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Garrett Kohl #1
Down Range: A Novel
In this action-packed debut thriller for fans of C. J. Box and Jack Carr, DEA agent Garrett Kohl fights to protect his home on the Texas High Plains when a vicious criminal enterprise comes after his family.
As a decorated undercover DEA special agent, Garrett Kohl has traveled the world—and fought in most of it—but it’s the High Plains of northwest Texas he calls home and dreams of returning to one day. Kohl is in the middle of an assignment in Afghanistan when his commander orders him back to Texas on a short mission expected to take a week at most. But he’s unsettled to discover that he’s moved from one kind of war to another.
The once-peaceful ranching community he loves is under attack by a band of criminals who have infiltrated law enforcement, corrupted local businesses, and is now terrorizing Kohl’s own family. Hoping to prevent bloodshed, Kohl tries to resolve matters peacefully. But when the group strikes first, he has no choice but to go on the attack.
Unfortunately for the criminal crew, besides being an elite undercover officer for the DEA, Garrett Kohl is a battle-hardened Green Beret who spent the better part of his career hunting terrorists. Although outnumbered and outgunned, Kohl knows the wild and forsaken Llano Estacado region of Texas better than anyone. And like so many trespassers before them, these murderers will find out the hard way that the only thing tougher than this land is the people who call it home.
As a decorated undercover DEA special agent, Garrett Kohl has traveled the world—and fought in most of it—but it’s the High Plains of northwest Texas he calls home and dreams of returning to one day. Kohl is in the middle of an assignment in Afghanistan when his commander orders him back to Texas on a short mission expected to take a week at most. But he’s unsettled to discover that he’s moved from one kind of war to another.
The once-peaceful ranching community he loves is under attack by a band of criminals who have infiltrated law enforcement, corrupted local businesses, and is now terrorizing Kohl’s own family. Hoping to prevent bloodshed, Kohl tries to resolve matters peacefully. But when the group strikes first, he has no choice but to go on the attack.
Unfortunately for the criminal crew, besides being an elite undercover officer for the DEA, Garrett Kohl is a battle-hardened Green Beret who spent the better part of his career hunting terrorists. Although outnumbered and outgunned, Kohl knows the wild and forsaken Llano Estacado region of Texas better than anyone. And like so many trespassers before them, these murderers will find out the hard way that the only thing tougher than this land is the people who call it home.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published August 3, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 424 reviews
August 3, 2021
4.5⭐
An impressive debut and hell to the yes! I'm stoked to know that the author was with CIA.
Down Range is an action-packed (western) thriller with former Green Baret turned DEA Special Agent Garret Kohl doing a deep-cover recon of opium trade in Afghanistan when he saw through his lens that villagers are being massacred. He blew his cover to save a ten-year-old boy Asadi. Both Kohl and Asadi were sent back to the US until the CIA could figure out who is behind the killing.
During the road trip to his dad's ranch in the High Plains of northwest Texas is where the writing shines. I enjoyed Moore's writing and how he incorporates native history (Garret Kohl is half Comanche on his mother's side) and describes the breathtaking landscapes.
Downtime at the ranch was relatively short when the Kohls got in the way of some lucrative local narco business. There's so much action in the second half of the book that I just couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Fortunately, our hero and a handful of well-thought-out characters know how to deal with these losers.
I love the writing, characters, and family unity. I want to know what happens next! There's no question, I can't wait for book 2. Highly recommend this one for action thriller fans.
Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow and Custom House for the ARC.
An impressive debut and hell to the yes! I'm stoked to know that the author was with CIA.
Down Range is an action-packed (western) thriller with former Green Baret turned DEA Special Agent Garret Kohl doing a deep-cover recon of opium trade in Afghanistan when he saw through his lens that villagers are being massacred. He blew his cover to save a ten-year-old boy Asadi. Both Kohl and Asadi were sent back to the US until the CIA could figure out who is behind the killing.
During the road trip to his dad's ranch in the High Plains of northwest Texas is where the writing shines. I enjoyed Moore's writing and how he incorporates native history (Garret Kohl is half Comanche on his mother's side) and describes the breathtaking landscapes.
Downtime at the ranch was relatively short when the Kohls got in the way of some lucrative local narco business. There's so much action in the second half of the book that I just couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Fortunately, our hero and a handful of well-thought-out characters know how to deal with these losers.
I love the writing, characters, and family unity. I want to know what happens next! There's no question, I can't wait for book 2. Highly recommend this one for action thriller fans.
Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow and Custom House for the ARC.
April 12, 2024
This is a heartfelt story of a child that is surviving against all odds. There are several groups of people taking extreme measures to influence that outcome. Asadi is torn from one world by violence to be shuffled to another country and a completely unfamiliar life. Here he is exposed to friends and enemies. He clings to one theme, Garrett will protect him.
