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Red River Mystery #9
The Texas Job
"Texas Ranger Tom Bell is tracking a fugitive killer when he rides into Pine Top, a hastily erected shanty-town crawling with rough and desperate men-oil drillers, come by the thousands in search of work. It soon becomes apparent that the lawman's poking around has irritated the wrong people, and when two failed attempts are made on his life, Bell knows that he's getting closer to finding out who is responsible for cheating and murdering the local landowners in order to access the rich oil fields flowing beneath their farms. When they ambush him for a third time while he's out with a local woman he's fallen for, they make the deadly mistake of killing her and leaving him alive"--
416 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2022
44 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Reavis Z. Wortham
22 books239 followersReavis Z. Wortham retired in 2011 and now works harder than before as the author of the critically acclaimed Red River historical mystery series. Kirkus Reviews listed his first novel, The Rock Hole, as one of their Top 12 Mysteries of 2011. True West Magazine included Dark Places as one of 2015’s Top 12 Modern Westerns. The Providence Journal writes, “This year's Unraveled is a hidden gem of a book that reads like Craig Johnson's Longmire on steroids.” Wortham’s new high octane contemporary thriller from Kensington Publishing, Hawke's Prey, featuring Texas Ranger Sonny Hawke was released in June, 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
November 18, 2021
The Texas Job
by Wortham gives readers a view of East Texas in 1931 when a huge oil field has been found and towns are exploding with people, oil wells, and the good and bad that came with it. Texas Ranger Tom Bell is tracking a fugitive murderer. He is examining a dead body before going into town when someone shoots at him. That is the start of an exciting time in this area of Texas. From a sheriff of the boomtown PineTop to the roughnecks working for the oil companies, no one offers him help. In fact, he obviously ruffles some feathers, and multiple attempts on his life occur. As he tries to find the murderer, Tom uncovers more crimes are happening in and around the town. Will he live to solve the cases?
Tom is a young Ranger in this novel and his sense of duty and desire for justice comes through in his character which has more depth than I expected. Interspersed in the narrative are insights into his young history of serving in World War I and dealing with the loss of his wife. This delivered realism and empathy that made him more relatable. Several of the supporting characters had distinct personalities that made the story even more interesting.
The author did extensive research on this period of Texas history during the Great Depression and the oil boom, but also in Oklahoma when oil was discovered under land owned by the Osage Nation, and it shows. While this is not a traditional 1800’s western, it does have similarities with a lone lawman going up against criminals in a good versus evil story and set in a historical period. The writing is descriptive without slowing down the vivid and action-filled plot. This feature created atmosphere that elevated the story line. Readers will rapidly turn the pages and learn about daily life and conditions in boomtowns during the beginning of oil drilling in that part of Texas. Themes include murder, attempted murder, corruption, racism, power, and more.
The action starts out strong, moves at a fast pace, and the suspense continues to build throughout. The author brought a strong sense of place and time to the events in the book. The action somehow managed to seem plausible for the times even though it was definitely extreme. I could easily visualize the towns, the people, the unsanitary conditions in the temporary camps and tent cities, the landscape, and the inability of infrastructure to keep up with the booming population. One thing that stood out for me was the concerns over water and air pollution that showed up even in 1931.
Overall, this book was an engaging and action-filled crime thriller in a historical setting that kept me turning the pages. This is the first book that I have read by this author but it won’t be the last. I highly recommend this novel to those that like his crime thrillers.
Poisoned Pen Press and Reavis Z. Wortham provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for February 15, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 4 star review of this historical mystery will be posted 3-4 days after it appears in Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
Tom is a young Ranger in this novel and his sense of duty and desire for justice comes through in his character which has more depth than I expected. Interspersed in the narrative are insights into his young history of serving in World War I and dealing with the loss of his wife. This delivered realism and empathy that made him more relatable. Several of the supporting characters had distinct personalities that made the story even more interesting.
The author did extensive research on this period of Texas history during the Great Depression and the oil boom, but also in Oklahoma when oil was discovered under land owned by the Osage Nation, and it shows. While this is not a traditional 1800’s western, it does have similarities with a lone lawman going up against criminals in a good versus evil story and set in a historical period. The writing is descriptive without slowing down the vivid and action-filled plot. This feature created atmosphere that elevated the story line. Readers will rapidly turn the pages and learn about daily life and conditions in boomtowns during the beginning of oil drilling in that part of Texas. Themes include murder, attempted murder, corruption, racism, power, and more.
The action starts out strong, moves at a fast pace, and the suspense continues to build throughout. The author brought a strong sense of place and time to the events in the book. The action somehow managed to seem plausible for the times even though it was definitely extreme. I could easily visualize the towns, the people, the unsanitary conditions in the temporary camps and tent cities, the landscape, and the inability of infrastructure to keep up with the booming population. One thing that stood out for me was the concerns over water and air pollution that showed up even in 1931.
Overall, this book was an engaging and action-filled crime thriller in a historical setting that kept me turning the pages. This is the first book that I have read by this author but it won’t be the last. I highly recommend this novel to those that like his crime thrillers.
Poisoned Pen Press and Reavis Z. Wortham provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for February 15, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
--------------
My 4 star review of this historical mystery will be posted 3-4 days after it appears in Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
March 10, 2022
I really liked this! It kind of gave me Justified type vibes. I haven't read many westerners, but this makes me want to read more. I couldn't put it down. Kept me up late turning pages. Definitely a fun read!
January 3, 2022
I have been a fan of Reavis Z. Wortham since I first read The Rock Hole, the first book in his Red River series and later I fell for his Sonny Hawke series. Now he takes the retired Texas Ranger Tom Bell from the Red River series and tells his story back in the thirties when he was a young active ranger. The Texas Job is the first book in what I sincerely hope will be a new series with many exciting adventures with this great character. Wortham is a wonderful writer, I have compared him with James Lee Burke regarding his Red River series. This one is not that dark but it is a bleak reality he describes in this book. We have the financial difficulties with both the depression and the oil boom. We also have the prohibition and a not yet civilized rural Texas. The characters in this book is wonderful and the setting is masterfully described. I love the attention to details and will recommend this to anyone who will listen to me. I must thank @netgalley @poisonedpenpress for giving me this advance copy and @reaviszwortham for writing this book. #TheTexasJob #ReavisZWortham #Netgalley #PoisonedPenPress
March 2, 2022
Astute, sinister, and immersive!
The Texas Job is an absorbing, highly authentic western that takes you into the life of Texas Ranger Tom Bell during 1931, as he heads to Pine Top, Texas to hunt a fugitive wanted for murder in a town bursting with oil, booming with riffraff, and home to a group of men who have happily made their bed with the devil and will do whatever it takes, even murder, to acquire prestige, power, and riches.
The prose is vivid and descriptive. The characters are rugged, intimidating, and resolute. And the plot, including all the subplots, seamlessly intertwine and unravel into a gripping tale full of deception, manipulation, community, greed, corruption, profiteering, mayhem, violence, and murder.
I’m not usually a huge western mystery type of gal, and yet every time I read a Wortham novel, I’m blown away by how much I love the characters and the atmosphere, and The Texas Job is no exception. In fact, it’s probably one of my favourites. It’s suspenseful, gritty, and downright thrilling, and I can’t do anything other than highly recommend it.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Texas Job is an absorbing, highly authentic western that takes you into the life of Texas Ranger Tom Bell during 1931, as he heads to Pine Top, Texas to hunt a fugitive wanted for murder in a town bursting with oil, booming with riffraff, and home to a group of men who have happily made their bed with the devil and will do whatever it takes, even murder, to acquire prestige, power, and riches.
The prose is vivid and descriptive. The characters are rugged, intimidating, and resolute. And the plot, including all the subplots, seamlessly intertwine and unravel into a gripping tale full of deception, manipulation, community, greed, corruption, profiteering, mayhem, violence, and murder.
