Synopsis/blurb…
A lost town controlled by a ruthless family. Now one man
stands against them.
Fugitive ex-special forces operative, Tom Rollins, is en-route
to Mexico when he is forced to detour into the small town of Brenton, Texas, a
place whose glory days are far behind it. A powerful criminal family, the
McQuades, runs things now and they don’t take kindly to strangers.
When some of their thugs try to intimidate Tom, he pushes
back – hard. The McQuades can’t stand for that - they have Tom beaten,
arrested, thrown in jail.
If that was all they did, he’d probably let it slide,
just leave town. But tough guy Earl McQuade
makes a fatal mistake – he steals a pendant from Tom, a piece of
jewellery given to him by the woman he loved.
Tom wants that pendant back and he’ll do whatever it
takes to get it.
The McQuades have powerful allies – corrupt politicians
and law enforcement, a lethal biker gang, a small army of foot soldiers.
They’re not worried about Tom – one guy against all of us, what can he do?
They’re about to find out.
Wrong Turn – Book 2 of the superb Tom Rollins action
thriller series. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Jason Kasper & David
Archer.
I’ve long admired author Paul Heatley’s work. Gritty, dark, thoughtful
and disturbing automatically come to mind when I think of his early books. His
recent writing has more mainstream appeal these days, but I’m still engaged by
his story telling abilities.
Wrong Turn is another enjoyable, fast-paced read from him.
It’s the second in his Tom Rollins series, coming after Blood Line.
The Rollins series is about an ex-CIA black ops type
military man, who rebelled on his last mission and went AWOL from his unit, after
rediscovering his moral compass. He suffered loss in the first book and here he
is on his way to Mexico to settle the remains of his dead ex-girlfriend. Tom is
travelling incognito, as he is still wanted by the authorities.
An unwanted diversion sends him into a small Texan town
where everything is run by a local criminal family, the McQuades and their
enablers. Tom isn’t famed for turning the other cheek, and despite his hotelier’s
warning to avoid the one bar in town, Rollins – a shit-magnet extraordinaire - has
an altercation with some local drug dealers and the big man wannabe gangster,
Earl McQuade.
Events escalate thereafter… jail, more trouble, a drug gang,
zombie addicts, corrupt cops, warnings, stolen property, a meth factory, a
biker gang, bent politicians, kidnappings, a town under control, political ambitions,
conspiracies, an election and a license to print money.
Rollins uses his considerable experience and skills to go up
against the bad guys, all while trying to keep a supposedly low profile.
Needless to say, the two aims are incompatible. He deals capably with the
problems in front of him, while having to keep an eye over his shoulder as his
past threatens to catch up with him.
Exciting, action-packed, a Jack Reacher type hero, an
interesting setting with a decent plot and a satisfying outcome. My kind of
reading.
4 stars from 5
Paul Heatley’s been a busy man, as he’s now had six books published in the series in little over a year. Blood Line has been enjoyed previously.
Read – August, 2022
Published – 2021
Page count – 321
Source – Purchased copy
Format – Kindle
The setting for this one sounds right for the sort of story it is, Col. And the 'regular guy' going up against the odds can make for an absorbing story. It's funny; I thought of Reacher when I started reading your post. It sounds as though they do have silmilarities...
ReplyDeleteMargot, I'm a sucker for the 'one man against the odds' trope. I love these kinds of books, always with the proviso that they're well written and the characters are more than cardboard cut outs! Heatley ticks both boxes for me.
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