Book picks similar to
West Point to Mexico by Bob Mayer


military
historical-fiction
bob-mayer
jim-read

Secret Memories #1


J.S. Donovan - 2018
    As she seeks retribution, a re-invigorated killer strikes again, and Angela discovers that nothing about the night of her parents’ killings is what it seems.

Targets: A Vietnam War Novel


Don McQuinn - 2017
    I read it in one sitting and lost a night’s sleep over it. The novel is that good." -Walter F. Murphy, author of The Vicar of Christ From retired Marine Don McQuinn comes Targets. A Vietnam War novel unlike any other, this story will take you inside the counter-intelligence efforts in Saigon and give you a rare glimpse at the iconic conflict. Landing in Saigon in 1969, Marine Major Charles Taylor is faced with a city ravaged by decades of war. Its streets and alleyways teem with refugees, soldiers, and corruption. Soon after arrival, Taylor is recruited into a secretive counter-intelligence operation. His covert pursuit of a Viet Cong collaborator thrusts him deep into the dangerous underbelly of Saigon. He must quickly learn more about the tangled web of the Vietnam War than he ever thought possible. His survival depends on it. Can Taylor find his target and leave a mark on this impossible war without sacrificing his honor - or his life? Available in print and ebook for the first time since its original publication, Targets has been heralded as one of the best novels of the Vietnam War. The story will give you an intimate look at the lives and struggles of those involved, American and Vietnamese alike. Read Targets Today

Groom Lake


Bryan O - 2011
    Author Bryan O challenges readers to discern fact from fiction in a mainstream narrative that questions the origin and use of advanced technologies. The plot offers multiple perspectives, allowing readers to identify with the book whether they are believers, non-believers or new to the conspiracy genre. Groom Lake is not just a novel; the story is a briefing on America’s shadow programs, methods and reasoning, intertwined with fast-paced scenarios where intelligence agents guard their fringe programs from inquisitive civilians, China’s Ministry of State Security and a congressional task force investigating hidden government spending.

The Beale Treasure


R.J. Hendricks II - 2017
    But when he arrives in Lynchburg, Virginia, in the spring of 1885, what he discovers there is far worse than he expected. His partner, who sent for him, has been murdered while in pursuit of a dangerous bounty. And the killer isn’t done yet. Vito is fighting against time, the townspeople of Lynchburg, and a sheriff seemingly determined to cover up every detail about the crime. However, he must follow the trail his dead partner left behind, and uncover the truth lurking in the shadows of this small town. Then he meets Ellie, a fiery woman in search of the storied Beale Treasure, and everything changes. Inspired by true events, The Beale Treasure: A Frank Vito Bounty Hunter Series, is a gun-blasting Western, full of grit and spirit, that will keep your heart racing right up until the stunning conclusion.

Semper Fidelis


Johnnie M. Clark - 1988
    A machine gunner deep in the Vietnam bush, Shawn fought and won battles with no names, and watched brave friends give the ultimate sacrifice. Death chased him. Rain, leeches, and malaria sapped his strength. And back home in an ungrateful country, right and wrong were decided by what was easiest. Prayer was his last refuge, but it was hardest of all.

Standstill


J.A. Marley - 2016
    Marley's unmissable debut, Standstill.Even the deadliest criminals leave a trail…When a psychotic policeman drags the young, ambitious thief, Danny Felix out of bed, he could not imagine he was about to be plunged into the robbery of a lifetime. Corruption and coercion follow the corrupt Detective Inspector Harkness everywhere he goes and now he has Danny just where he wants him. But Harkness isn’t the only officer with Danny in his sights. Christine Chance is getting closer to him while doing her best to be a mother to her seriously ill daughter. Can Danny escape Harkness with his life intact? Can he avoid detection by Chance? And does he have what it takes to use the streets of modern-day London to pull off the theft of the 21st Century? Danny thinks he can...but there will be bloodshed. Standstill is hard-boiled crime thriller which will appeal to fans of authors like Jeffery Deaver, Robert Bryndza, Lisa Unger, Michael Connelly, and Barbara Nickless

Ruth Wyatt: Rescued By The Sheriff


Jan Motion - 2014
    Ruth Wyatt grew up in an orphanage after she lost her parents in a stage coach robbery. The family had thought she had also died in that robbery until 16 years later, someone told her cousin that they had seen a girl who could be his sister. From there, the family tracked her down and sent her a train ticket to come home. But it wasn't as easy as that.

