Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Strong Cold Dead by Jon Land GIVEAWAY

Enter the GIVEAWAY at the end of this post.
While this is the eighth book in the Caitlin Strong series, I've not read the earlier ones yet thoroughly enjoyed this novel.


Caitlin is a Texas Ranger, the fifth in her family line. She is something else. She has unique insights into a situation and follows her intuition. She'll often run into trouble with her superiors but always manages to see her way through.

Caitlin receives word that the son of her friend is part of a protest at a Comanche reservation. She soon suspects there is much more to what is happening at the reservation than a company wanting to drill for oil. Her concern goes into high gear when the foreman of the oil crew is horribly murdered. Then all the people in a local restaurant die within seconds. Caitlin and her friends try to connect the dots before more people are killed.

This novel has a complex plot. It is almost like parallel stories happening at the same time. There is something going on at the reservation involving a businessman wanting access to what's underneath the land. His cover is that he is looking for oil but Caitlin suspects he is seeking something else entirely and something much more dangerous. Off the reservation is another serious issue concerning the possibility of ISIS terrorists. Caitlin's friend at Homeland Security gets her involved in that investigation. That aspect of the plot includes some angry young Comanche warriors too.

I enjoyed the novel but found it hard to follow at times. Land takes us to various places in Texas as he introduces new (to me) characters. It took me a while to figure out who they were and how they fit into the story line. We are even taken overseas to a terrorist compound. Land also takes us back periodically to the 1860s and Caitlin's great grandfather, also a Texas Ranger, as he deals with a situation similar to what Caitlin faces today.

Besides enjoying a good thriller, I learned some history of Texas too. The current protests by the Comanche are related to attempts by John D. Rockefeller to get oil from Texas lands back in the 1860s. The Native American territorial rights are an issue as big corporations try to gain access to treaty lands. This issue is something out of today's newspaper. (Land notes that he took freedom placing Rockefeller in the historical story.)

I enjoyed Land's writing style, mixing a bit of fantasy with mystery and suspense. Readers who enjoy a contemporary mystery involving potential terrorists will like this novel. Readers who enjoy learning some history will like it too. Readers who appreciate a gutsy female heroine who will not let a situation go until it is solved will like it too.

I was disappointed to find that this novel contains a graphic sex scene, a rape, and vulgar language. Other than that, a good novel with plenty of suspense.

I am taking part in a blog tour of this book. Click here to view the 'Strong Cold Dead by Jon Land' Tour Participants.

You can read an excerpt here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Jon Land is a USA Today bestselling author of 38 novels, including eight in the Caitlin Strong Series. Strong Rain Falling was the winner of the 2014 International Book Award and 2013 USA Best Book Award for Mystery-Suspense. Strong Darkness was a winner of the 2014 USA Books Best Book Award and the 2015 International Book Award for Thriller. Strong Light of Day won the 2016 International Book Award for Best Thriller-Adventure, the 2015 Books and Author Award for Best Mystery Thriller, and the 2016 Beverly Hills Book Award for Best Mystery. He is a 1979 graduate of Brown University and lives in Providence, Rhode Island. You can find out more about him at his website and follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

Book Details: Thriller
Publisher: Forge Books
Publication Date: October 4, 2016
Number of pages: 352
ISBN: 0765335131 (ISBN13: 9780765335135
Series: Caitlin Strong Novel #8
Purchase your copy at Amazon or Barnes & Noble or add it to your GoodReads list.

GIVEAWAY:
This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Jon Land to celebrate the release of his 8th Caitlin Strong thriller, Strong Cold Dead. There will be 5 winners of one (1) autographed copy of Strong Cold Dead by Jon Land. This giveaway is limited to US & Canadian residents only. The giveaway begins September 28th and runs through November 3rd, 2016.

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Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

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