Book picks similar to
Ralph Compton Reunion in Hell by Carlton Stowers
western
western-fiction
outlaws
sheriff
Odds Against Tomorrow
Joseph T. Nutter
Her father, a former territorial governor, must now make the hard decision to recruit a former friend and gunfighter, whom he tried to hang in the past, to join in pursuit of his strong-willed daughter and the violent men she seeks. The energetic and exciting story is told from both perspectives as they must fight their way through the still untamed towns and locations of New Mexico Territory and Texas of 1884. And blended into the backdrop of their journey are the final days of the spirited campaign to elect a new President—Grover Cleveland. Behind this story lies the dynamics of two former friends who grew up together and fought alongside one another as members of the Texas Brigade in the Civil War and later as Texas Rangers. But they would be driven apart later by the sides of the law they would hold to. They now come together once again in an epic tale and must reach beyond their strained relationship to the strong bonds of friendship of their youth.
SEAL Team Bravo: Black Ops - The First Trilogy
Eric Meyer - 2013
They are the best of the best, the Navy SEALs, the world’s most elite fighting force. When a vital kill-mission inside Afghanistan uncovers an unexpected and deadly plot to use a nuclear weapon that could cost thousands of American lives, they are called upon once more. SEAL Team Bravo: Black Ops - Raid on AfghanistanBravo Platoon, SEAL Team 7, parachutes into action, but a question mark hangs over their Chief Petty Officer, Kyle Nolan. Can he still cut it? Nolan is the glue that holds the platoon together. That is, until the murder of his wife started to tear him apart. If he comes unstuck during the mission, the lives of them all are in danger. There is no time to make changes, they have to press forward, the mission must continue no matter what. They have to succeed against a vicious and clever enemy. As they get closer, they face a succession of daunting and overwhelming obstacles to uncover the truth. Yet even their commanders refuse to believe the damning evidence that Bravo sends back. Almost alone and unaided, they must hunt down and pursue their enemy to the snowy wastes of the Hindu Kush and stop a catastrophic terrorist attack. SEAL Team Bravo: Black Ops - Cartel NightmareThe death of DEA agent in a squalid Mexican town forces the world’s most elite fighting force to take action. This time, the brutal and callous drug traffickers who haunt the dark underbelly of Ciudad Juarez have gone too far. For the dead agent was the nephew of US Marine Corps Major General Hicks. With links to the SEALs, he insists on nothing but the best to avenge his nephew. A mission is planned to hunt down and destroy the drug cartel, led by Chief Kyle Nolan. Yet the Mexican end of the operation is only the first part of the mission. When they discover the traffickers have a fortified facility close to Medellin, Colombia, the mission brief must change.SEAL Team Bravo: Black Ops - Strike on IranWhen the US learns of a planned genocidal attack by Middle East terrorists, Bravo Platoon is called in. They must fight their way through to a besieged Syrian town to bring out the Israeli agent who first flagged the threat. Leaving behind a long, bloody trail of Syrian bodies, they battle their way out to carry the data back for analysis by NSA. The recovered decrypts show a rogue element of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the Pasdaran, is building a dirty bomb, to be used on Israel and the US. Bravo Platoon is sent back into action, this time to Iran, the terror capital of the world and America’s sworn enemy. They must locate and destroy the bomb making facility before the weapons can be deployed.
Pythagoras Falls
S.A. Ison - 2019
Miles O’Connor knows a deadly secret and works at a black site in New Mexico. A lethal weapon, the Pythagoras Project, is in development. O’Connor is part of the team, but when he discovers the full range and plans for the weapon, O’Connor destroys his work and disappears. Phoenix, Lydia, Julian and Yuma are strangers, flying to see loved ones for Thanksgiving. In a terrifying moment, their plane falls from the sky and plunges to the ground, in the middle of a Montana forest. Grateful to have survived, they must find their way out of the forest when no one comes to rescue them. To their utter disbelief, the world has changed in a split second and they must fight to survive. What does O’Connor know that the rest of the world doesn’t? What happens when Pythagoras Falls?
Vengeance Creek
Robert J. Randisi - 2005
In a lawless town, they become the law, grieving for their slain loved ones while looking to start a new life free of further bloodshed. But destiny has other plans for the Shayes.Eight men ride into town with designs on the bank's money -- and when they ride out, a dozen innocent people are dead and Dan Shaye is down with a gunshot wound. Now it's up to his boys to settle one more score, riding hell for leather toward a final reckoning ... and a mystery.And if Death comes again for the sons of Daniel Shaye, so be it, because any man who won't lay down his life for what is right is no man at all.
