being.
March 16, 2020
Champagne Cowboys is a fun read, and dives deeper into the wonderful characters from Leo W. Banks' Double Wide. A must read!
July 24, 2022
I seek out crime novels set in the Southwest. Champagne Cowboys is Leo Banks' follow up to his highly decorated debut Double Wide, and follows his hero Whip Stark on another crime case. Whip is a young retired Major League baseball pitcher. For some reason, that background fits and works very well with Whip's brash attitude. Whip's good friends, a young married couple with two kids, who live in the mountains, were murdered when they returned to a home invasion. More recently, a more high-profile robbery homicide case has happened involving an ex-military badass known to one of Whip's buddies who lives near him in the dinky trailer park he owns outside of Tucson. The victim is known to be one of the "Champagne Cowboys", a trio of Afghanistan vets suspected to have committed several smash-and-grab robberies at the homes of wealthy people. Whip knows he can count on his girlfriend Roxy Santa Cruz, a reporter, to help him investigate. His efforts to solve a murder his father was (wrongly?) convicted of round out the story.
Banks may have borrowed some ideas for the setting from Quentin Tarntino's Kill Bill 2, and that's totally cool. While some small details are allowed to go awry, the plot and character development are excellent. There's clearly some Philip Marlowe in Whip, as he spews sarcasm at everyone and gets his ass kicked frequently.
There are laugh-out-loud moments:
"It's a Hallmark movie except for all the dead people."
"We inched past Bo Hung's Fitness, a cancer treatment center, the Black Hat Lounge, and a Taco Bell. After that came a CBD store that promised to cure everything that went wrong at the previous four stops."
In the service of realism, books need random conversation that, while it does nothing to further the plot, provides comic relief and character development - Banks gets that.
Banks may have borrowed some ideas for the setting from Quentin Tarntino's Kill Bill 2, and that's totally cool. While some small details are allowed to go awry, the plot and character development are excellent. There's clearly some Philip Marlowe in Whip, as he spews sarcasm at everyone and gets his ass kicked frequently.
There are laugh-out-loud moments:
"It's a Hallmark movie except for all the dead people."
"We inched past Bo Hung's Fitness, a cancer treatment center, the Black Hat Lounge, and a Taco Bell. After that came a CBD store that promised to cure everything that went wrong at the previous four stops."
In the service of realism, books need random conversation that, while it does nothing to further the plot, provides comic relief and character development - Banks gets that.
March 27, 2020
Second outing avoids the sophomore jinx
Ex phenom fireballer starts this second outing trying to solve three murders: the shooting of his good friends ,the Mortons,in a home invasion; the long range takeout of one of the perpetrators, the knifing of the woman whose death put Whip’s innocent father on death row. It’s slow going in the beginning, but the story picks up steam in the middle , solidly anchored by The author’s authentic descriptions of desert landscapes and the seedy washes and back streets of Tucson Along the way Banks adds some promising new characters including Palmer , a-retired detective, Ozzie, a daredevil teenage cyclist and Sister Philomena. I thought the ending was a bit over the top, perhaps even for Arizona.
Ex phenom fireballer starts this second outing trying to solve three murders: the shooting of his good friends ,the Mortons,in a home invasion; the long range takeout of one of the perpetrators, the knifing of the woman whose death put Whip’s innocent father on death row. It’s slow going in the beginning, but the story picks up steam in the middle , solidly anchored by The author’s authentic descriptions of desert landscapes and the seedy washes and back streets of Tucson Along the way Banks adds some promising new characters including Palmer , a-retired detective, Ozzie, a daredevil teenage cyclist and Sister Philomena. I thought the ending was a bit over the top, perhaps even for Arizona.
January 15, 2021
Book 2 of the relatively new Whip Stark mystery series, lost some appeal for me. I still liked the concept, characters, and setting, but in this volume, the characters devolved almost into caricatures. There was also more of a Quentin Tarantino level of shoot outs (not quite, but moving in that direction). I'll wait for volume three to decide if I'm going to stick with this series.
If you like rogue characters, albeit a bit predictable, and enjoy reading descriptions of shoot outs, you'll fit the readers who love this series, I expect. You will certainly get a real feel for the Tucson region of Arizona - my favorite aspect of the book.
If you like rogue characters, albeit a bit predictable, and enjoy reading descriptions of shoot outs, you'll fit the readers who love this series, I expect. You will certainly get a real feel for the Tucson region of Arizona - my favorite aspect of the book.