I’m not usually a huge western mystery type of gal, and yet every time I read a Wortham novel, I’m blown away by how much I love the characters and the atmosphere, and The Texas Job is no exception. In fact, it’s probably one of my favourites. It’s suspenseful, gritty, and downright thrilling, and I can’t do anything other than highly recommend it.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 5, 2021
THE TEXAS JOB follows the story of Tom Bell a Texas Ranger, who arrives in a town near huge oil field (oil boomtowns) to catch a murderer. In search of this killer, he finds truths about ruthless capitalists, corrupt officers and gangsters who take advantage of the people mostly from the Native American Tribes living in or near the boomtown so they could get rich off the liquid gold flowing underneath the soil. Now its Tom Bell, a handful of Texas Rangers versus these criminals. Honestly this is the type of historical fiction I want to read. Daring and dashing.
From the author’s note at the end I understood how much he has researched for this story! The characters in this story are framed from the real events that happened in 1930s Texas. The author has also mentioned that this book would be a treat for the fans of his Texas Red River series, because this story tells the early life of Tom Bell who is also the MC in the historical action series set in 1960s. This is my first book from author Wortham, now I’m definitely going to look into his other works, just because reading this book felt like a thrilling action movie with fast paced storyline!
Overall, The story is as rich as the history of Texas. Add to your tbr, this book,comes out next year!! Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for the arc via Netgalley.
From the author’s note at the end I understood how much he has researched for this story! The characters in this story are framed from the real events that happened in 1930s Texas. The author has also mentioned that this book would be a treat for the fans of his Texas Red River series, because this story tells the early life of Tom Bell who is also the MC in the historical action series set in 1960s. This is my first book from author Wortham, now I’m definitely going to look into his other works, just because reading this book felt like a thrilling action movie with fast paced storyline!
Overall, The story is as rich as the history of Texas. Add to your tbr, this book,comes out next year!! Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for the arc via Netgalley.
April 10, 2023
I really enjoyed this one! I don't read too many western type thrillers but this also worked in a mafia element and was quite wild and crazy. There is a character that is carried through from another series, Texas Ranger Tom Bell, and I really liked him. It is set when oil is booming, and people are dying in a small Texas town. Turns out there is a whole lot of corruption going on, and once Tom Bell gets to the root of it all, it gets dangerous for him too. The ending was very satisfying, and while this was a little slow to start, the rest was very fast paced and satisfying!
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital copy to review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital copy to review.
February 19, 2022
One of the many ways that having children keeps you humble is that you have to constantly explain things from the recent past that you know all about but aren’t part of anyone’s current conversation. I had to explain just this very evening that they used to market a certain brand of canned soup by claiming you could eat it with a fork. (YouTube is a big help with stuff like that.)
So you never know what you’re going to have to explain. I say that to say this: You know about Jack Reacher, right? He is a former military policeman who ambles across America, inexplicably backing into various evil schemes across this great country, armed with his fists and a pocket toothbrush. The character was conceived by the great Lee Child, who I almost got to meet at a writer’s conference. If you’ve read any of these books, you know who I’m talking about; if you don’t, well, you have the opportunity to educate yourself.
There are two problems with this series. First, the plot frequently hangs on Reacher being in just the right place at the right time to learn about the evil scheme and derail it. Secondly, you’re probably not going to be too successful in trying to imitate that particular style. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but like Tom Wolfe’s test pilots, I wouldn’t recommend it.
It is more than a little unfair to say that Reavis Z. Wortham is engaging in literary horse theft in THE TEXAS JOB. But there is no denying that he has done something very difficult here: he has taken a character very much in the Jack Reacher mode and --- this is the brilliant part --- put him in a historical novel.
I know, right?
The character here is Tom Bell, and unlike Reacher, he is not physically imposing. He does have the cinco peso badge of the Texas Rangers, and that counts for a lot just by itself. Bell is engaged on a routine job for a Ranger: tracking a murderer from the Rio Grande Valley to the East Texas pines --- which at this moment, in the depths of the Great Depression, is bustling with activity. THE TEXAS JOB is set during the heady days of the East Texas oil rush, with small towns being overrun by wildcatters and roughnecks --- trailing alcohol, easy virtue and corruption in their wake.
Wortham’s Rangers are interesting, complicated characters (although the historic Texas Rangers weren’t quite the righteous paladins of the silver screen; check out CULT OF GLORY by Doug J. Swanson), and they have to contend with more than their fair share of grifters, rascals and scoundrels. Bell finds the oil boomtowns filled to the brim with evil schemes, and he handles them with alacrity, bravado and sheer competence in the dark arts of law enforcement.
You could argue that the action is a little bit over the top, and that would be fair, but Wortham does such a good job of describing the predicaments that Bell gets into that it would be unfair to complain. He also displays his narrative gifts in describing the cafés, hotels and remote farmhouses of the region. THE TEXAS JOB brilliantly transforms the lone wolf drifter genre into a gripping piece of historical fiction.
Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds
So you never know what you’re going to have to explain. I say that to say this: You know about Jack Reacher, right? He is a former military policeman who ambles across America, inexplicably backing into various evil schemes across this great country, armed with his fists and a pocket toothbrush. The character was conceived by the great Lee Child, who I almost got to meet at a writer’s conference. If you’ve read any of these books, you know who I’m talking about; if you don’t, well, you have the opportunity to educate yourself.
There are two problems with this series. First, the plot frequently hangs on Reacher being in just the right place at the right time to learn about the evil scheme and derail it. Secondly, you’re probably not going to be too successful in trying to imitate that particular style. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but like Tom Wolfe’s test pilots, I wouldn’t recommend it.
It is more than a little unfair to say that Reavis Z. Wortham is engaging in literary horse theft in THE TEXAS JOB. But there is no denying that he has done something very difficult here: he has taken a character very much in the Jack Reacher mode and --- this is the brilliant part --- put him in a historical novel.
I know, right?
The character here is Tom Bell, and unlike Reacher, he is not physically imposing. He does have the cinco peso badge of the Texas Rangers, and that counts for a lot just by itself. Bell is engaged on a routine job for a Ranger: tracking a murderer from the Rio Grande Valley to the East Texas pines --- which at this moment, in the depths of the Great Depression, is bustling with activity. THE TEXAS JOB is set during the heady days of the East Texas oil rush, with small towns being overrun by wildcatters and roughnecks --- trailing alcohol, easy virtue and corruption in their wake.
Wortham’s Rangers are interesting, complicated characters (although the historic Texas Rangers weren’t quite the righteous paladins of the silver screen; check out CULT OF GLORY by Doug J. Swanson), and they have to contend with more than their fair share of grifters, rascals and scoundrels. Bell finds the oil boomtowns filled to the brim with evil schemes, and he handles them with alacrity, bravado and sheer competence in the dark arts of law enforcement.
You could argue that the action is a little bit over the top, and that would be fair, but Wortham does such a good job of describing the predicaments that Bell gets into that it would be unfair to complain. He also displays his narrative gifts in describing the cafés, hotels and remote farmhouses of the region. THE TEXAS JOB brilliantly transforms the lone wolf drifter genre into a gripping piece of historical fiction.
Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds
February 19, 2022
One of the many ways that having children keeps you humble is that you have to constantly explain things from the recent past that you know all about but aren’t part of anyone’s current conversation. I had to explain just this very evening that they used to market a certain brand of canned soup by claiming you could eat it with a fork. (YouTube is a big help with stuff like that.)
So you never know what you’re going to have to explain. I say that to say this: You know about Jack Reacher, right? He is a former military policeman who ambles across America, inexplicably backing into various evil schemes across this great country, armed with his fists and a pocket toothbrush. The character was conceived by the great Lee Child, who I almost got to meet at a writer’s conference. If you’ve read any of these books, you know who I’m talking about; if you don’t, well, you have the opportunity to educate yourself.
There are two problems with this series. First, the plot frequently hangs on Reacher being in just the right place at the right time to learn about the evil scheme and derail it. Secondly, you’re probably not going to be too successful in trying to imitate that particular style. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but like Tom Wolfe’s test pilots, I wouldn’t recommend it.
It is more than a little unfair to say that Reavis Z. Wortham is engaging in literary horse theft in THE TEXAS JOB. But there is no denying that he has done something very difficult here: he has taken a character very much in the Jack Reacher mode and --- this is the brilliant part --- put him in a historical novel.