Garrett lives the life of lies for he is undercover DEA. On his shoulders he has the life of the boy, a major drug operation, reacquaintance of old friends, the reconciliation with his brother and cantankerous father. Put all this in the mix and it makes an intense pot of action.
When the pot starts to boil everyone soon finds out you do not mess with the Kohl clan or the people they care about. Enough said without having a spoiler alert. Enjoy the ride my GR friends.
Garrett lives the life of lies for he is undercover DEA. On his shoulders he has the life of the boy, a major drug operation, reacquaintance of old friends, the reconciliation with his brother and cantankerous father. Put all this in the mix and it makes an intense pot of action.
When the pot starts to boil everyone soon finds out you do not mess with the Kohl clan or the people they care about. Enough said without having a spoiler alert. Enjoy the ride my GR friends.
July 28, 2021
What a stunning debut for this new author! A DEA Agent, Garret Kohl, ends up returning to the High Plains of Texas with a young Afghanistan boy in tow. If you thought he left the war behind, think again, as family, his lawyer brother, and a special girl all find themselves involved with a bunch of criminals that have taken over the community! Garret can Not just let things go, blood Is thicker than anything else and his family needs him. Garret is also a battle tested Green Beret, and the criminals have no idea what is coming for them!
Amazing characters that you get to know quickly, scenes straight out of the history books throughout Texas, descriptions that will have your heart beating faster as you can Not put this book down! There is a new type of thriller adventure Here right now, with a new take on the genre that you can not read fast enough!! Simply fabulous, and any who enjoy thrillers by Brad Taylor, Bradley Wright or Mark Greaney better grab this book as soon as it is published. I am so excited for the next in this series!!
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the author, who I thank for opening my eyes to a new series to love! I offer You my honest thoughts and feelings in this review.
Amazing characters that you get to know quickly, scenes straight out of the history books throughout Texas, descriptions that will have your heart beating faster as you can Not put this book down! There is a new type of thriller adventure Here right now, with a new take on the genre that you can not read fast enough!! Simply fabulous, and any who enjoy thrillers by Brad Taylor, Bradley Wright or Mark Greaney better grab this book as soon as it is published. I am so excited for the next in this series!!
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the author, who I thank for opening my eyes to a new series to love! I offer You my honest thoughts and feelings in this review.
December 16, 2020
I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy of Taylor Moore's stunning debut and was blown away. This book offers a completely new take on a crowded genre, and I can't recommned Down Range highly enough. Grab a copy for yourself and find out why!
January 26, 2024
Former Green Beret and current undercover DEA Agent Garrett Kohl witnesses a massacre in Afghanistan and rescues a young boy named Asadi. Garrett's commander wants Asadi in protective custody as a witness to corruption and assigns Garrett to take care of him. Garrettt takes the boy back to his family's ranch in the Texas Panhandle. Right back into the middle of life-threatening problems that Garrett sure won't walk away from.
I saw marketing that said fans of C.J. Box would love this book. I am one of C'J Box's biggest fans of his Joe Pickett series. Oh, goodie! Looking at the cover of this book and having read every one of C.J. Box's books, I assumed the outdoors would be prominent. No, I didn't find this book like the Joe Pickett books in that respect. But I loved it just the same. I believe a more accurate comparison would be to the series of Quinn Colson by Ace Atkins or the Peter Ash series by Nick Petrie.
This book is set in Texas. That's the first plus for me. The characters are super and I latched right on. I loved Garrett, Butch, Asadi, and Ike. The last third of the book is non-stop action. For it's heartfelt story of Asadi plus all the action in the story, it's my kind of book and I couldn't rate it less than top notch. I can already see these guys becoming my newest set of heroes.
I saw marketing that said fans of C.J. Box would love this book. I am one of C'J Box's biggest fans of his Joe Pickett series. Oh, goodie! Looking at the cover of this book and having read every one of C.J. Box's books, I assumed the outdoors would be prominent. No, I didn't find this book like the Joe Pickett books in that respect. But I loved it just the same. I believe a more accurate comparison would be to the series of Quinn Colson by Ace Atkins or the Peter Ash series by Nick Petrie.
This book is set in Texas. That's the first plus for me. The characters are super and I latched right on. I loved Garrett, Butch, Asadi, and Ike. The last third of the book is non-stop action. For it's heartfelt story of Asadi plus all the action in the story, it's my kind of book and I couldn't rate it less than top notch. I can already see these guys becoming my newest set of heroes.
August 21, 2022
It’s a pretty standard action thriller. It opens with a pretty intense firefight, then spends about half the book getting to know characters and clues about some bad guys, all set in the Texas High Plains. The setting is vivid and described as if by someone who lived his whole life there. The last third is direct confrontation with the bad guys, which is pretty exciting, especially as it takes up quite a bit of the book. While it may be formulaic, it works nicely, and the book is entertaining overall.
Language: Mild
Sexual Content: None
Violence: War violence with machine guns; massacre of village
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
*Reader’s Choice Nominee Fall 2022*
Language: Mild
Sexual Content: None
Violence: War violence with machine guns; massacre of village
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
*Reader’s Choice Nominee Fall 2022*
August 9, 2021
Loved Falling and Sleeping Bear but this is the best debut thriller of the year. Brilliant storytelling and interesting characters makes this a must read.
July 12, 2021
I'm an eclectic reader. I love a good murder mystery and thrillers and science fiction are a staple in my reading pile. What I don't usually read are government agency type books. I made an exception with this book because it sounded so interesting and the with the author's background as a former CIA intelligence agent, I knew it would be realistic. I'm glad I made the exception. Not only is the story riveting, the characters--both good guys and bad guys--were so well done I was drawn into this character-driven action thriller.
Garrett Kohl is an undercover DEA agent in Afghanistan when he witnesses a village being wiped out. He rescues the sole survivor, a ten-year old boy named Asadi and in doing so, he unwittingly becomes his protector as well. Needing the child to eventually testify against the killers, the CIA deems it best to keep him safe in the United States. Kohl steps up and offers to take him home to Texas with him. What better place for a person to disappear than in the wilds of the Texas Panhandle. No sooner have Garrett and Asadi arrived, than Garrett becomes involved in breaking up a drug smuggling ring stretching all the way to Mexico. The more he learns, the more he realizes that there is a target on his back and he needs to find a way to breakup the drug operation while still keeping Asadi safe.
This is an excellent action adventure book. It is well written and while it did drag a bit in the middle when there was a lot of male bonding going on, the last quarter kept me turning pages as the bullets flew.I highly recommend this book that brings a strong sense of place with great characters to root for and against.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow publishers for this ARC. The publication date is August 3, 2021.
Garrett Kohl is an undercover DEA agent in Afghanistan when he witnesses a village being wiped out. He rescues the sole survivor, a ten-year old boy named Asadi and in doing so, he unwittingly becomes his protector as well. Needing the child to eventually testify against the killers, the CIA deems it best to keep him safe in the United States. Kohl steps up and offers to take him home to Texas with him. What better place for a person to disappear than in the wilds of the Texas Panhandle. No sooner have Garrett and Asadi arrived, than Garrett becomes involved in breaking up a drug smuggling ring stretching all the way to Mexico. The more he learns, the more he realizes that there is a target on his back and he needs to find a way to breakup the drug operation while still keeping Asadi safe.
This is an excellent action adventure book. It is well written and while it did drag a bit in the middle when there was a lot of male bonding going on, the last quarter kept me turning pages as the bullets flew.I highly recommend this book that brings a strong sense of place with great characters to root for and against.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow publishers for this ARC. The publication date is August 3, 2021.
July 28, 2021
What a stunning debut for this new author! A DEA agent, Garret Kohl, ends up returning to the High Plains of Texas with a young Afghanistan boy in tow. If you thought he left the war behind, think again, as family, his lawyer brother, and a special girl all find themselves involved with a bunch of criminals that have taken over the community! Garret can Not just let things go, blood Is thicker than anything else and his family needs him. Garret is also a battle tested Green Beret, and the criminals have no idea what is coming for them!
Amazing characters that you get to know quickly, scenes straight out of the history books throughout Texas, descriptions that will have your heart beating faster as you can Not put this book down! There is a new type of thriller adventure here right now, with a new take on the genre that you can not read fast enough!! Simply fabulous, and any who enjoy thrillers by Brad Taylor, Bradley Wright, or Mark Greaney better grab this book as soon as it is published!! I am so excited for the next in this series!!
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the author who I thank for opening my eyes to a new series to love, and I offer you my honest thoughts and feelings in this review.
Amazing characters that you get to know quickly, scenes straight out of the history books throughout Texas, descriptions that will have your heart beating faster as you can Not put this book down! There is a new type of thriller adventure here right now, with a new take on the genre that you can not read fast enough!! Simply fabulous, and any who enjoy thrillers by Brad Taylor, Bradley Wright, or Mark Greaney better grab this book as soon as it is published!! I am so excited for the next in this series!!
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the author who I thank for opening my eyes to a new series to love, and I offer you my honest thoughts and feelings in this review.
October 7, 2022
**Thanks to Goodreads and William Morrow for providing me with this copy**
Hard to believe this is a debut novel! Well written and kept me entertained from start to finish!! Going to be a great new series👍🏻
Hard to believe this is a debut novel! Well written and kept me entertained from start to finish!! Going to be a great new series👍🏻
November 20, 2022
This book had it all in spades. It was full of soldiering, action, protecting loved ones, family feuds and misunderstandings, making amends, doing the right thing, a bit of romance, bad guys, and bittersweet hope. That Afghan boy trying to comfort a hard ass CIA agent feeling some emotion over him was a tearjerker. When someone can describe battles and still show some tenderness, you know you have found a storyteller! Highly recommend this book.
December 31, 2021
Down Range by Taylor Moore is one of the most action packed books this year. We get to follow Garrett Kohl a DEA agent first in Afghanistan on a mission that takes an unexpected turn that leads to him going home to Texas. Then we follow him when he is confronted with the changes that has happened during the years his been away. As a sucker for small town stories and westerns this is a modern take on it all and I find the writing excellent and I am looking forward to the next book in this new series.
August 31, 2021
DEA Agent Garrett Kohl is not only a former Green Beret but an undercover agent working in Afghanistan when he sees an entire village gunned down by Taliban terrorists. Kohl can do nothing because he's not supposed to be in the country but when a young boy flees for his life, the only survivor, Kohl also can't let him be killed. He rescues him, returns with him to America, and then must protect him until the American government can build a case and the boy can testify to the atrocities committed, as the only surviving witness. The safest place he can imagine is his small Texas hometown. When he gets home, he finds out his brother is in trouble with the cartels in Mexico, his father is still angry with him, and trouble has a way of finding him.
This is an excellent first book by Taylor Moore. It’s as much character driven as a thriller with lots of time well spent on getting to know the characters. It reads like the first of a series though I have no evidence of that. Some great lines:
"What you really want to know is if you’re walking into a fight with a Ka-bar, when you should’ve brought your Howitzer.”
"“This your flavor?” It couldn’t have been more than nine-thirty, but Garrett knew never to turn down a drink when the bartender was buying. “Cold is my flavor.”
At its core, this is a story of loving family, dying for them. If you like that sort of loyalty, you will enjoy this book.
This is an excellent first book by Taylor Moore. It’s as much character driven as a thriller with lots of time well spent on getting to know the characters. It reads like the first of a series though I have no evidence of that. Some great lines:
"What you really want to know is if you’re walking into a fight with a Ka-bar, when you should’ve brought your Howitzer.”
"“This your flavor?” It couldn’t have been more than nine-thirty, but Garrett knew never to turn down a drink when the bartender was buying. “Cold is my flavor.”
At its core, this is a story of loving family, dying for them. If you like that sort of loyalty, you will enjoy this book.
September 6, 2021
Taylor Moore's DOWN RANGE is one of the best books of the year. Definitely, it's among the finest by any debut author. DOWN RANGE is a nicely woven modern-day Western tale, told with a military and SpecOps edge. But, more than that, it's a book that explores the meaning of family, and the connection shared by brothers in a complicated world. This is a story with heart.
The characters are real and 3D, the plot intricate and authentic, the Texas landscape beautifully rendered in prose as well-crafted as any that Elmore Leonard or Larry McMurtry could have written. I couldn't put it down until I was through.
I am looking forward to reading more from Taylor Moore!
The characters are real and 3D, the plot intricate and authentic, the Texas landscape beautifully rendered in prose as well-crafted as any that Elmore Leonard or Larry McMurtry could have written. I couldn't put it down until I was through.
I am looking forward to reading more from Taylor Moore!
April 25, 2021
READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books
Down Range is going to be a big hit with thriller fans. It’s a contemporary, character-driven thriller with a down to earth middle America feel. It’ll appeal to readers who crave detailed action sequences as well as those who prefer character and plot development.
Make sure to check out the full review
Down Range is going to be a big hit with thriller fans. It’s a contemporary, character-driven thriller with a down to earth middle America feel. It’ll appeal to readers who crave detailed action sequences as well as those who prefer character and plot development.
Make sure to check out the full review
August 28, 2023
I like to give chances to debut writers, new names but...this one held me 21 precent. Just got bored. Same same same - i start to get tored with another CIA guy, another DEA guy. All of them sart to look the same. And when the writin is shallow than....to the next thriller.
August 17, 2024
Weak character development and poor plotting. More than just a bit far-fetched.
August 8, 2021
It is always a treat to jump on board a new series at the beginning, especially one that sets up expectations and fulfills them right out of the gate. DOWN RANGE, which introduces DEA special agent Garrett Kohl, does just that.
Author Taylor Moore is a former CIA intelligence officer and a sixth-generation Texan. DOWN RANGE is shot through with his knowledge of the Texas High Plains, spycraft and weaponry. Following a prologue that foreshadows what is to come, we meet Kohl, who is on a joint assignment with the CIA in Afghanistan. He witnesses the massacre of a village and violates protocol when he steps in to save the life of a young Afghan boy named Asadi. Instead of being disciplined, Kohl is tasked with keeping Asadi in protective custody so that he can provide testimony about the murders he witnessed. All he has to do is take Asadi back to the family home at the base of the Caprock Escarpment in the High Plains of the Texas Panhandle. The assignment is not as easy as it sounds.
Kohl’s father, who is not the welcoming sort (though for good reason), is the only person who knows that his son is a DEA agent and not the oil roughneck he pretends to be as a cover. Kohl is also estranged from his brother, an attorney who represents a powerful oil company in the area. In short order, he learns that his brother is in serious trouble with some dangerous individuals engaging in criminal activities. Asadi might have been safer back in Afghanistan, but Kohl has a few aces up his sleeve, including his own formidable skill set and the best thing of all: loyal friends. What develops is a wild, violent and unpredictable ride with a high body count that keeps us guessing almost to the very end.
As might be expected with the inaugural episode of a new series, Moore takes a bit of time and space in setting up the dominoes of his story and gearing things up. There are a number of interesting supporting characters, familial and otherwise, who jockey for position throughout the book. The primary backdrop is also quite an expanse, geographically and historically; given Kohl’s ties to the area, Moore can be forgiven for the occasional explanations and descriptions that almost derail the narrative.
That said, there is no denying that Moore possesses all of the necessary chops to keep a thriller fan reading through the night. The final third of the book, where the various gears of the story mesh thoroughly, provides a heart-in-the-mouth experience that makes it impossible for a reader to press pause.
DOWN RANGE is complete in and of itself but sets up enough possibilities for stories in the future that this series is bound to run for many years. That would be a very good thing.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Author Taylor Moore is a former CIA intelligence officer and a sixth-generation Texan. DOWN RANGE is shot through with his knowledge of the Texas High Plains, spycraft and weaponry. Following a prologue that foreshadows what is to come, we meet Kohl, who is on a joint assignment with the CIA in Afghanistan. He witnesses the massacre of a village and violates protocol when he steps in to save the life of a young Afghan boy named Asadi. Instead of being disciplined, Kohl is tasked with keeping Asadi in protective custody so that he can provide testimony about the murders he witnessed. All he has to do is take Asadi back to the family home at the base of the Caprock Escarpment in the High Plains of the Texas Panhandle. The assignment is not as easy as it sounds.
Kohl’s father, who is not the welcoming sort (though for good reason), is the only person who knows that his son is a DEA agent and not the oil roughneck he pretends to be as a cover. Kohl is also estranged from his brother, an attorney who represents a powerful oil company in the area. In short order, he learns that his brother is in serious trouble with some dangerous individuals engaging in criminal activities. Asadi might have been safer back in Afghanistan, but Kohl has a few aces up his sleeve, including his own formidable skill set and the best thing of all: loyal friends. What develops is a wild, violent and unpredictable ride with a high body count that keeps us guessing almost to the very end.
As might be expected with the inaugural episode of a new series, Moore takes a bit of time and space in setting up the dominoes of his story and gearing things up. There are a number of interesting supporting characters, familial and otherwise, who jockey for position throughout the book. The primary backdrop is also quite an expanse, geographically and historically; given Kohl’s ties to the area, Moore can be forgiven for the occasional explanations and descriptions that almost derail the narrative.
That said, there is no denying that Moore possesses all of the necessary chops to keep a thriller fan reading through the night. The final third of the book, where the various gears of the story mesh thoroughly, provides a heart-in-the-mouth experience that makes it impossible for a reader to press pause.
DOWN RANGE is complete in and of itself but sets up enough possibilities for stories in the future that this series is bound to run for many years. That would be a very good thing.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
August 8, 2022
Book Review - “Down Range” by new Author Taylor Moore is an authentic military-intelligence-law enforcement-modern day Western that you don’t want to miss! It’s an ‘outstanding’ story of former Army Green Beret turned DEA special agent, Garrett Kohl, who inadvertently saves a 10-year-old Afghan boy during a covert counternarcotics/counterterrorist assignment in Afghanistan. The Afghan boy, the only survivor of a small village massacre by the Taliban is placed into Kohl’s protective custody until he can testify before the Tribunal regarding the mass murders. After arriving home in Texas, the story becomes somewhat of an odd “Rob Zombie meets Mowgli from ‘The Jungle Book’ kind of tale.” Kohl is troubled to discover that he’s moving from one kind of war to another once he finds his peaceful Texas ranch home under attack by local criminals and a vicious Mexican drug cartel. Hoping to prevent conflict and chaos, Kohl tries to resolve matters peacefully, but when the offenders attack his family, ‘all hell breaks loose’ and Kohl has no other choice but to go on the attack. He is forced to fight to protect his family’s ranch, his family members, and the local community. Taylor Moore’s masterful storytelling interlaces heroic and flawed characters, vivid Texas Panhandle settings, and the horrors of violet confrontation into a powerful message of family, courage, and justice. The narrative pulls at the readers’ heartstrings and brings every word of the story to life. Extremely well written and thoroughly thought-out storyline, Moore even added enough dysfunction to the Kohl family and the other characters to keep the story plot smooth and the action plentiful. This was no typical “shoot-em-up” story. It is a splendid and gallant tale! Unfortunately for the criminals, Garrett Kohl, besides being an elite undercover DEA agent, is also a battle-hardened Green Beret who knows unconventional warfare, direct action defense, and how to ride horses and shoot. These killers found out the hard way that the only thing tougher than tough Texas land is the people who call it home! I enjoyed Down Range…immensely! It’s a great debut by Taylor Moore!
August 10, 2021
This is the author's first book and the first in a planned series. Garret Kohl is a former Special Forces soldier working for the DEA in Afghanistan. He disregards orders to save a young boy fleeing from a massacre, then takes the boy to his home in the Texas panhandle to keep him safe so the boy can testify against his attackers. However, Garrett arrives to find that his brother has come into the sights of a group of oil workers that are trafficking in drugs across their father's property. Their family will have to work together to set aside family differences to protect each other against a greedy oil tycoon and his drug cartel cohorts. I really loved this novel because of its variety of colorful characters. Asadi, the young boy from Afghanistan was my favorite, especially with the way the author showed his viewpoint on what was going on. Asadi of course, barely speaks any English and knows little of the area where he is, but stubbornly pushes on through his troubles. This was an interesting combination of a modern war story and western.
August 27, 2021
I’m just blown away!!!!
When I saw that fans of C.J. Box would love Taylor Moore’s intense thriller, I was intrigued.
Taylor Moore did not disappoint.
This book is so rich, so well written, that I’m going to have to purchase the audiobook for my husband.
Mr. Moore’s characterization, detail of the Texas High Plains, and dry humor, makes this a keeper to read, again & again.
Mr. Moore truly captured Canadian, Texas and the Texas Panhandle area, with precise accuracy.
All the characters in this book embedded their personalities into my heart and soul.
The intense plot is phenomenal, truly
authentic, and nail-biting.
It would be an amazing thriller on the silver screen.
I highly, highly recommend this book to everyone who loves, modern westerns, covert thrillers, and down home good guys taking charge, when evil invades their backyard.
Congrats Mr. Moore on such an amazing debut novel.
I’m excited knowing Garrett Kohl will be returning in the near future.
When I saw that fans of C.J. Box would love Taylor Moore’s intense thriller, I was intrigued.
Taylor Moore did not disappoint.
This book is so rich, so well written, that I’m going to have to purchase the audiobook for my husband.
Mr. Moore’s characterization, detail of the Texas High Plains, and dry humor, makes this a keeper to read, again & again.
Mr. Moore truly captured Canadian, Texas and the Texas Panhandle area, with precise accuracy.
All the characters in this book embedded their personalities into my heart and soul.
The intense plot is phenomenal, truly
authentic, and nail-biting.
It would be an amazing thriller on the silver screen.
I highly, highly recommend this book to everyone who loves, modern westerns, covert thrillers, and down home good guys taking charge, when evil invades their backyard.
Congrats Mr. Moore on such an amazing debut novel.
I’m excited knowing Garrett Kohl will be returning in the near future.
April 18, 2021
Garret Kohl is a special forces army hero turned undercover DEA agent. But, most of all he is a Texas cowboy with a big heart who will fight for the underdog and his family even if he must stretch the law and risk not only his career but also his life. When Garrett blew his cover in Kabul and killed the insurgents who massacred an entire village, the CIA used this as leverage to force Garrett to take custody of the 10-year-old Afghan boy, Asadi, who Garrett had saved. The boy witnessed the massacre and was needed to testify but he needed to be kept safe and out of sight until the CIA and Afghan government could get things together for a trial. What happens when Garrett and Asadi end up back in Texas is like a Jack Reacher novel on steroids. White knuckle non-stop action from one of the newest heroes to grace the covers of a book.
September 14, 2021
A tremendous debut novel by a former CIA analyst. Starts in Afghanistan where the protagonist is observing a group of tangos he suspects are moving drugs to finance terrorism.
He sees them wiping out a group of villagers and ends up rescuing a 10 year old boy. As the Americans are not supposed to be in the area where he saw it, his superior assigns him to protect the boy and they head to his home in Texas.
Once there they get caught up in family drama which ends up being so much more.
You would never know that it's Moore's first novel as it's crisp, flowing steadily and well thought out and researched.
He sees them wiping out a group of villagers and ends up rescuing a 10 year old boy. As the Americans are not supposed to be in the area where he saw it, his superior assigns him to protect the boy and they head to his home in Texas.
Once there they get caught up in family drama which ends up being so much more.
You would never know that it's Moore's first novel as it's crisp, flowing steadily and well thought out and researched.
August 20, 2021
The start of what could be a promising thriller series, one that generally avoids the usual excesses of the genre. A modern day Western that's closer to Elmore Leonard or Larry McMurtry than a wish fulfillment comic book. Looking forward to the next installment.
February 9, 2025
Needed something completely mind numbing and found this in the airport lmao
March 24, 2025
Garrett Kohl is as rough and rugged as the land he grew up on in the Texas Panhandle. He’s as comfortable on the back of a horse as he is behind the wheel of a vehicle. He served in the military special forces and now works closely with the CIA as a DEA undercover agent. The story begins with immediate action and tension as Garrett is on a surveillance mission in Afghanistan. He knows he’s past the allowed U.S. perimeter but when he witnesses marauders massacre an entire village, except for one small boy, he cannot idly sit by. He doesn’t stop until they all pay for murdering the innocent people. With the boy in tow, he returns to headquarters to take his punishment for interfering.
Only the punishment he receives is nothing like what he imagined. He is ordered to take the boy with him and return to Texas, to keep him safe for future testimony against the terrorists.
Here’s where the story shifts and Garrett’s family dynamics come into play. His mother is deceased. His father is a grizzled old rancher with more grit than John Wayne. He has one brother, Bridger, a prominent attorney in the small town of Canadian. Bridger is married and has two twin daughters. I was prepared to dislike Garrett’s father for his rough ways and spiteful comments, but this author made me love him. The old man takes the young Afghan boy under his wing and teaches him the ways of the ranch. The story’s pace cools down to a slow burn while building toward the climax.
While Garrett thinks he’s escaped the tense and deadly world of high-stakes drug dealing, instead he’s walked right into the most deadly fight of all and it involves his entire family. The Garza drug cartel is deeply embedded in the panhandle working through a local oil company to move the products.
When Garrett’s brother, Bridger is forced to represent Mescalero Oil, drawing up bogus contracts and representing two of the oil company’s goons who get caught with drugs, he plays a game of Russian roulette with his family as the bargaining chips. The brothers join forces, letting their bygone differences be bygones. They won’t rest until the family is safe again as well as the Afghan boy, Asadi.
The non-stop action, the authenticity of the setting, the weapons, the military tactics, and the characters are compelling and unforgettable. This author managed to combine high-tension thriller drama with family dynamics in such a way that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. All of the tertiary characters are multi-dimensional and each with their own story. If I had to offer any critique of the story, it would be that Garrett thought about and talked about how much he loved and missed his nieces and sister-in-law, and yet he never made an effort to go see them until they were under the cartel’s thumb, so I think a thread got dropped.
This is a story we will be seeing on the big screen. It’s that good! I highly recommend it.
Only the punishment he receives is nothing like what he imagined. He is ordered to take the boy with him and return to Texas, to keep him safe for future testimony against the terrorists.
Here’s where the story shifts and Garrett’s family dynamics come into play. His mother is deceased. His father is a grizzled old rancher with more grit than John Wayne. He has one brother, Bridger, a prominent attorney in the small town of Canadian. Bridger is married and has two twin daughters. I was prepared to dislike Garrett’s father for his rough ways and spiteful comments, but this author made me love him. The old man takes the young Afghan boy under his wing and teaches him the ways of the ranch. The story’s pace cools down to a slow burn while building toward the climax.
While Garrett thinks he’s escaped the tense and deadly world of high-stakes drug dealing, instead he’s walked right into the most deadly fight of all and it involves his entire family. The Garza drug cartel is deeply embedded in the panhandle working through a local oil company to move the products.
When Garrett’s brother, Bridger is forced to represent Mescalero Oil, drawing up bogus contracts and representing two of the oil company’s goons who get caught with drugs, he plays a game of Russian roulette with his family as the bargaining chips. The brothers join forces, letting their bygone differences be bygones. They won’t rest until the family is safe again as well as the Afghan boy, Asadi.
The non-stop action, the authenticity of the setting, the weapons, the military tactics, and the characters are compelling and unforgettable. This author managed to combine high-tension thriller drama with family dynamics in such a way that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. All of the tertiary characters are multi-dimensional and each with their own story. If I had to offer any critique of the story, it would be that Garrett thought about and talked about how much he loved and missed his nieces and sister-in-law, and yet he never made an effort to go see them until they were under the cartel’s thumb, so I think a thread got dropped.
This is a story we will be seeing on the big screen. It’s that good! I highly recommend it.
October 24, 2021
It is hard to believe that this is Taylor Moore's debut thriller novel. Moore has written "Down Range' so masterfully that one might think he's written thriller novels for years.
Having lived in both Hereford, Texas and Amarillo, Texas, as a youth, the descriptive way that Moore has written about Canadian, Texas and the Texas Panhandle drew me right in. He was spot on in his in depth descriptions of the area.
The detail and depth that Moore puts into this book about weapons, helicopters, war, narcotics and military maneuvers peaked my curiosity and I wasn't surprised to see that he has CIA, DOD and counternarcotics experience. I didn't think an author could write with such passion and descriptiveness without having lived in this world himself.
If your a CJ Box fan, a lover of thriller and suspense, you'll love this book. 'Down Range' is full of action, adventure, and suspense. It's a page turner and when your about to the half way mark you won't want to put it down, you'll have to see what is going to happening next.
DEA special agent, Garrett Kohl, returns home to the Texas High Plains with special cargo, an Aphgani boy, Asadi, that is in his protective custody. Garrett felt Asadi would be safer in remote Texas than in any safe house anywhere. Little did he know that he was going home to find his brother Bridger, a lawyer, had gotten himself in deep trouble with clients that are involved with the drug trade. Garrett's father, Butch, is the only person that knows Garrett is a DEA agent. Everyone else thinks Garrett has been working in the oil industry since returning home from the war. The entire Kohl family and Asadi are all in more danger than Garrett could have ever dreamed possible.
A must read, a book I'm so happy I was gifted. I fell in love with the characters, especially Asadi.
This book is going on my shelf to be enjoyed again in the future. I might even need to send it to the author to autograph for me. Moore is destined to be an awarding winning novelist along side some of the greatest thriller writers out there. I'll be keeping my eye out for what Taylor Moore writes in the future.
Having lived in both Hereford, Texas and Amarillo, Texas, as a youth, the descriptive way that Moore has written about Canadian, Texas and the Texas Panhandle drew me right in. He was spot on in his in depth descriptions of the area.
The detail and depth that Moore puts into this book about weapons, helicopters, war, narcotics and military maneuvers peaked my curiosity and I wasn't surprised to see that he has CIA, DOD and counternarcotics experience. I didn't think an author could write with such passion and descriptiveness without having lived in this world himself.
If your a CJ Box fan, a lover of thriller and suspense, you'll love this book. 'Down Range' is full of action, adventure, and suspense. It's a page turner and when your about to the half way mark you won't want to put it down, you'll have to see what is going to happening next.
DEA special agent, Garrett Kohl, returns home to the Texas High Plains with special cargo, an Aphgani boy, Asadi, that is in his protective custody. Garrett felt Asadi would be safer in remote Texas than in any safe house anywhere. Little did he know that he was going home to find his brother Bridger, a lawyer, had gotten himself in deep trouble with clients that are involved with the drug trade. Garrett's father, Butch, is the only person that knows Garrett is a DEA agent. Everyone else thinks Garrett has been working in the oil industry since returning home from the war. The entire Kohl family and Asadi are all in more danger than Garrett could have ever dreamed possible.
A must read, a book I'm so happy I was gifted. I fell in love with the characters, especially Asadi.
This book is going on my shelf to be enjoyed again in the future. I might even need to send it to the author to autograph for me. Moore is destined to be an awarding winning novelist along side some of the greatest thriller writers out there. I'll be keeping my eye out for what Taylor Moore writes in the future.
May 8, 2021
This novel is CJ Box mixed with Cormac McCarthy, with a story bookended by action sequences that will make the best military thriller writers jealous.
Moore has done for the Texas High plains what Box and Craig Johnson did for Wyoming and Montana: Drop readers in the landscape and make them want to ride a quarter horse across the countryside.
But what truly sets this novel apart is the story's beating heart, which will make you want to live with the Kohls on their homestead for generations.
Moore has done for the Texas High plains what Box and Craig Johnson did for Wyoming and Montana: Drop readers in the landscape and make them want to ride a quarter horse across the countryside.
But what truly sets this novel apart is the story's beating heart, which will make you want to live with the Kohls on their homestead for generations.
June 7, 2022
A two in the kindest sense. Clearly written and easy to read. Just a little heavy handed on the tropes of the genre, aka were trying to make a 90's action movie but to update it we moved the intro to Afghanistan and gave our protagonist tattoos. Author often has a Clancy-esque technical heavy writing style that I've never been particularly fond of. Think Longmire does Texas, but without the easy wit and affability.
June 13, 2021
The author has written an interesting combination of CIA thriller/western story about a CIA man who is forced to hide out in his family ranch while protecting a 10-year-old Afghan boy from those who want him dead.
Action is well-paced, characters sympathetic and well-drawn. A good story. I would have liked to see the relationship between Garrett and Asadi developed a little more.
Action is well-paced, characters sympathetic and well-drawn. A good story. I would have liked to see the relationship between Garrett and Asadi developed a little more.
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