May 13, 2020
I love mysteries and thrillers, but a !little humor is makes it enjoyable. I really enjoy his characters and the locale. Having lived in Arizona it's nice to read about a familiar area. I look forward another book
April 19, 2020
Terrific Read
If like a well written story this is your ticket. Somebody tell Leo W. Banks to continue the story. He has created some interesting characters.
If like a well written story this is your ticket. Somebody tell Leo W. Banks to continue the story. He has created some interesting characters.
April 21, 2020
Book 2 by Mr. Banks is a good followup! The misfits at countrywide continue to outsmart the bad guys. They also continue to grow and develop as book characters. This was another story worth reading.
May 1, 2020
Whip Stark
The only problem I have with Leo Banks character Whip Stark is that there is only two books!!
More , more Mr. Banks!!
The only problem I have with Leo Banks character Whip Stark is that there is only two books!!
More , more Mr. Banks!!
December 8, 2021
I really liked this book from the beginning–
"I drove through the neon kingdom of Speedway Boulevard blowing smoke from my six-dollar cigar and listening to the wail of cop sirens. It was morning in Tucson, the top down on my Ford Bronco, the desert wind in my hair, sun shining, palm trees waving..."
I want to do this, unfortunately I no longer have a sport ute or a convertible… or hair. But I do smoke cigars and live in the desert these days.
A few descriptions I liked–
"Roxy’s voice got me. It was the voice of an angel with an abominable past. Soft, but a touch raspy, a mix of vanilla ice cream and Chivas Regal neat."
"My touch confirmed that the AC had done little to cool the blazing seat. I did what Arizonans are trained to do and assumed the position. Drivers get a certain facial expression under such circumstances. Newcomers assume it’s gastrointestinal, but desert veterans know better. It lands somewhere between a grin and a grimace, has no name, and only occurs when your butt cheeks are being sautéed salmon pink. I wore just such a look as I pulled out of the parking lot onto Mill Avenue."
I know that look. A couple years ago I even burned my hand closing my car trunk.
This book has quite a cast of characters, lots of action, mystery, dead bodies and chases. Now I have to get the first book in the series and hope for a third book.
"I drove through the neon kingdom of Speedway Boulevard blowing smoke from my six-dollar cigar and listening to the wail of cop sirens. It was morning in Tucson, the top down on my Ford Bronco, the desert wind in my hair, sun shining, palm trees waving..."
I want to do this, unfortunately I no longer have a sport ute or a convertible… or hair. But I do smoke cigars and live in the desert these days.
A few descriptions I liked–
"Roxy’s voice got me. It was the voice of an angel with an abominable past. Soft, but a touch raspy, a mix of vanilla ice cream and Chivas Regal neat."
"My touch confirmed that the AC had done little to cool the blazing seat. I did what Arizonans are trained to do and assumed the position. Drivers get a certain facial expression under such circumstances. Newcomers assume it’s gastrointestinal, but desert veterans know better. It lands somewhere between a grin and a grimace, has no name, and only occurs when your butt cheeks are being sautéed salmon pink. I wore just such a look as I pulled out of the parking lot onto Mill Avenue."
I know that look. A couple years ago I even burned my hand closing my car trunk.
This book has quite a cast of characters, lots of action, mystery, dead bodies and chases. Now I have to get the first book in the series and hope for a third book.
March 13, 2020
Another Great Book
Can’t wait for the next one! Characters, plotting, locale are all top notch. This one will keep you turning the pages. Keep writing this great series.
Can’t wait for the next one! Characters, plotting, locale are all top notch. This one will keep you turning the pages. Keep writing this great series.
March 18, 2020
Leo Banks did it again. No sophomore slump with this title.
It’s good frickin book.
It’s good frickin book.
March 23, 2020
Excellent encore
Leo is the best. Another great adventure of Whip Stark that ends in a breathe taking fashion. Such rich and robust prose. Some of the best I’ve read
Leo is the best. Another great adventure of Whip Stark that ends in a breathe taking fashion. Such rich and robust prose. Some of the best I’ve read
March 24, 2020
Enjoyed
Enjoyed both books. The author has grown, he has developed his characters and I've recommend it to others. Definitely hope there is a third Whip Stark.
Enjoyed both books. The author has grown, he has developed his characters and I've recommend it to others. Definitely hope there is a third Whip Stark.