Rolling Thunder


Mark Berent - 1989
    Its characters range from men on the battlefield to the Pentagon and the White House. Fighter pilots and Special Forces warriors try to do their best but are hampered by President Johnson, Secretary of Defense McNamara, and their staff members who despise the military. Only one aging USAF general, who fought in Korea and WWII, is on their side. His clashes with his Commander in Chief, Lyndon Johnson, are epic in proportion and startling in content.In Rolling Thunder, the time is late 1965 and 1966 in war zone places such as Saigon, Hanoi, Bien Hoa, Da Nang, and Tahkli. While back in Washington, LBJ sits over lunch and personally picks bombing targets in an attempt to fight a limited war. In Vietnam the war knows no limits.There, as the hostilities escalate, the fates of three men intertwine: USAF Captain Court Bannister, overshadowed by a famous movie star father (who fought in WWII as a B-17 gunner), driven to confront missiles, MiGs, and nerve-grinding bombing raids in order to prove his worth to his comrades -- and to himself...Air Force First Lieutenant Toby Parker, fresh from the States, who hooks up with an intelligence unit for a lark, and quickly finds his innocence buried away by the lessons of war...and Special Forces Major Wolf Lochert, who ventures deep into the jungle to rescue a downed pilot -- only to discover a face of the enemy for which he is unprepared.Four airline stewardesses fly the civilian contract flights that bring American soldiers to and from the war zone in Vietnam have difficult love affairs with G.I.s and fighter pilots. After one flight they come under attack while on an airbase.Through their eyes, and those of many others -- pilots, soldiers, lovers, enemy agents, commanders, politicians, profiteers -- Rolling Thunder shows us Vietnam as few other books have, or can. Berent captures all the intensity and drama of that searing war, and more, penetrates to the heart and soul of those who fought it. Rolling Thunder rings with authenticity.

Betrayal in Venice


David Canford - 2017
    When many years later the truth of the past is finally revealed, Glen Butler feels deceived. His reaction to events betrays the one he loves most, his daughter. Returning to the city to try and find her, Glen discovers she has a secret of her own, presenting him with a terrible dilemma. Set in Italy and England from the 1940s to the 1970s, a novel about the cost of keeping secrets.

Reversal of Fortune


Andy Maslen - 2015
    Lander Reeve is a mega-successful bond trader with a big mouth and an even bigger SUV. He's been running Gabriel's neighbour off the road and Gabriel decides it's time to put a stop to the man's behaviour. For good. A midnight mission to recce the bully's property gives Gabriel the idea for some poetic justice involving some heavy-duty steel cable and some emergency red triangles. No gunplay (or not from Gabriel) but plenty of action in this diversion from Gabriel's bloodthirstier exploits. We also learn more about the influences that shaped his character. Praise for Trigger Point, the first full-length novel about former SAS-captain Gabriel Wolfe... “Action, double-crosses, villains galore… a rattling good thriller! Early Bond meets Jack Reacher - a thrilling debut outing for a new action hero.” Damien Seaman, author of Berlin Burning and The Killing of Emma Gross.

A Storm Hits Valparaiso


David Gaughran - 2011
    But when a storm rolls into her sleepy port town, she finds herself embroiled with a gang of adventurers, mercenaries, and prostitutes on a journey to free South America from the Spanish Empire.A Storm Hits Valparaíso is an epic historical adventure starring two brothers torn apart by love; a slave running for his life; a disgraced British sailor seeking redemption; and José de San Martín, an Argentine general who deserts the Spanish Army to lead a bloody revolt against his former masters. Praise for A Storm Hits Valparaiso: "A work of sweeping historical fiction that captivates and entertains ... engaging and richly textured." -- John D. Glass, author of Legend of Zodiac."David Gaughran has woven a captivating story set during this dangerous period in South America's history. I'd happily recommend it to fans of the genre." -- Tracy Cook, Booked Up Reviews."A romping classico... it reminded me of Louis de Bernières."--SR Noss, author of Life on the Suburban Fringe"An ambitious story of love and betrayal, victory and defeat. In characters drawn from real historical figures, the author delves into the politics of war and how battles turn on the smallest of details or the whims of a single man." -- JW Manus, author of The Devil His Due.

The Quiet Village


T.J. Walter - 2017
    He discovers a quiet village deep in the countryside and settles there. He makes new friends and finds a new love, but there are undercurrents; events that threaten his newfound peace. Then a murder occurs and he finds himself drawn into the investigation, unsure of who among his new friends he can trust. How will he overcome this without losing all he has gained?

Devlin's Ride


Carson McCloud - 2016
    A quiet spot to settle down. He's found the perfect place on the edge of Eastern Oregon's high desert. At the base of the rolling Ochoco Mountains there's a canyon with a steady spring called the Clearwater. Clearwater offers rich grazing for Nate's herd and room to grow. But perfection comes at a cost. Nate isn't the only one who has plans for the Clearwater. Rhett Baron and his crew of gunhands will stop at nothing to take the spring. Nate may have gotten to the water first, but can he keep it? In the tradition of Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey comes Devlin's Ride by Carson McCloud.

Misty Hill Reckoning


R.B. Tetro - 2016
    When that peace is threatened by a corrupt sheriff, and the ruthless drug dealers he’s protecting, they’ll have to stand together with their friends and some unlikely allies if they hope to survive. Jake Dillon has come to Misty Hill looking for answers about his missing brother; who’s been working undercover for the DEA. He finds the Sanders standing alone against the people connected to his brother’s disappearance. He also finds the family that he’s always wanted, and the love he’s never had. The odds are stacked against them surviving, but Laura and her family won’t back down, and Jake won’t back off, until he finds his brother and his new friends are safe. In the Great Smoky Mountains, people have their own brand of justice. It’s been passed down from generation to generation. It’s called a reckoning, and it’s coming to Misty Hill.

Kit: Finding Freedom and Love


Katherine St. Clair - 2017
    She’s had a bit of schoolin, and now she works at the local cannery. Her friend Letty dreams of marriage and a family of her own. Kit could choose that life, but she wants more. But it’s 1895 in North Carolina, and her options are limited. In the newspaper, she sees an advertisement calling for young women to go and work for the Harvey Company – a growing chain of restaurants - that serves hungry railway passengers traveling to the untamed west. But the interview is miles away in Raleigh…does she dare? Will she leave her family and the life she knows, and risk everything for independence and adventure? Yes, she will! But it’s not easy. Leaving home is only the first of many challenges for Kit, from facing her own doubts, to proving herself, and standing up to the judgment of others – including her closest new friend. With hard work and an instinctive knowledge of how to bring out the best in others, Kit progresses in her career, until she gets a message from home. Racing back across the country to the bedside of a loved one, Kit begins to question what will make her happy. When it looks like love will be a better choice, Kit is tempted to leave her life out west behind. Are fate, friendship, determination, and good advice enough to keep Kit on the right path? Can she have a successful career, and also the love and respect of a good man? Is there a man out there who is strong enough to value her, and give her wild heart a home? Read on to learn Kit’s fate, and discover the famous Harvey Girls, whose hard work and courage helped build a restaurant empire like no other.