Dragon Storm: China invades Taiwan
T.J. McFadden - 2014
McFadden. In a story that could be torn from tomorrow's headlines, Xiao Ying Tien, "The Smiling Man" hopes to use the might of modern China to crush the last remnant of the Republic of China and solidify his grip on power. Against him stand two leaders on Taiwan: President Ch'iu Wang Chen, a cynic who rediscovers his lost idealism in Taiwan's darkest hour, and General Sung Chung Tam, "The Chessmaster", a pure soldier dedicated to winning at any cost, against any odds. They lead the free people of Taiwan in a desperate fight against the corrupt "People's" Republic and it's new military power. The latest planes, ships and weapons are used alongside weapons straight out of the history books as armies and fleets clash to determine the future of China. Among the millions caught up in this war there are:Mike Shannon- a reporter covering his first international event, who must fight his own battle between being a detached observer and caring for a people fighting in defense of their freedom.Group Leader Zheng Yiguan, a middle-aged idealist whose dreams of the People's Revolution of his youth run aground on the harsh realities of what China has become.Captain Daniel "Day" O'Reilly, an ex-USAF pilot who volunteers to join a new American Volunteer Group, a reborn "Flying Tigers" flying in defense of the Republic of China. Sgt. Soo Kuo-K'ang, a young ROC tank commander who must become a leader under the most desperate circumstances. Premier Li Wolan, General Secretary of the Communist Party, who feels the power of his party slipping away in the new, modern People's Republic. In the tradition of Tom Clancy's "Red Storm Rising" this novel tells the story of these and other people, of the strategies, combat and politics of what could be the next great war.Reviews:"a very good mix of characters sketches, a fast pace, and lots of bang bang. Of special merit is the way he deftly handles infowar operations"- Scott Palter, STRATEGY PAGE"T.J. McFadden’s new novel about a PRC invasion of Taiwan is strong on military knowledge and competent on character development"-"a factual, hardboiled thriller"- Bradley Winterton, TAIPEI TIMES
Banquo's Ghosts
Rich Lowry - 2009
With the assistance of his most trusted agent, Robert Wallets, Banquo recruits Peter Johnson, a dissolute, morally bankrupt liberal news journalist, to travel to Iran. Johnson poses as a sympathetic reporter writing a piece on the country’s nuclear facilities. His mission: to kill the scientist. Like many elaborate plans, Johnson’s assassination attempt fails. The journalist falls into Iranian hands and is tortured to confess—a staggering security crisis for the United States. Aided by Wallets and the battle-hardened Marjorie Morningstar—the CIA operatives who trained him—Johnson escapes from Iran.Now back in the United States, Johnson helps Banquo and his CIA cohorts lead a team of federal agents and New York City officials in tracking down a group of suspected Iranian terrorists in New York who are planning to commit nuclear terrorism by dispersing a highly radioactive material throughout the city streets and subways. When Johnson’s only daughter is kidnapped by the Iranians, he and Banquo must race against time to save her...and the City of New York.
The Tall Men (The Classic Film Collection)
Will Henry - 1900
Seeking riches, vengeance and violence, they struck out from Texas for the gold fields of Montana. And then they met Nathan Stark—a man just as bold, and even more cunning. Together, they set out to gain their fortune with an epic cattle drive through the heart of the Sioux Nation. It was a journey never before made by white men...a journey that might never be attempted again.
Ezekiel's Journey
Johnny Gunn - 2017
A lesser man might just give it up; but Ezekiel Hawthorne isn’t a quitter. While thousands head to the California gold fields in wagons, Ezekiel loads his mule and embarks on an amazing venture across the continent alone, bound for the good soils and abundant waters of Oregon. Savages, tornadoes, and a lack of knowledge don’t slow the man down a bit. It’s a beautiful half-Shoshone woman who has the biggest impact on Ezekiel’s new life.
REVELATIONS: Sunken Treasure lost worlds (Risky Business Chronicles Book 2)
Hep Aldridge - 2020
Burnett, and the Risky Business team are confronted by new perils and discoveries in their extraordinary quest for both treasures and what might be explosive, historical findings.New friends and new adversaries make their quest a suspense-filled thrill ride.Will they find the elusive treasure galleon, is the legendary golden library in Ecuador real?REVELATIONS - Volume 2 of the Risky Business Chronicles will engulf you as a virtual participant in this amazing adventure.It is the second book in Hep Aldridge's action and adventure series about Dr. Colten X. Burnett and the Risky Business team.
The Detective Deans Mystery Collection
James D. Mortain - 2019
Written by an ex-CID detective, these books are so realistic; you'll feel like one of the team. THREE CHILLING MURDER MYSTERIES ARE WAITING FOR YOU TO UNLEASH THIS BOX…
BOOK 1: STORM LOG-0505
This detective's best lead could be a voice from beyond the grave...
Bath, England. Detective Andrew Deans always embraces his work. As he struggles to be present for his wife's challenging fertility treatments, the case of a missing college student hits a dead end. Under pressure from his job and his marriage, Deans' inquiry takes a turn when he receives impossible-to-deny evidence from a psychic...Despite his lack of belief in the paranormal, following the ghostly thread escalates his missing persons case into a murder investigation. Unable to focus on his responsibilities at home, Deans works with the medium to build evidence from a new source: the voice of the victim herself...To put the killer behind bars, just how much will Deans have to sacrifice in the name of justice?
BOOK 2: DEAD BY DESIGN
Can a detective solve a case that’s taken over his mind… and cost him everything?
A young couple in their prime is found dead in the marital bed. As they lie naked, staring at each other with eyes wide open – filled with fear, his colleagues assume a double suicide, but Detective Andrew Deans senses darker forces are at work.Deans is facing an awakening – a spiritual birth, but he is stuck in a living nightmare. Those around him are watching … judging … expecting him to break.As he waits to hear the news he dreads most, Deans receives an unmarked DVD and the true meaning of horror is revealed.Playing by the rules is getting him nowhere. Now, it’s time to do things his way. But death and tragedy haven’t finished with him … yet.
BOOK 3: THE BONE HILL
A killer at large. A gift obscured by tragedy. One last chance for justice…
As Detective Andrew Deans pieces together the fragments of his shattered life, the North Devon tide washes up another decapitated corpse. Consumed by torment and rage, it is clear that Deans still hunts a methodical and cold-blooded killer…Determined to end the horror and avenge his own devastating loss, Deans exposes an ancient cult with a thirst for blood and a lust for human sacrifice. As he peels back the layers to the core of the deadly secret society, there can be only one guarantee – unless he acts quickly, more people will die.Deans is staring down a terrifying evil, the like of which he’s never confronted. Time is against him, but the biggest question remains… who will be next?
FREE BONUS MATERIAL: Click the link to The Real Story behind the Detective Deans Mysteries in the back of this book, and also find a link to the short story prequel – The Night Shift.
Mike Stone: Texas Ranger
Patrick Lindsay - 2020
He meets a beautiful girl, then finds out they have jointly inherited a property near Austin.Surprising obstacles stand in Stone’s way as he settles into his new life in a new land.
Depth Charge
Jason Heaton - 2021
The tragedy sets in motion a dangerous quest for truth that pulls Tusker into a sinister plot spanning 75 years, from World War II Ceylon to modern day Sri Lanka. Along the way, he matches wits with a psychopathic mercenary, discovers a long lost ship with an explosive secret, and falls for a beautiful marine biologist who is at least as strong as he is. In the end, Tusker finds that the truth may lie at the bottom of the sea, with only one way back to the surface. Depth Charge is an old school thriller in the tradition of Fleming, Maclean, and Cussler, with an eye for detail, cunning villains, and narrow escapes. The story is full of wartime secrets, the intersection of religion and politics, and the arcane world of deep technical diving. It takes readers from the smoky halls of 1940s London to the volatile, seductive heat of Sri Lanka and sixty fathoms under the Indian Ocean.
The Twelfth Imam Collection
Joel C. Rosenberg - 2014
At extreme personal risk, Shirazi undertakes his assignment. A native Farsi speaker whose family escaped from Iran in 1979, he couldn’t be better prepared for the mission. But none of his training has prepared Shirazi for what will happen next. An obscure religious cleric is suddenly hailed throughout the region as the Islamic messiah known as the Mahdi or the Twelfth Imam. News of his miracles, healings, signs, and wonders, spread like wildfire, as do rumors of a new and horrific war. With the prophecy of the Twelfth Imam seemingly fulfilled, Iran’s leaders prepare to strike Israel and bring about the End of Days. Shirazi must take action, but the clock is ticking.The Tehran Initiative: The world is on the brink of disaster, and the clock is ticking. Iran has just conducted its first atomic weapons test. Millions of Muslims around the world are convinced their messiah—known as the Twelfth Imam—has just arrived on earth. Israeli leaders fear Tehran, under the Twelfth Imam’s spell, will soon launch a nuclear attack that could bring about a second Holocaust and the annihilation of Israel. The White House fears Jerusalem will strike first, launching a preemptive attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities that could cause the entire Middle East to go up in flames, oil prices to skyrocket, and the global economy to collapse. With the stakes high and few viable options left, the president of the United States orders CIA operative David Shirazi and his team to track down and sabotage Iran’s nuclear warheads before Iran or Israel can launch a devastating first strike.Damascus Countdown: 2014 “Christian Retailing’s Best” award finalist!All eyes are on the Middle East. Israel has successfully launched a first strike on Iran, taking out all of their nuclear sites and six of their nuclear warheads—and causing The Twelfth Imam to order a full-scale retaliation. U.S. President William Jackson threatens to support a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the Jewish State for unprovoked and unwarranted acts of aggression. Meanwhile, CIA operative David Shirazi has infiltrated the Iranian regime and intercepted information indicating that two Iranian nuclear warheads survived the attack and have been moved to a secure and undisclosed location. In danger not only from the ongoing missile strikes on Iran but also from the increasingly hostile and suspicious governments of multiple countries, David and his team are in a race against time to find the remaining nuclear warheads before disaster strikes.
The Delphi Chronicle, Bundle Book 2 & 3 - The Tortoise and the Hare, and Phoenix Rising
Russell Blake - 2011
This bundle of book 2 & 3 continues the saga of NY private eye Michael Derrigan, as he comes into possession of a manuscript that will change the world order if its secrets are aired. Clandestine factions of the U.S. government will do anything to keep the story buried, & a trail of butchery follows Derrigan as he races for his life in a chase that takes him from New York, to Mexico, to Havana. A roller-coaster ride of a thriller, The Delphi Chronicle's unflinching & often disturbing twists and turns question the nature of reality & of the integrity of our governments in a post-modern world of lies, deceit & betrayal.+++Questions & Answers with bestselling author Russell Blake.Question: The Delphi Chronicle posits a troubling & plausible conspiracy. Where did you get the idea?Russell Blake: The idea stemmed from the title. I was originally going to call the trilogy The Pegasus File, & I'd conceptualized a cool cover, so I Googled it to confirm there weren't any other books with that name. The original conspiracy was much tamer than what I wound up with. I had the idea of a literary agent getting a manuscript detailing a shocking scheme, but I hadn't defined what it was, exactly. From that search came this conspiracy, & I have to admit I considered toning it down a lot, because it scared even me. So readers? This is fiction, OK? And U.S. government? No need to send a wet team after me. We all understand it's fictional. As in, an invention, not real. That's my official position. Readers can decide how plausible theinvention is for themselves. Some will hate it, as it portrays the U.S. government in a negative light. Can't please everyone.Q: Why write it as a trilogy?RB: It would have been a long single volume if I'd tried to squeeze it all into one book. Given the success I saw with the Zero Sum trilogy, I wanted to do another one, & this was just naturally written in three volumes, although I think most will get the first one, & then buy the specially-priced bundle of Books 2 & 3 if they're interested in following the story to its thrilling conclusion (wink wink).Q: How do your novels compare to the work of your peers?RB: I think they're faster paced than most. I try to catapult readers through a series of twists & turns at such aggressive velocity they're left gasping by the end. And I dislike books where I can see the ending coming a third of the way through. Just hate that. I try to write racing, intelligent thrillers that don't pander & aren't formulaic. All have gotten raves, so I'm fooling at least some of the people most of the time...Q: Part of Delphi unfolds in Mexico. Any particular reason?RB: I live in Mexico. Have for almost a decade. Modern Mexico is very different than as portrayed by the U.S. media. Many parts are indistinguishable from medium sized cities in the U.S. Strip malls, high rises, melting-pot racial integration, etc. It's not cactus & sombreros. One of the things I find fascinating is how different it is than what my expectations were when I moved here, & I try to impart that. Most novels set in modern Mexico I've read are caricatures of the truth. Mission bells, white-garbed peasants, stereotypical characters. I try to imbue my fiction with reality, not a Hollywood portrayal based on a snapshot from the 1950s. I think readers will find that distinction interesting.
Theft of Fire
Michael Edelson - 2017
The mission to destroy a domestic terrorist cell in possession of a nuclear bomb sounds like the opportunity he is looking for, until he realizes that his targets are not terrorists, and that what they have is something infinitely more dangerous than a bomb. On the run with Dr. Grace Llewellyn and the device she calls Prometheus, Markus finds himself pitted against the full might of US intelligence and military forces as they mount the biggest manhunt ever conducted on American soil. He quickly learns that Prometheus represents a technological advancement so profound that it can alter the course of history. But there is another such device already in play, and he, Grace and Prometheus are all that stand between it and the end of human civilization as we know it.