Review by Rox Burkey
Roy Clinton fires up the series with the continuing adventure in book 2. The adventures of John Crudder take on additional dimension as John and his wonderful horse Midnight use their life experience and special bond to hide in plain sight.
John Crudder is the sort of character you really want on your side. Even though he is wealthy he seems to enjoy working even when the jobs seem at cross purposes to one another. Roy crafts an intriguing facet of this character when the diversity of John’s work, depending on the city he is in, seems totally plausible.
Well known Texas cities/towns are depicted perfectly for the time of this story. It takes one back in history before so many technologies, making it quaint while uncivilized to a degree. John’s shyness around Charlotte is so sweet, even though she seems a bit out of reach. The relationship between John, Charlotte, and her father Slim is very strong, even though they haven’t known each all for very long. You can vividly feel this when plan for a picnic are interrupted so John can help Slim.
“John, I don’t know what to say,” said Slim.
“That’s all right, Slim. I’m glad to do it. But I better get started back to Austin.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Charlotte. I have to go to Austin to get the money you need.”
“What’s this Miss Charlotte stuff?” asked Charlotte. You’re not try to get rid of me are you, John Crudder?”
“No Miss-uh, I mean Charlotte. I just guess I’m a bit nervous. I’m sorry.” With those words, I swung up and started Midnight toward Austin. I figured if I pick up the pace a bit, I’ll get there in four days doing twenty-five to thirty miles a day. That’ll be easy for Midnight. I’ll be back in plenty of time for Slim to make his note payment.
As I rode, my thoughts were on Charlotte. …”
R. William James narration is flawless in book 2. It is seamless as he moves from being the narrator to capturing the voices of each character. The voice initiations are consistent from book 1 to book 2, which works for me. The timber of his voice makes this story even richer.
I highly recommend this series for those who enjoy westerns based in Texas and stories with heroes with honor. This story will keep you engaged and wanting more. Roy Clinton is a master storyteller in this genre. I bet he gets you hooked just like me.
Roy Clinton is a Western author and psychotherapist who divides his time between Texas and the Canadian Rockies. All his books are about real places and are historically accurate.
As a fourth generation Texan, he has lived in Texas his whole life. He loves everything Western. Most of all, he loves the Western culture. Cowboys may have a rough exterior but most he has known are true gentlemen with hearts of gold and integrity in abundance. Roy writes about these Western heroes and the places they live and travel.
Roy holds two master’s degrees and a doctorate and has written four professional books about addiction and recovery, one of which won the Book of the Year Award from American Book Festival in the addiction category.
All books are available on www.Audible.com or iTunes shortly after the paperback and digital versions are released.
Roy’s hobbies include writing, cooking, running, hiking, and traveling with his wife, Kathie.
Roy’s books can be found at www.TopWesterns.com – Follow Roy’s YouTube channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvX-C_UJcPXoEUEwc5eE-g?view_as=subscriber – You can also reach out directly via email to Roy@TopWesterns.com
R. William James is the pseudonym used by James Romick for Westerns and Romance stories. James is a Classically Trained Singer and has been a Professional Actor for nearly 40 years, with over 22 years of experience on the Broadway Stage. He offers a powerful vocal quality with wide range and depth, as well as an actor’s sensibility to effectively interpret and voice of a story. He is adaptable to any genre.
With his experience he prides himself on being very directable, versatile, and open to suggestion with the ability to adjust on-the-fly. He aims to please with his voices and characters.
In the late 1980s James studied audio engineering at the Institute of Audio Research in New York City at a time when splicing and editing analog audio tape with a razor blade was standard procedure. Today he offers digitally recorded and mastered sound quality for each project.
As an aside, he is also an expert woodworker, cabinet maker, and woodturner. You can find samples of his narrated stories on his website and his audiobooks on Audible.com.