I know, right?
The character here is Tom Bell, and unlike Reacher, he is not physically imposing. He does have the cinco peso badge of the Texas Rangers, and that counts for a lot just by itself. Bell is engaged on a routine job for a Ranger: tracking a murderer from the Rio Grande Valley to the East Texas pines --- which at this moment, in the depths of the Great Depression, is bustling with activity. THE TEXAS JOB is set during the heady days of the East Texas oil rush, with small towns being overrun by wildcatters and roughnecks --- trailing alcohol, easy virtue and corruption in their wake.
Wortham’s Rangers are interesting, complicated characters (although the historic Texas Rangers weren’t quite the righteous paladins of the silver screen; check out CULT OF GLORY by Doug J. Swanson), and they have to contend with more than their fair share of grifters, rascals and scoundrels. Bell finds the oil boomtowns filled to the brim with evil schemes, and he handles them with alacrity, bravado and sheer competence in the dark arts of law enforcement.
You could argue that the action is a little bit over the top, and that would be fair, but Wortham does such a good job of describing the predicaments that Bell gets into that it would be unfair to complain. He also displays his narrative gifts in describing the cafés, hotels and remote farmhouses of the region. THE TEXAS JOB brilliantly transforms the lone wolf drifter genre into a gripping piece of historical fiction.
Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds
So you never know what you’re going to have to explain. I say that to say this: You know about Jack Reacher, right? He is a former military policeman who ambles across America, inexplicably backing into various evil schemes across this great country, armed with his fists and a pocket toothbrush. The character was conceived by the great Lee Child, who I almost got to meet at a writer’s conference. If you’ve read any of these books, you know who I’m talking about; if you don’t, well, you have the opportunity to educate yourself.
There are two problems with this series. First, the plot frequently hangs on Reacher being in just the right place at the right time to learn about the evil scheme and derail it. Secondly, you’re probably not going to be too successful in trying to imitate that particular style. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but like Tom Wolfe’s test pilots, I wouldn’t recommend it.
It is more than a little unfair to say that Reavis Z. Wortham is engaging in literary horse theft in THE TEXAS JOB. But there is no denying that he has done something very difficult here: he has taken a character very much in the Jack Reacher mode and --- this is the brilliant part --- put him in a historical novel.
I know, right?
The character here is Tom Bell, and unlike Reacher, he is not physically imposing. He does have the cinco peso badge of the Texas Rangers, and that counts for a lot just by itself. Bell is engaged on a routine job for a Ranger: tracking a murderer from the Rio Grande Valley to the East Texas pines --- which at this moment, in the depths of the Great Depression, is bustling with activity. THE TEXAS JOB is set during the heady days of the East Texas oil rush, with small towns being overrun by wildcatters and roughnecks --- trailing alcohol, easy virtue and corruption in their wake.
Wortham’s Rangers are interesting, complicated characters (although the historic Texas Rangers weren’t quite the righteous paladins of the silver screen; check out CULT OF GLORY by Doug J. Swanson), and they have to contend with more than their fair share of grifters, rascals and scoundrels. Bell finds the oil boomtowns filled to the brim with evil schemes, and he handles them with alacrity, bravado and sheer competence in the dark arts of law enforcement.
You could argue that the action is a little bit over the top, and that would be fair, but Wortham does such a good job of describing the predicaments that Bell gets into that it would be unfair to complain. He also displays his narrative gifts in describing the cafés, hotels and remote farmhouses of the region. THE TEXAS JOB brilliantly transforms the lone wolf drifter genre into a gripping piece of historical fiction.
Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds
February 16, 2022
This is the first book I have read by this author and after reading the author's notes, apparently, Texas Ranger Tom Bell has other books that he is featured in and you could say this is like a prequel to those books.
In this book, Tom is chasing a murderer from the valley and ends up in East Texas. I don't think I realized it when I picked up the book, but since I lived for some time in Longview, I am familiar with the area even though it would have looked much different in the 1930s. I was fascinated to learn that Liberty City was previously called Hog Eye until the oil boom. I had to chuckle at the name of the town, but there are small towns all across this country with unique names.
Set during the oil boom, this book showcases human nature and that they weren't that much different than people today by scheming and deceiving landowners, killing, prejudice for those even a little different from them, gangsters and prohibition. This book gets into the nitty-gritty of life in a small shanty town and had me spellbound imaging life nearly 90 years ago. Life was not easy because there was also the depression which made some people greedy that much more as we saw from various characters.
I really like Tom Bell and how seriously he took his position as a Texas Ranger. It was not an easy job for him or anyone else, but they made it work somehow. I thought the details painted a picture for us to imagine what life was like in this area at that time. The towns exploded with oil derrick workers and I can imagine law enforcement was stretched thin trying to keep everything peaceful. It was not an easy task for anyone. Those that were of ill repute were going to wreak havoc no matter what and those scenes had my heart pounding wondering how things were going to shake out for Tom.
This is a fascinating book and one I enjoyed immensely. We give it 5 paws up.
In this book, Tom is chasing a murderer from the valley and ends up in East Texas. I don't think I realized it when I picked up the book, but since I lived for some time in Longview, I am familiar with the area even though it would have looked much different in the 1930s. I was fascinated to learn that Liberty City was previously called Hog Eye until the oil boom. I had to chuckle at the name of the town, but there are small towns all across this country with unique names.
Set during the oil boom, this book showcases human nature and that they weren't that much different than people today by scheming and deceiving landowners, killing, prejudice for those even a little different from them, gangsters and prohibition. This book gets into the nitty-gritty of life in a small shanty town and had me spellbound imaging life nearly 90 years ago. Life was not easy because there was also the depression which made some people greedy that much more as we saw from various characters.
I really like Tom Bell and how seriously he took his position as a Texas Ranger. It was not an easy job for him or anyone else, but they made it work somehow. I thought the details painted a picture for us to imagine what life was like in this area at that time. The towns exploded with oil derrick workers and I can imagine law enforcement was stretched thin trying to keep everything peaceful. It was not an easy task for anyone. Those that were of ill repute were going to wreak havoc no matter what and those scenes had my heart pounding wondering how things were going to shake out for Tom.
This is a fascinating book and one I enjoyed immensely. We give it 5 paws up.
October 5, 2021
THE TEXAS JOB follows the story of Tom Bell a Texas Ranger, who arrives in a town near huge oil field (oil boomtowns) to catch a murderer. In search of this killer, he finds truths about ruthless capitalists, corrupt officers and gangsters who take advantage of the people mostly from the Native American Tribes living in or near the boomtown so they could get rich off the liquid gold flowing underneath the soil. Now its Tom Bell, a handful of Texas Rangers versus these criminals. Honestly this is the type of historical fiction I want to read. Daring and dashing.
From the author’s note at the end I understood how much he has researched for this story! The characters in this story are framed from the real events that happened in 1930s Texas. The author has also mentioned that this book would be a treat for the fans of his Texas Red River series, because this story tells the early life of Tom Bell who is also the MC in the historical action series set in 1960s. This is my first book from author Wortham, now I’m definitely going to look into his other works, just because reading this book felt like a thrilling action movie with fast paced storyline!
Overall, the story is as rich as the history of Texas. Add to your tbr, this book,comes out next year!! Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for the arc via Netgalley.
From the author’s note at the end I understood how much he has researched for this story! The characters in this story are framed from the real events that happened in 1930s Texas. The author has also mentioned that this book would be a treat for the fans of his Texas Red River series, because this story tells the early life of Tom Bell who is also the MC in the historical action series set in 1960s. This is my first book from author Wortham, now I’m definitely going to look into his other works, just because reading this book felt like a thrilling action movie with fast paced storyline!
Overall, the story is as rich as the history of Texas. Add to your tbr, this book,comes out next year!! Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for the arc via Netgalley.
February 22, 2022
Wortham knows the genre, he knows Texas, and he damn sure knows how to tell a tale. This book is everything we’ve come to expect from one of the best in the western business. Hyper-quick pacing, memorable characters, and a story that is just as likely to be laugh-out-loud funny as it is thrilling and violent.
Tom Bell fits perfectly into the lineup of Wortham’s high-riding heroes, and hopefully this is just the start of his adventure.
5-stars and a shot of whiskey.
Tom Bell fits perfectly into the lineup of Wortham’s high-riding heroes, and hopefully this is just the start of his adventure.
5-stars and a shot of whiskey.
February 7, 2022
2/6/2022 3.5 stars rounded up. Full review tk at CriminalElement.com.
March 30, 2024
In honor of helping me meet by book ban goal he gets 4 stars for this one!! It actually was a great read, a little slow at times & very predictable. Fun to read about Texas in the ‘30s! Very detailed descriptions of guns throughout and he lost me there for sure.
February 13, 2022
An enjoyable action-centred tale, inspired by true events and people.
This novel is apparently a prequel of sorts, but I was up to now, unfamiliar with Spur-award winning Reavis Z Wortham's works and characters. Thank you to the author and Netgalley for allowing me to review this book in return for a review.
While I was at the very fast a bit uncertain about if I would enjoy this book or not, as the very start seemed a bit uncertain, as soon as the hero of this book, Texas Ranger lawman Tom Bell, started to work, everything picked up.
I love the detail and sense of setting in this story, which is held in an oil boom town in East Texas of 1931.
I've seen the giant refineries near the Sabine Pass in Texas and worried about the health of the fishermen I saw catching fish as an humongous oil derrick was towed past. (However, there is actually some evidence that fish like hanging out around oil derricks. https://www.natureworldnews.com/artic...)
This isn't a story about oil derricks, but about corrupt oilmen out to steal as much wealth as they can from the landowner-farmers when a new oil field is discovered under a couple of small towns in the Texas piney woods. (As the author notes at the back of this book, this is in fact set on top of the largest and most prolific oil reservoir in the contiguous US.) Despite all the details, the essential plot is fairly straight forward. Good guy comes to town, discovers there's more murderous scumbagging going on than he expected, and sets about setting things right, alone and with the help of friends and colleagues. There are a few twists, but no real turns. A brief romance pops up, sort of annoyed me, and then went away. It struck me as a bit unnecessary. There was one event detail with a minor bad guy that I kept expecting to return to in a certain way that never happened.
While the main point of view is told in first person from Tom Bell's viewpoint, it does shift to other characters now and then.
On occasion, I got the sense that I was being told a historic detail simply because the author had researched it, rather than because it added to the story, but I'd rather have too much detail than too little and it certainly contributed to a sense of reality within this story - I was at one point wondering if I was reading a fictionalized account of a true criminal case - and not only because I vaguely recognized one of the supporting Ranger characters as a true person in fictional disguise. I don't think I was - I believe the author drew together a number of "real happenings" and placed re-worked and re-set them, anyway it's very atmospheric and excitingly done.
There were also a few times that I felt things were being repeated unnecessarily. I read this book over a fairly short time and didn't need to be reminded of details already revealed. I also continue to think telling the reader all the details about various guns and ammunition characters are carrying is very male - and very much something you find in man adventure stories. I don't think there's anything wrong with it, obviously some people like it, it just doesn't do much for me.
I really liked the nice detail about the water spilling from shot-up pipes during the final shoot-out,
In a few places I felt like the story was suffering a bit from "bad guys can't hit the side of a barn, hero can kill two bad guys with one shot" syndrome - especially strange since presumably many of the characters would have either served in the first world war, or were hardened Al Capone's Chicago gangsters, or both (something finally acknowledged towards the end of the book) but I managed to mostly shrug that off to action-western genre convention.
I found a few typos, a few point of view mistakes, and there were a few places I wondered if the grammar was off unintentionally, or if it was a result of regionalism. One more editorial pass may have served to polish the writing just a bit further.
This book does not polish over the violence - there's a fair amount of blood splattered around and one grisly act of amputation that had me typing into my notes an "oooh nice!" in appreciation of the no nonsense villainy expressed through it.
There were a lot of fun sayings and turns of phrase. There wasn't a whole lot of humour or perhaps I wasn't quite getting the humour - I did find it was a fun book, but it didn't make me laugh at any time. Sometimes I wasn't sure if a line was meant to be funny or not. Sometimes I'm sure it was, for example:
"What is with you Rangers and horses? You need a car here in town."
"'...this takes the cake. I've never seen three men killed at one time in a gunfight.' 'Well, you've never been down on the Rio Grande.'"
There just wasn't anything that landed on my funny bone hard enough to get me to laugh, I'm sorry to say.
Despite it's flaws, I certainly would recommend this book, particularly to those looking for an action-adventure genre story in a setting different from the 19th century American west. I give this book 3.5 stars and round it up to 4 out of five.
This novel is apparently a prequel of sorts, but I was up to now, unfamiliar with Spur-award winning Reavis Z Wortham's works and characters. Thank you to the author and Netgalley for allowing me to review this book in return for a review.
While I was at the very fast a bit uncertain about if I would enjoy this book or not, as the very start seemed a bit uncertain, as soon as the hero of this book, Texas Ranger lawman Tom Bell, started to work, everything picked up.
I love the detail and sense of setting in this story, which is held in an oil boom town in East Texas of 1931.
I've seen the giant refineries near the Sabine Pass in Texas and worried about the health of the fishermen I saw catching fish as an humongous oil derrick was towed past. (However, there is actually some evidence that fish like hanging out around oil derricks. https://www.natureworldnews.com/artic...)
This isn't a story about oil derricks, but about corrupt oilmen out to steal as much wealth as they can from the landowner-farmers when a new oil field is discovered under a couple of small towns in the Texas piney woods. (As the author notes at the back of this book, this is in fact set on top of the largest and most prolific oil reservoir in the contiguous US.) Despite all the details, the essential plot is fairly straight forward. Good guy comes to town, discovers there's more murderous scumbagging going on than he expected, and sets about setting things right, alone and with the help of friends and colleagues. There are a few twists, but no real turns. A brief romance pops up, sort of annoyed me, and then went away. It struck me as a bit unnecessary. There was one event detail with a minor bad guy that I kept expecting to return to in a certain way that never happened.
While the main point of view is told in first person from Tom Bell's viewpoint, it does shift to other characters now and then.
On occasion, I got the sense that I was being told a historic detail simply because the author had researched it, rather than because it added to the story, but I'd rather have too much detail than too little and it certainly contributed to a sense of reality within this story - I was at one point wondering if I was reading a fictionalized account of a true criminal case - and not only because I vaguely recognized one of the supporting Ranger characters as a true person in fictional disguise. I don't think I was - I believe the author drew together a number of "real happenings" and placed re-worked and re-set them, anyway it's very atmospheric and excitingly done.
There were also a few times that I felt things were being repeated unnecessarily. I read this book over a fairly short time and didn't need to be reminded of details already revealed. I also continue to think telling the reader all the details about various guns and ammunition characters are carrying is very male - and very much something you find in man adventure stories. I don't think there's anything wrong with it, obviously some people like it, it just doesn't do much for me.
I really liked the nice detail about the water spilling from shot-up pipes during the final shoot-out,
In a few places I felt like the story was suffering a bit from "bad guys can't hit the side of a barn, hero can kill two bad guys with one shot" syndrome - especially strange since presumably many of the characters would have either served in the first world war, or were hardened Al Capone's Chicago gangsters, or both (something finally acknowledged towards the end of the book) but I managed to mostly shrug that off to action-western genre convention.
I found a few typos, a few point of view mistakes, and there were a few places I wondered if the grammar was off unintentionally, or if it was a result of regionalism. One more editorial pass may have served to polish the writing just a bit further.
This book does not polish over the violence - there's a fair amount of blood splattered around and one grisly act of amputation that had me typing into my notes an "oooh nice!" in appreciation of the no nonsense villainy expressed through it.
There were a lot of fun sayings and turns of phrase. There wasn't a whole lot of humour or perhaps I wasn't quite getting the humour - I did find it was a fun book, but it didn't make me laugh at any time. Sometimes I wasn't sure if a line was meant to be funny or not. Sometimes I'm sure it was, for example:
"What is with you Rangers and horses? You need a car here in town."
"'...this takes the cake. I've never seen three men killed at one time in a gunfight.' 'Well, you've never been down on the Rio Grande.'"
There just wasn't anything that landed on my funny bone hard enough to get me to laugh, I'm sorry to say.
Despite it's flaws, I certainly would recommend this book, particularly to those looking for an action-adventure genre story in a setting different from the 19th century American west. I give this book 3.5 stars and round it up to 4 out of five.
April 18, 2022
Texas in 1931. The Depression is making life hard for farmers and every day life. But here in the Longview area of the Piney Woods in deep East Texas things are not typical. Here there is a giant oil boom when black gold is discovered under the fields and farms. Drillers have flooded the small towns seeking money. The infrastructure can’t handle the influx of oil field workers. And it is also a perfect setup for the greedy and corrupt to swoop in to take advantage of the potential for wealth. It is the perfect set up for lawlessness. Texas Ranger Tom Bell lives in the Valley in south Texas, but he arrives in East Texas on the trail of a murderer. He hasn’t even made it into town when he encounters a young boy named Booker who tells him he has found a dead body. Tom follows the boy to the body of a woman who has been shot. And, the murderer is hiding and tries to shoot Tom and Booker. Tom latches on to Booker and pays him to be his guide and snoop. Young Booker is keen to help his new Ranger friend. When Tom gets to town to report the murdered woman to the local sheriff he is dismayed by the lackluster response. Prejudice against the dead Indian woman seems to mean her death doesn’t matter. But what Tom eventually learns is that the situation I’d much much worse than that. There are local businessmen who are marrying Indian women who own land. Then they are systematically poisoning them so that can inherit the land and drill for oil. The local bank president is also helping them by forcing foreclosures on poor farmers and grabbing that land. As heinous as that is, it is even worse when Tom learns that mafia type gangsters from Chicago are behind actually murdering farmers to get land and directing the local businessmen as they spiral deeper and deeper into murder and larceny. Tom doesn’t know about the poisonings, but he knows something is very very wrong. The murderer he is seeking has been hired by the gangsters to commit murders here and Tom is racing to catch up. Tom Bell is sort of a “Jason Bourne” type. He is a able to kill multiple men who come after him in situations where the odds are clearly against him. It makes the book read kind of like a made for TV movie with a less than realistic hero. But, that’s okay. It is action packed and interesting. Another less than realistic element of the plot is Tom falling in love in mere days. Oh well. It makes for more drama. I enjoyed the book overall.
February 3, 2022
I’m predisposed to be a big fan of historical mysteries set in unusual places or times, and The Texas Job qualifies on both counts – I’m definitely unaware of any other mysteries set in the 1930-ish early days of the East Texas oil boom! Reavis Z Wortham’s prequel (of sorts) to his Red River series is really enjoyable both for its detailed, but never boring, background, and for its Western-themed plot: a solo lawman, usually with some issues/past of his own, rides his horse into a town with problems and fixes said problems, often at considerable personal loss to himself. Although this is sort of a standard trope, there’s a reason tropes are tropes – they work. And this one in this author’s hands works really well.
As the story opens, a young Tom Bell, who appears much later as a retired Texas Ranger in the Red River books, is looking for a fugitive murderer. But he soon tumbles into much more. While he’s riding his skittish rented horse into the oil town of Pine Top, a young mixed-blood boy tumbles out of the woods and tells him there’s a dead person a mile or so off the road. With the boy’s help, Tom finds the body, but the death is dismissed by the local sheriff with the excuse that the woman is “just an Indian”. From this small beginning, things start moving. Shady characters tend to gather where there’s easy money to be had, and Pine Top is no exception. Mobsters are after the land, or rather, the oil under the land, and somehow Bell, and the young boy, and Bell’s new girlfriend, end up in the middle of it all.
The Texas Job is a thoroughly engaging blend of historical mystery and western, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes either! It’s well worth the five-stars I’m giving it. The only downside some readers might find is that the casual racism and violence can be a bit tough at times. I suspect, however, that they are representative of the time and place, and I settled for being quite glad I didn’t live there then. I also really appreciated the Author’s Note at the end, which provided additional background – and also a bit of fun insight into the author’s book-plotting methods. (If it’s that easy, though, why couldn’t I ever come up with plots when in Creative Writing class?) And finally, my thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the advance review copy.
As the story opens, a young Tom Bell, who appears much later as a retired Texas Ranger in the Red River books, is looking for a fugitive murderer. But he soon tumbles into much more. While he’s riding his skittish rented horse into the oil town of Pine Top, a young mixed-blood boy tumbles out of the woods and tells him there’s a dead person a mile or so off the road. With the boy’s help, Tom finds the body, but the death is dismissed by the local sheriff with the excuse that the woman is “just an Indian”. From this small beginning, things start moving. Shady characters tend to gather where there’s easy money to be had, and Pine Top is no exception. Mobsters are after the land, or rather, the oil under the land, and somehow Bell, and the young boy, and Bell’s new girlfriend, end up in the middle of it all.
The Texas Job is a thoroughly engaging blend of historical mystery and western, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes either! It’s well worth the five-stars I’m giving it. The only downside some readers might find is that the casual racism and violence can be a bit tough at times. I suspect, however, that they are representative of the time and place, and I settled for being quite glad I didn’t live there then. I also really appreciated the Author’s Note at the end, which provided additional background – and also a bit of fun insight into the author’s book-plotting methods. (If it’s that easy, though, why couldn’t I ever come up with plots when in Creative Writing class?) And finally, my thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the advance review copy.
November 27, 2022
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley to read and review.
THE TEXAS JOB by Reavis Z. Wortham is novel that takes place in theTexas oil boomtown years that created a situation not unlike the gold rush years that took place earlier in the west and Alaska, where the lure of easy money attracted predators who saw an opportunity to reap the rewards obtained by taking from hardworking individuals and families the money, land, and mineral rights by criminal means, and the need for investigation of the crimes by a Texas Ranger who has recently arrived in town.
Tom Bell came to town to locate a fugitive who might be in the area and benefiting from the chance to hide under an alias, and to continue his criminal activities without detection.
Soon after his arrival, Tom happens upon a body of a murdered woman and injures a hidden gunman who escapes after being shot by Tom with a small caliber bullet from a .22 rifle carried by the young man who led him to the location of the body.
Tom finds that there is criminal activity in the area that is not being investigated by local law enforcement, so in addition to his search for the criminal he’s after he starts digging into what is going on and who is directly involved with the aid of the young man he’s met upon his arrival.
While making his investigations, he also finds himself attracted to a woman who has waited on him in the local diner, and a relationship with her helps bring him out of the lonely state he’s been in since the death of his wife.
Can Tom find out who is at the top of the criminal ring that is responsible for the crimes taking place that have resulted in the murder of several locals who illegally take money, land and mineral rights by doing so, and can he do so without causing harm to himself and the few in town who are involved with him?
I really enjoyed this book as I have several others by the author that take place in Texas, most of them in more modern settings, but recommend this one to anyone interested in a novel that takes place in the depression era environment of Texas in the midst of the oil boom years.
4.5 stars.
THE TEXAS JOB by Reavis Z. Wortham is novel that takes place in theTexas oil boomtown years that created a situation not unlike the gold rush years that took place earlier in the west and Alaska, where the lure of easy money attracted predators who saw an opportunity to reap the rewards obtained by taking from hardworking individuals and families the money, land, and mineral rights by criminal means, and the need for investigation of the crimes by a Texas Ranger who has recently arrived in town.
Tom Bell came to town to locate a fugitive who might be in the area and benefiting from the chance to hide under an alias, and to continue his criminal activities without detection.
Soon after his arrival, Tom happens upon a body of a murdered woman and injures a hidden gunman who escapes after being shot by Tom with a small caliber bullet from a .22 rifle carried by the young man who led him to the location of the body.
Tom finds that there is criminal activity in the area that is not being investigated by local law enforcement, so in addition to his search for the criminal he’s after he starts digging into what is going on and who is directly involved with the aid of the young man he’s met upon his arrival.
While making his investigations, he also finds himself attracted to a woman who has waited on him in the local diner, and a relationship with her helps bring him out of the lonely state he’s been in since the death of his wife.
Can Tom find out who is at the top of the criminal ring that is responsible for the crimes taking place that have resulted in the murder of several locals who illegally take money, land and mineral rights by doing so, and can he do so without causing harm to himself and the few in town who are involved with him?
I really enjoyed this book as I have several others by the author that take place in Texas, most of them in more modern settings, but recommend this one to anyone interested in a novel that takes place in the depression era environment of Texas in the midst of the oil boom years.
4.5 stars.
June 27, 2022
Preparing for Sourcebooks' "Mystery in the Library" mystery bookclub for June, I dived into "The Texas Job." Now westerns aren't my usual reading fare but this one was great. While it's a western featuring Texas Rangers, it's also a mystery and historical fiction and it's an attention grabber.
I loved the action which included an active investigation, gunfights, and a great car chase (sadly few horses). This one is based on real events of the 1931 Oil Gushers and Oil Boom. Best of all, it's set in a part of the country I don't know at all, East Texas. There are a number of references to the 1920s oil strikes and grabs from the lands of the Osage Indians in Oklahoma as described by David Grann in
"Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI."
I admit I was sucked into the story, the writing, and the characters. It turns out this is a backstory or prequel (although it's not identified as such) for The Texas Red River Mysteries https://www.goodreads.com/series/8277... which begin with
"The Rock Hole".
Can't wait to try The Texas Red River Mysteries.
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Sourcebooks http://www.sourcebooks.com for an ARC to read and review.
I loved the action which included an active investigation, gunfights, and a great car chase (sadly few horses). This one is based on real events of the 1931 Oil Gushers and Oil Boom. Best of all, it's set in a part of the country I don't know at all, East Texas. There are a number of references to the 1920s oil strikes and grabs from the lands of the Osage Indians in Oklahoma as described by David Grann in
"Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI."I admit I was sucked into the story, the writing, and the characters. It turns out this is a backstory or prequel (although it's not identified as such) for The Texas Red River Mysteries https://www.goodreads.com/series/8277... which begin with
"The Rock Hole".Can't wait to try The Texas Red River Mysteries.
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Sourcebooks http://www.sourcebooks.com for an ARC to read and review.
October 12, 2021
This is your basic Good Guys vs. Bad Guys story. A man of strong principles stands tall against corruption and injustice. It's all on the surface with not alot of depth or nuance. Now, that doesn't mean it's not a good story (I enjoyed it) but there really isn't much in the way of grey area as far as character motivation, subplot, or any of that sort of thing.
Texas Ranger Tom Bell, seen in the Texas Red River mystery books, gets what amounts to an origin story. I've only read one of the books in that series so I can't say for certain how much this connects to the overall series (my sense is that it's more of a sidetrip than an actual addition). I believe in the one I read that Ranger Bell was more of a supporting character so I would imagine fans of the series will enjoy having him front and center with this one.
It's 1931, Bell is on the trail of a wanted man down in East Texas. Towns with names like Pine Top and Hog Eye are populated with hard working, hard living men who are out to make a living as well as greedy businessmen who are out to make a killing (literally, in some cases) in the booming oil industry. In the course of finding his fugitive Ranger Bell gets tangled up in a land grab scheme that takes him from the East Texas oilfields to the mob controlled streets of Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Though this is probably more a neo-Western than a "true" Western it fits the classic mold of the stoic lawman who comes to town and steps into a hornets nest. It's got a few good surprises with no major plot twists but there are frequent narrative asides that provide a closer look at some of the real history that inspired this story.
There are some racial slurs, violent imagery, and language that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers.
Texas Ranger Tom Bell, seen in the Texas Red River mystery books, gets what amounts to an origin story. I've only read one of the books in that series so I can't say for certain how much this connects to the overall series (my sense is that it's more of a sidetrip than an actual addition). I believe in the one I read that Ranger Bell was more of a supporting character so I would imagine fans of the series will enjoy having him front and center with this one.
It's 1931, Bell is on the trail of a wanted man down in East Texas. Towns with names like Pine Top and Hog Eye are populated with hard working, hard living men who are out to make a living as well as greedy businessmen who are out to make a killing (literally, in some cases) in the booming oil industry. In the course of finding his fugitive Ranger Bell gets tangled up in a land grab scheme that takes him from the East Texas oilfields to the mob controlled streets of Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Though this is probably more a neo-Western than a "true" Western it fits the classic mold of the stoic lawman who comes to town and steps into a hornets nest. It's got a few good surprises with no major plot twists but there are frequent narrative asides that provide a closer look at some of the real history that inspired this story.
There are some racial slurs, violent imagery, and language that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers.
February 14, 2022
The Texas Job by Reavis Z. Wortham
Set during the depression, this book has the feel of a dime novel or perhaps pulp fiction. It feels “of the time” and the time of the story is early 1930’s. Set in a booming oil town during the heyday of a new era filled with men wishing to rake in the money…oil towns seemed to have the same feel as old gold towns.
Tom Bell, Texas Ranger, is on horseback chasing a criminal when he meets eleven-year-old Booker Johnston who takes him to a female corpse. Tom and Booker become friends of sorts over the course of the book as Tom realizes that something isn’t quite right in Pine Top. An era with horses and automobiles both on the roads, good people being pushed aside by those ruthless enough to take what they want, bigotry and racial discrimination rampant, social divides prevalent, prohibition and speakeasies the norm, mafia types on the move, corrupt cops getting away with…a lot, and murder aplenty – well, this story is action-packed, filled with colorful characters, dark, and gritty.
The Texas Rangers are doing their job but it isn’t always easy. Being a good person in Pine Top might not see you alive till the end of the book…and being a bad person might have the same ending for some of the book’s characters, too.
This is a novel that will appeal to those who enjoy vintage stories with bigger than life characters, a bit of feel-good here and there, good vs evil, and a bit different flavor ovreall. It was not exactly what I thought it would be but was great for what it was meant to be…or what I think it was meant to be. I do believe I would read another book by Wortham and am glad I read this new-to-me author’s work.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poison Pen Press for the ARC – this is my honest review.
4-5 Stars
Set during the depression, this book has the feel of a dime novel or perhaps pulp fiction. It feels “of the time” and the time of the story is early 1930’s. Set in a booming oil town during the heyday of a new era filled with men wishing to rake in the money…oil towns seemed to have the same feel as old gold towns.
Tom Bell, Texas Ranger, is on horseback chasing a criminal when he meets eleven-year-old Booker Johnston who takes him to a female corpse. Tom and Booker become friends of sorts over the course of the book as Tom realizes that something isn’t quite right in Pine Top. An era with horses and automobiles both on the roads, good people being pushed aside by those ruthless enough to take what they want, bigotry and racial discrimination rampant, social divides prevalent, prohibition and speakeasies the norm, mafia types on the move, corrupt cops getting away with…a lot, and murder aplenty – well, this story is action-packed, filled with colorful characters, dark, and gritty.
The Texas Rangers are doing their job but it isn’t always easy. Being a good person in Pine Top might not see you alive till the end of the book…and being a bad person might have the same ending for some of the book’s characters, too.
This is a novel that will appeal to those who enjoy vintage stories with bigger than life characters, a bit of feel-good here and there, good vs evil, and a bit different flavor ovreall. It was not exactly what I thought it would be but was great for what it was meant to be…or what I think it was meant to be. I do believe I would read another book by Wortham and am glad I read this new-to-me author’s work.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poison Pen Press for the ARC – this is my honest review.
4-5 Stars
January 22, 2022
Read his full review on Rosepoint Publishing.
Early 20th Century east Texas was a wide-open territory and Texas Ranger Tom Bell has a very dangerous job. The mob has infiltrated the area because of quick riches from the discovery of oil. A forest of oil rigs blight the once open range and forest lands. Where money flows, greed and corruption closely follow.
The mob though has no compassion for people, their problems or their needs. They take whatever they can. Author Wortham weaves a very interesting tale of bravado and heroism against wanton killing and conniving.
The weapons and attack methodology were reminiscent of WW I war tactics. The mob sent in large groups to “take care of the problem,” Ranger Tom Bell being one of those “problems.”
Segregation was rampant in Texas at that time. The African American youth were considered slightly less valuable and African American women were considered ignorant and generally ignored. Therefore, Tom had a ready source of intelligence because the criminals gave them little consideration.
I found his tale engaging and entertaining. His writing style harkens back to western authors of old. The characters who became Texas Rangers were smart and cared for the people of east Texas.
Enjoy this tale from a gifted writer. Set aside time because you will not want to put the book down. 4.5 stars – CE Williams
We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.
Early 20th Century east Texas was a wide-open territory and Texas Ranger Tom Bell has a very dangerous job. The mob has infiltrated the area because of quick riches from the discovery of oil. A forest of oil rigs blight the once open range and forest lands. Where money flows, greed and corruption closely follow.
The mob though has no compassion for people, their problems or their needs. They take whatever they can. Author Wortham weaves a very interesting tale of bravado and heroism against wanton killing and conniving.
The weapons and attack methodology were reminiscent of WW I war tactics. The mob sent in large groups to “take care of the problem,” Ranger Tom Bell being one of those “problems.”
Segregation was rampant in Texas at that time. The African American youth were considered slightly less valuable and African American women were considered ignorant and generally ignored. Therefore, Tom had a ready source of intelligence because the criminals gave them little consideration.
I found his tale engaging and entertaining. His writing style harkens back to western authors of old. The characters who became Texas Rangers were smart and cared for the people of east Texas.
Enjoy this tale from a gifted writer. Set aside time because you will not want to put the book down. 4.5 stars – CE Williams
We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.
March 14, 2022
Dallas journalist and Spur Award-winning author Reavis Z. Wortham begins, it’s 1931. The Great Depression is in full swing and one of the greatest oil discoveries in American history has just been made in the northeast corner of the state, as a young Ranger named Tom Bell trails a vicious killer up from the Rio Grande Valley to the East Texas boomtown of Pine Top . . . which sits smack-dab atop the middle of a gigantic lake of underground crude oil. And like boomtowns everywhere, there’s honest hard-workers, some hard-drinkers, and a few hard cases, all of whom are intent on making money the easy way . . . by stealing it.
The place is so out of control and crime-laden, that Bell discovers the body of a murdered woman at the edge of town before he even gets there. He reports the crime and the ambush that followed to the local sheriff . . . a man named Dobbs, who takes down the details and tells Bell he’ll look into it “When he has time,” as he’s too busy with all the policing he’s already doing in the rapidly growing town. It’s left up to Ranger Bell alone to capture or kill the elusive fugitive and murderer named Clete Ferras, who always seems to be one jump ahead of the law. But the deeper he dives into the criminal underbelly of Pine Top, the more corruption, treachery and murder Bell finds, as he fights increasingly worse gangsters in a desperate fight for survival. Tom Bell, is an all-American, old-fashioned hero that action and adventure enthusiasts will identify with and root for to the last page of this kinetic novel. Then, they’ll be howling for more adventures of the iconic young Texas Ranger named Tom Bell!!
The place is so out of control and crime-laden, that Bell discovers the body of a murdered woman at the edge of town before he even gets there. He reports the crime and the ambush that followed to the local sheriff . . . a man named Dobbs, who takes down the details and tells Bell he’ll look into it “When he has time,” as he’s too busy with all the policing he’s already doing in the rapidly growing town. It’s left up to Ranger Bell alone to capture or kill the elusive fugitive and murderer named Clete Ferras, who always seems to be one jump ahead of the law. But the deeper he dives into the criminal underbelly of Pine Top, the more corruption, treachery and murder Bell finds, as he fights increasingly worse gangsters in a desperate fight for survival. Tom Bell, is an all-American, old-fashioned hero that action and adventure enthusiasts will identify with and root for to the last page of this kinetic novel. Then, they’ll be howling for more adventures of the iconic young Texas Ranger named Tom Bell!!
January 7, 2022
I had not read previous books by this author and was not aware that the MC had appeared in previous books, though this one takes place prior to the events in previous books and can be read as a stand alone. In 1931 Texas Ranger Tom Bell is heading to Pinetop Texas in pursuit of a fugitive murderer, just before arriving he's stopped by a young boy who tells him there's a dead body down by the river. As they are investigated someone starts shooting at them. Tom shoots back and the shooter leaves, Tom and Booker (the young boy) head into town to let the Sheriff know of the body, the Sheriff says he'll send someone out to get it. Tom insists that the victim, a young black woman, was murdered, the Sheriff doesn't seem concerned. Tom and Booker become a bit of a team, Tom calls him his Deputy and gives him small tasks to do. Tom eventually discovers that Pinetop is a dangerous place to be, not long after he had arrived, a couple of men take shots at him in his hotel, he's ambushed on a lonely road and his questions on the fugitive he's pursuing lead nowhere. Tom is a resourceful guy though, though he's outnumbered every time he's attacked, he manages to kill all the attackers and avoid serious injury. Pinetop is a boomtown, oil has been found and the oil rigs are everywhere, and corrupt people are as well, The author does an excellent job of making you feel what it was like to live in that era and the historical detail is spot on. A very good book, I would recommend. Thank you to #Netgalley and #Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.
February 10, 2022
For anyone familiar with Reavis Wortham's Red River mystery series, the name Tom Bell will be a familiar (and welcome) one. Bell is an old man in the 1960s setting of the Red River mysteries, but The Texas Job shows him as a young man in 1931 with more than a touch of Wyatt Earp-like invincibility.
Wortham aptly describes the boomtown sensibility of Texas oil fields, of everyone out to make as much money as fast as they possibly can. And where there are boatloads of fast money, there are boatloads of outlaws, from petty criminals all the way up to the gangsters of organized crime. These are the days of Pretty Boy Floyd, of Ma Barker, John Dillinger, and Bonnie and Clyde. The Texas Job gives readers shootouts and ambushes and twisted, evil plots to grab control of the rights to all that oil and money. And if all that sounds a bit far-fetched, I'd suggest a little additional reading... David Grann's Killers of the Flower Moon, for instance.
But if this sounds like too much action and not enough setting and characterization, think again. The opening scene of The Texas Job is beautiful and lyrical. Wortham paints such a vivid picture that I easily found myself on horseback riding along with Tom Bell. Yes, there is beauty to be found in this book, as well as love, kindness, greed, and ugliness.
And then there's Tom Bell. A man who has to think on his feet in order to stay alive. A man who doesn't see skin color, and as a result meets unforgettable eleven-year-old Booker Johnston, and Booker's friends and family. The bad guys in this book are the types you love to hate, and you want to see them come to bad ends, but it's Bell's interactions with the marginalized there in town that bring a smile to my face and make the story come to life.
If you're a fan of Wortham's Red River mysteries, you already know you have a treat in store for you in The Texas Job. If you haven't made the acquaintance of Tom Bell, there's no time like the present. You're not only going to like him, you're going to want more.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
Wortham aptly describes the boomtown sensibility of Texas oil fields, of everyone out to make as much money as fast as they possibly can. And where there are boatloads of fast money, there are boatloads of outlaws, from petty criminals all the way up to the gangsters of organized crime. These are the days of Pretty Boy Floyd, of Ma Barker, John Dillinger, and Bonnie and Clyde. The Texas Job gives readers shootouts and ambushes and twisted, evil plots to grab control of the rights to all that oil and money. And if all that sounds a bit far-fetched, I'd suggest a little additional reading... David Grann's Killers of the Flower Moon, for instance.
But if this sounds like too much action and not enough setting and characterization, think again. The opening scene of The Texas Job is beautiful and lyrical. Wortham paints such a vivid picture that I easily found myself on horseback riding along with Tom Bell. Yes, there is beauty to be found in this book, as well as love, kindness, greed, and ugliness.
And then there's Tom Bell. A man who has to think on his feet in order to stay alive. A man who doesn't see skin color, and as a result meets unforgettable eleven-year-old Booker Johnston, and Booker's friends and family. The bad guys in this book are the types you love to hate, and you want to see them come to bad ends, but it's Bell's interactions with the marginalized there in town that bring a smile to my face and make the story come to life.
If you're a fan of Wortham's Red River mysteries, you already know you have a treat in store for you in The Texas Job. If you haven't made the acquaintance of Tom Bell, there's no time like the present. You're not only going to like him, you're going to want more.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
November 20, 2021
A sweeping tale of corruption, greed, racism and madness set in a East Texas boomtown during the Depression, the story of an urban anthill teeming with lots of unscrupulous schemers, underhanded cheaters, bold liars and shameless drunks performing their evil deeds within a malevolent spiderweb awashed with towering oil derricks and the deafening din and nefarious fumes they never cease to produce. The main character in this magnificent novel is a winsome and rather fearless Texas Ranger on a hunt for a depraved killer and his adventures & misadventures as he painstakingly tries to destroy the ruthless network of criminal shenanigans that ensnares that urban behemoth.
The Texas job was my first encounter with the brilliant prose of Reavis Wortham. Just like Joe R. Lansdale, he is a fantastic wordsmith and he knows how to bring East Texas vividly to life. But luckily for us, he is also very talented when it comes to choreographing all the violence on paper. Just like Lansdale he knows how to hook your attention from the beginning and he never gives you any reprieve. Last but not least all the amazing characters and harsh settings that inhabit his gorgeous storytelling endows it with a vivid, almost cinematic quality. A fabulous discovery that definitely deserves to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever! Now I will start looking for other titles from this terrific writer!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen for this incredible ARC!
The Texas job was my first encounter with the brilliant prose of Reavis Wortham. Just like Joe R. Lansdale, he is a fantastic wordsmith and he knows how to bring East Texas vividly to life. But luckily for us, he is also very talented when it comes to choreographing all the violence on paper. Just like Lansdale he knows how to hook your attention from the beginning and he never gives you any reprieve. Last but not least all the amazing characters and harsh settings that inhabit his gorgeous storytelling endows it with a vivid, almost cinematic quality. A fabulous discovery that definitely deserves to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever! Now I will start looking for other titles from this terrific writer!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen for this incredible ARC!
November 2, 2024
Tom Bell is a Texas Ranger assigned to pick up a murder suspect in East Texas during the oil boom of 1931. Sleepy former farming communities have been reshaped by oil derricks dotting the landscape, hastily made structures made of sheet metal and canvas, and sagging power poles “that hadn’t been there long enough for the creosote to dry.” Ranger Bell finds a murder victim on his way into town and soon learns that fast money and chaotic conditions have attracted seedy characters and a criminal element that seeks control of the “black gold.” His courageous, go-it-alone approach to confronting crime is noticed, and big-city gangsters intent on getting into the oil action send muscle down to East Texas to take care of him. But they are up against a fierce loner who knows how to handle a gun to deal with men as “crooked as a dog’s hind leg.”
Much detail is woven into East Texas settings, and colloquialisms are plentiful. Story pacing sometimes slows between action scenes with multiple glimpses of the Ranger taking coffee breaks (a few grains of salt will “cut down the acid”) and smoothing his thick mustache (until he “caught the habit”). But once the shooting starts, Ranger Bell and the book come alive. Author Reavis Z. Wortham has penned the Red River series and is a prolific newspaper and magazine columnist.
Was this review helpful? I am an avid reader of historical fiction, and author. More of my reviews can be found at www.brodiecurtis.com
Much detail is woven into East Texas settings, and colloquialisms are plentiful. Story pacing sometimes slows between action scenes with multiple glimpses of the Ranger taking coffee breaks (a few grains of salt will “cut down the acid”) and smoothing his thick mustache (until he “caught the habit”). But once the shooting starts, Ranger Bell and the book come alive. Author Reavis Z. Wortham has penned the Red River series and is a prolific newspaper and magazine columnist.
Was this review helpful? I am an avid reader of historical fiction, and author. More of my reviews can be found at www.brodiecurtis.com
August 18, 2021
When Texas Ranger Top Bell follows a murderer from the Rio Grande Valley up to the booming oil fields of northeast Texas, he finds more trouble than he anticipated. With property values skyrocketing by the day and leases as small as a few square yards making folks in this hardscrabble region rich beyond their dreams, it's not surprising that criminals from the most petty right on up to the Chicago mob are there to prey on the natives. It's hard to know who to trust as Bell threads his way nonstop through the quagmire. Wortham, known for his mystery and thriller series set in Texas, turns his word processor to a straight historical set in a little known area and time in the area around Kilgore in the 1930s. Wortham has a particular talent for incorporating setting in his books, and this novel which is based on a number of actual events that took place in Texas and Oklahoma, is one of his best. The reader can almost feel the mud underfoot, and hear the rain on the car roof as Bell slogs his way through deceit and perfidy to return law to the honest folks of rural Texas.
July 14, 2022
This book has “Texas Ranger” Tom Bell going to East Texas looking for a killer. What he finds along the way is a town that is full of corruption as men are killing off the local Indian tribe after marrying them in order to own the rights to the oil that they own. This part of the story is very similar to the Osage Nation where owners were poisoned, there is a book about it and it is very good. Anyway, back in this book Tom Bell who is shot at a few times because he is getting close to finding out the truth is also more determined after his female friend is killed.
Even though the story takes place in Texas the author has also brought in Hot Springs Arkansas one of the hideouts for gangsters back then. The story will keep you entertained with plenty of action and suspense. There are many good characters, even the bad guys are good characters. A very good book and really entertaining and worth the read. I received this book from Netgalley.com
Even though the story takes place in Texas the author has also brought in Hot Springs Arkansas one of the hideouts for gangsters back then. The story will keep you entertained with plenty of action and suspense. There are many good characters, even the bad guys are good characters. A very good book and really entertaining and worth the read. I received this book from Netgalley.com
February 15, 2022
The texas job by Reavis z Wartham.
A Case Lee Novel Book 9.
"Texas Ranger Tom Bell is tracking a fugitive killer when he rides into Pine Top, a hastily erected shanty-town crawling with rough and desperate men-oil drillers, come by the thousands in search of work. It soon becomes apparent that the lawman's poking around has irritated the wrong people, and when two failed attempts are made on his life, Bell knows that he's getting closer to finding out who is responsible for cheating and murdering the local landowners in order to access the rich oil fields flowing beneath their farms. When they ambush him for a third time while he's out with a local woman he's fallen for, they make the deadly mistake of killing her and leaving him alive"--
A good read with ok characters. Didn't have any favourites. 3*.
A Case Lee Novel Book 9.
"Texas Ranger Tom Bell is tracking a fugitive killer when he rides into Pine Top, a hastily erected shanty-town crawling with rough and desperate men-oil drillers, come by the thousands in search of work. It soon becomes apparent that the lawman's poking around has irritated the wrong people, and when two failed attempts are made on his life, Bell knows that he's getting closer to finding out who is responsible for cheating and murdering the local landowners in order to access the rich oil fields flowing beneath their farms. When they ambush him for a third time while he's out with a local woman he's fallen for, they make the deadly mistake of killing her and leaving him alive"--
A good read with ok characters. Didn't have any favourites. 3*.
January 1, 2023
first time reading this author and I hope to read many more! this was an authentic-feeling, old Texan read set in the 1930's. this was my first gun-slinging cowboys/Texas Rangers read so I was a bit hesitant it would feel like a cartoon, but it definitely proved me wrong. this author is a wonderful writer. his research and Texas knowledge shined through.
the characters jumped off the page. I especially came to love Tom, Booker, and the side stories we get from Mallie. I also love how seamlessly we are introduced to other people in town and how some of them come to play a role in the story later on. there are quite a few characters, though, so it was tough trying to remember some aspects.
4.5 stars!
the characters jumped off the page. I especially came to love Tom, Booker, and the side stories we get from Mallie. I also love how seamlessly we are introduced to other people in town and how some of them come to play a role in the story later on. there are quite a few characters, though, so it was tough trying to remember some aspects.
4.5 stars!
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