April 2, 2020
Great read
Outstanding descriptions a real wordsmith
His description of the desert makes you feel like you are right there
Great storytelling
Outstanding descriptions a real wordsmith
His description of the desert makes you feel like you are right there
Great storytelling
January 2, 2021
Shakespeare Tragedy?
With all of the references to Shakespeare, I was certain that lead character, Whip Stark, would die in the end or be forever damaged, much like a Shakespearean tragedy. Although there were more than an ample number of bodies lying around, our hero seems to have made it through unscathed. This is a well-written murder mystery with a lot of characters that gets solved at the end but not without a lot of bloodshed. One of the most interesting features is the characters. They are funny, and real, and tragic. Funny because they laugh at themselves and what life has dealt them, real because that's true of most of us, and tragic because it is what it is. It kept me guessing and I even learned something about the Arizona desert, baseball, and journalism. I think the that alone raises it at least one star in my rating.
With all of the references to Shakespeare, I was certain that lead character, Whip Stark, would die in the end or be forever damaged, much like a Shakespearean tragedy. Although there were more than an ample number of bodies lying around, our hero seems to have made it through unscathed. This is a well-written murder mystery with a lot of characters that gets solved at the end but not without a lot of bloodshed. One of the most interesting features is the characters. They are funny, and real, and tragic. Funny because they laugh at themselves and what life has dealt them, real because that's true of most of us, and tragic because it is what it is. It kept me guessing and I even learned something about the Arizona desert, baseball, and journalism. I think the that alone raises it at least one star in my rating.
May 21, 2022
This is another mystery my neighbor loaned me and it was OK. The main character is a former minor league pitcher and his squeeze is a TV reporter and they, along with some really unusual characters who live in a trailer park the pitcher owns, solve crimes. Not terribly original except several of the unusual characters are a kick in the butt so that made it fun. I won't be searching for this writer's books in the future but if I stumbled across one I would enjoy it. Recommended.
January 12, 2023
I almost gave the first book in this series 5 stars, I'm glad I'm able to award this one the top rating. Better than "Double Wide", this one has more wit, more action, more suspense and more of just about everything else. Whip Stark is a modern protagonist with one foot in the old west. I can feel Tucson around me as I read. My only complaint is that there needs to be at least one more book with Whip Stark. I'm holding out and holding on for a trilogy.
April 21, 2021
Not As Good as Doublewide
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, but this one, not so much.
The cast of misfit characters and the unusual plot made the first book, "Doublewide, one of my favorite reads ( and I read a lot!). However the addition of the woman reporter in this book ruined it for me.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, but this one, not so much.
The cast of misfit characters and the unusual plot made the first book, "Doublewide, one of my favorite reads ( and I read a lot!). However the addition of the woman reporter in this book ruined it for me.
July 31, 2020
Love this!
I tried to read another book when I finished Book 1 on Whip Stark but I was pulled back to Whip within hours. Loved this book and his relationship with his father and all his past.
I tried to read another book when I finished Book 1 on Whip Stark but I was pulled back to Whip within hours. Loved this book and his relationship with his father and all his past.
October 16, 2020
Leo W. Banks..another Perfect Game...
Whip, Cash, Roxi and the rest of the gang are solving big crimes again. No Spoilers...but Whip does get in a Nuns bedroom to play in her underwear drawer. Read this book...fingers crossed for another book ....
Whip, Cash, Roxi and the rest of the gang are solving big crimes again. No Spoilers...but Whip does get in a Nuns bedroom to play in her underwear drawer. Read this book...fingers crossed for another book ....
February 24, 2021
Home sweet home it isn't
The desert can be a lonely place. No one around you but sand, saguro, lizards and the cartel. That peacefulness doesn't last long with murderers, thieves,after you and your friends!
The desert can be a lonely place. No one around you but sand, saguro, lizards and the cartel. That peacefulness doesn't last long with murderers, thieves,after you and your friends!
March 30, 2023
Champagne Cowboys
Just really enjoyed reading this book. Had read Double Wide a long time ago so was really tickled to find this one. Whip and his compares were great characters. Lots of action. And that Cash. Good man to have watching your back.
Just really enjoyed reading this book. Had read Double Wide a long time ago so was really tickled to find this one. Whip and his compares were great characters. Lots of action. And that Cash. Good man to have watching your back.
May 21, 2023
A wealthy couple who were prosperos dear friends are murdered. His search for the killers leads him to a bunch of thieves who call themselves Champagne Cowboys! With a lot of help from his friends "Whip" goes on the search!
June 5, 2020
3.5*
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews