What do you think?
Rate this book
Amarillo
In the Texas Panhandle town of Amarillo, New York attorney Max Friedman is assigned to represent a nightmare client. Joe Wagner is a violent man, dangerous both to family and friends. As Max builds his defense case for murder, he reveals a reason for Joe's violence. But is it a justification? The characters whom Max meets during the course of his investigation include Smith Dixon, a career criminal trying to change the course of his life; Carl Puente, a gambler desperate for a big score; Carl's brother-in-law Freddie Odom, a family man drowning in alcoholism; legendary police detective Champ Phillips; Angel, a pool hall owner who both frightens and attracts Max; and Bailey, a wolf-dog hybrid who is the bouncer at the pool hall.
341 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 15, 2009
41 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 12, 2014
This is a difficult book to write a review about. I really did like the story and thought it was well written. However, it had to be one of the slowest books I've ever read. Especially at the beginning it plods along at a snail's pace. Twice in the first 125 pages I almost zapped it out of my Kindle. But I stuck through it. When the book finally gets to a real crime it really does get pretty good. Max the Jewish lawyer chased out of NYC lands in Amarillo thanks to a sand storm killing his miserable car. Phoenix was his destination, now he's just stuck with Amarillo. Four other characters, Carl, Joe, Freddy, and Smith decide to rob the very local supermarket. At "Bailey's", which is the local pool hall & bar, the plan for the crime is hashed out. "Bailey's" is owned by Angela, and Bailey is her dog. He's more wolf than dog, but he's a monster. After the supermarket crime comes off without a hitch. Money really corrupts the bandits. One bandit is overcome by guilt. Of course he ends up dead, and buried in a shallow grave. The grave being in an old and falling down drive- in movie theater. Max being one of the local PD's ends up representing one of the bandits. Max and Angela have meanwhile blossomed into a very deep relationship. It takes a while to get this one rolling down the highway at top speed. But I'm glad I stuck it out. I enjoyed the characters and the craziness of Texas immensely. The plot itself was actually crafted pretty well. After the big trial the remaining bandits go off to account for their crime. Again the book threw me for a loop. It didn't end ! It kept going and going ! Far far too long. All in all I'm giving "Amarillo" 3 stars out of a possible 5. I'm being generous since it's December. But seriously, it's a pretty good read if you can get past the first 125 pages, and then skip the last couple chapters.
February 6, 2013
I really liked this book. The characters were realistic. This book definitely held my attention. I did not find it terribly predictable. The only complaint I have is the end sort of seemed as if the author was just tired of writing & just wanted to finish it up. In the latter parts of the book were unnecessary, highly descriptive sexual encounters. That seemed just thrown in.
Overall a good read.
Overall a good read.
March 7, 2013
I really enjoyed Amarillo by Bill Durham. The description seemed so real that I would probably recognize the town if I went there. The characters were interesting and the story kept me turning the page.
March 5, 2019
It Doesn’t Get Better Than This
This book was a constant non stop read. It is the kind of read that keeps your interest and involvement till the end. I chose a five star rating because the effort to write it makes the words more real with each page you turn.
This book was a constant non stop read. It is the kind of read that keeps your interest and involvement till the end. I chose a five star rating because the effort to write it makes the words more real with each page you turn.
June 10, 2017
I did not finish book to utterly foul language. I cannot tolerate using the Lord's name in vain. There may be a good story in there, but I cannot force myself to continue reading.
December 24, 2018
Great storyteller
Enjoyed this book very much. The author really captures the essence of the Texas Panhandle. Would love another novel by him.
Enjoyed this book very much. The author really captures the essence of the Texas Panhandle. Would love another novel by him.
February 29, 2020
Quite a surprise of a book. Not really a mystery but a murder takes place.
Great cast of characters, and the book captures Amarillo perfectly.
Great cast of characters, and the book captures Amarillo perfectly.
December 3, 2017
Like being there.
Having been born on the east coast and lived in Amarillo it was easy following the plot and join the characters if they were neighbors.
Having been born on the east coast and lived in Amarillo it was easy following the plot and join the characters if they were neighbors.
April 3, 2013
Bill Durham captures the land and people of the Caprock area in his novel Amarillo. He mainly does this through the eyes of Max Friedman, a Jewish New York City lawyer who is trying to relocate to Arizona when his car breaks down in a sandstorm near a tavern named Bailey's. Max decides that this is some sort of a sign that he should practice his profession in this town whose citizens he finds strange in some ways but most ingratiating. He particularly begins to take an interest in the owner of Bailey's, a Texas cowgirl named Angel.
Most of the novel is concerned with a robbery gone horribly wrong. Smith Dixon, a petty thief, returns to Amarillo after several years absence only to find his father is in a coma in a hospital. Told that his father's insurance will soon run out, he plots a grocery store robbery with two other men, Carl Puente, who as a teen robbed a gas station with Smith only to have Smith run out on him and leave him to face the consequences, and Joe Wagner, a sociopathic bully who once worked at the store Smith intends to rob. Freddie Odam, Carl's alcoholic brother-in-law who works for Carl, overhears Smith and Carl talk about the robbery and talks himself into the job.
After the robbery, Freddie attempts to inform local lawman, Champ Phillips, but is intercepted by Joe. A confrontation leads to murder and Max assigned the job of defending the killer.
What I liked about the book was the way that Durham captures the spirit of the city of Amarillo where I spent 3 of my teenage years. Amarillo, the novel, captures the glorious sunrises and sunsets, the immense open spaces, as well as the extraordinarily quirky weather. He also shows the people, both the bad but mostly the good, who make up this city that has always remained a favorite part of my past.
Recommended to those who like legal thrillers and lovers of contemporary Westerns.
Most of the novel is concerned with a robbery gone horribly wrong. Smith Dixon, a petty thief, returns to Amarillo after several years absence only to find his father is in a coma in a hospital. Told that his father's insurance will soon run out, he plots a grocery store robbery with two other men, Carl Puente, who as a teen robbed a gas station with Smith only to have Smith run out on him and leave him to face the consequences, and Joe Wagner, a sociopathic bully who once worked at the store Smith intends to rob. Freddie Odam, Carl's alcoholic brother-in-law who works for Carl, overhears Smith and Carl talk about the robbery and talks himself into the job.
After the robbery, Freddie attempts to inform local lawman, Champ Phillips, but is intercepted by Joe. A confrontation leads to murder and Max assigned the job of defending the killer.
What I liked about the book was the way that Durham captures the spirit of the city of Amarillo where I spent 3 of my teenage years. Amarillo, the novel, captures the glorious sunrises and sunsets, the immense open spaces, as well as the extraordinarily quirky weather. He also shows the people, both the bad but mostly the good, who make up this city that has always remained a favorite part of my past.
Recommended to those who like legal thrillers and lovers of contemporary Westerns.
November 7, 2016
Wow, I really enjoyed the audible version of this novel!
My wife and I have visited a relative of hers in Amarillo and were introduced to some of the quirky aspects of that Texas Panhandle area (Cadillac Ranch of Stanley Marsh and all those off vertical planted vehicles, mock traffic signs, etc.) although the novel does portray such as the unpredictable weather, The Big Texan Steak Ranch of the "free" 72 ounce beef steak, along with a visit to Palo Duro Canyon, etc.
The character development is amazing in portraying the Brooklyn Lawyer with his flawed past including such as sexual abuse by a gym teacher, alcoholism and AA (I learned of the Sobriety Circle emblem of a triangle in a circle and the HALT motto of the organization - Hungry/Angry/Lonely/Tired) and his detailed education into riding a horse. The tragic defendant's experience past including the incident with his Pinto Pony, Cocoa and the abuse by his criminally unpunished father, along with the poignant relationship with his estranged sister are pathetic.
There are several tear inducing incidents that stem from further imaginative incidents that will rend the sympathy of the reader!
I was also introduced to Dissociative disorder not otherwise specified (DDNOS) as a mental health diagnosis which seems more acceptable than an affluenza defense!
My wife and I have visited a relative of hers in Amarillo and were introduced to some of the quirky aspects of that Texas Panhandle area (Cadillac Ranch of Stanley Marsh and all those off vertical planted vehicles, mock traffic signs, etc.) although the novel does portray such as the unpredictable weather, The Big Texan Steak Ranch of the "free" 72 ounce beef steak, along with a visit to Palo Duro Canyon, etc.
The character development is amazing in portraying the Brooklyn Lawyer with his flawed past including such as sexual abuse by a gym teacher, alcoholism and AA (I learned of the Sobriety Circle emblem of a triangle in a circle and the HALT motto of the organization - Hungry/Angry/Lonely/Tired) and his detailed education into riding a horse. The tragic defendant's experience past including the incident with his Pinto Pony, Cocoa and the abuse by his criminally unpunished father, along with the poignant relationship with his estranged sister are pathetic.
There are several tear inducing incidents that stem from further imaginative incidents that will rend the sympathy of the reader!
I was also introduced to Dissociative disorder not otherwise specified (DDNOS) as a mental health diagnosis which seems more acceptable than an affluenza defense!
January 2, 2014
This was an enjoyable read. Great literature it is not, but has an engaging story, an interesting Texas setting, and characters, who in the main, are believable, so suspension of disbelief is no effort. I quite liked the non-macho non-Texan, Max.
There have been some comments on the quality of editing but in the last couple of years I have read some REALLY poor Indie books that ought to have been edited out of existence. This is nowhere near as bad. (Or maybe the writer had made a few corrections since earlier reviews because the writing was okay and the format on my Kindle was mostly decent). The ending is a shade contrived but I didn't mind too much as I'd enjoyed the easy flow of the tale.
There have been some comments on the quality of editing but in the last couple of years I have read some REALLY poor Indie books that ought to have been edited out of existence. This is nowhere near as bad. (Or maybe the writer had made a few corrections since earlier reviews because the writing was okay and the format on my Kindle was mostly decent). The ending is a shade contrived but I didn't mind too much as I'd enjoyed the easy flow of the tale.
April 2, 2016
Amarillo is fairly unique in that fully half of the book is a lead-in to the crime. Most legal thrillers reveal the crime very early on. That's why the book is so long, but don't let the length deter you. The suspense was delicious [cue music from an old B&W horror movie!] as Mr. Durham kept me wondering who in the world was going to die.
I did find the profanity quite excessive. I concede that some profanity was necessary for certain characters, but the story would not have suffered at all if a great deal of it had been omitted. Other than that, it was a very good read.
I did find the profanity quite excessive. I concede that some profanity was necessary for certain characters, but the story would not have suffered at all if a great deal of it had been omitted. Other than that, it was a very good read.
June 2, 2012
The publisher called this a cross between Larry McMurtry and John Grisham; translate that to mean it's a legal thriller set in West Texas. Larry McMurtry it is not, no one can write dialog like McMurtry. But it is a readable, albeit somewhat predictable, courtroom thriller. Good editing would have helped: it was about half again as long as it needed to be, and spent too much time relaying the perspective of inconsequential characters. It was worth the price I paid for it, though.
March 5, 2013
Entertaining story, but my impression, like others from GR, is that it could have used some editing here and there. I found it a bit slow at first but not
to the point where I considered putting it down. By the last hundred pages or so I found myself interested in the characters and what would eventually happen to them. The issue of how emotional trauma can affect one's personality and actions was well done and gave me food for thought.
to the point where I considered putting it down. By the last hundred pages or so I found myself interested in the characters and what would eventually happen to them. The issue of how emotional trauma can affect one's personality and actions was well done and gave me food for thought.
January 16, 2013
Wow. I really really liked this book. I don't know anything about who wrote it or who did or didn't edit it. That didnt concern me. The story was very engaging the characters had interesting depth and the conclusion was very satisfying. I look forward to finding more books by this author. I felt an authenticity to the story that was rare in legal type stories.
October 4, 2013
This book started out slow for me, but the suspense kept me reading.. It was a bit different to have so many characters introduced, but by the end it all came together as to why each was essential to the storyline. I look forward to more books by this author. The reason I gave 4 stars & not 5, is that it could have used a bit more editing..
July 2, 2012
I like Amarillo the town, and I liked the story. It holds unexpected surprises, and I did not want to put it down. Other posters have commented that the author could have used an editor, and I would agree. Overall it is a very readable book with appealing characters.
January 16, 2013
I read this book on my Kindle, having "borrowed" it from Amazon as part of my Prime membership. The story was good, I liked the male and female protagonists, and would read a sequel if one becomes available. It was, however, too long. as others have said, a good editor would have helped.
April 1, 2013
There are overtones of Last Picture Show to this book, in that it's set in Texas and has a large cast of disparate characters. A good book makes you examine your own life and attitudes, and I think this book does this while telling an entertaining story. Highly recommended.
July 31, 2013
I thought this story finished a little quickly, but it was an enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more from this author. I found the start of this book to be a little unusual as so many characters were introduced, but it all comes together nicely, enjoy!
August 20, 2013
It started off slow and introduced several characters at once. But once it got going very good book. I would recommend people read it. 4 stars is because the main character is a little wimpy, you still root for him but some of his conversations and thought la of self doubt can be irritating.
October 4, 2013
This is one free eBook download I discovered recetly that did not disappoint! An interesting new-to-me setting, a group of quirky, believable characters and a very good story that seldom lags, right up to the very last pages. I'd definitely be interested in reading more by this author.
November 27, 2014
NYC Meets Texas
Pretty good courtroom thriller about a New York City lawyer stranded in Amarillo and getting involved in a case.
Good story with likeable characters. Enjoyed the read.
Pretty good courtroom thriller about a New York City lawyer stranded in Amarillo and getting involved in a case.
Good story with likeable characters. Enjoyed the read.
August 13, 2015
Good,Bad, and Ugly of Life in Texas Panhandle From Legal and Law Enforcement Point of View.
Enjoyed the story, the characters, and the setting. Appreciated the research done by the author. In the future, will happily read more books by Bill Durham.
Enjoyed the story, the characters, and the setting. Appreciated the research done by the author. In the future, will happily read more books by Bill Durham.
August 21, 2015
Thoroughly enjoyable read. Can't wait for the sequel.
November 11, 2013
very good mystery. HAs robbery, murder and love.
November 30, 2014
Very good read!
I enjoyed this book immensely - well developed characters and a real riveting plot. The story held my attention throughout.
I enjoyed this book immensely - well developed characters and a real riveting plot. The story held my attention throughout.
to-read-owned
February 13, 2016tbr
Read
December 27, 2016Did not finish.
September 26, 2013
I'd read the next novel in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews