Book Review: Narrow the Road by James Wade

Narrow the Road by James Wade
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An historical fiction novel with a desperate quest, loyal companions, and coming-of-age.

Narrow the Road by Texas author James Wade is a wonderful work of historical fiction, and with its engaging main characters and gripping plot, it reminded me of a true-to-life, epic fantasy quest set in 1930s Depression-besieged East Texas. The storytelling is mesmerizing, the language immersive, and the atmospheric setting had me glued to the tale from start to finish.

With the bank on the brink of foreclosing on their farm, his cotton crop doomed and rotting in the fields, and his mother slowly dying in her bed as she refuses to travel to Houston for treatment, fifteen-year-old only child William Carter sets out on a journey through East Texas, a last-ditch effort to find his absentee father. Thomas Carter had joined hundreds of fellow WWI veterans to march on Washington, D.C., and appeal to lawmakers to provide benefits to those who’d fought and were left hanging when they returned home. While their protests were disregarded, Thomas had failed to return home to his wife and son; his last communication to them was a cryptic letter sent from another East Texas town, some distance from their farm outside Manning. With his mother on her deathbed, refusing to budge until her husband returns home, William sets out for his father’s last known location, accompanied by his best friend, Ollie Leek.

William is a young man with much too much on his shoulders and long out of options. During their journey, he and Ollie, and later Lena, meet an abundance of characters, both good and bad, including men who had served with or met Thomas Carter. Through the men’s commentary and diary entries, William discovers another side to the man he knows as his father. Ollie is William’s boon companion, and a truer “ride or die” friend would be hard to find. While William is the serious, goal-focused, straight man, Ollie is the much-needed comic relief, the wild hair, the accidental genius, and steadfast, loyal friend who knows William like a brother.

Early on, the action tends to pause at times as the author sidesteps to fortify the overall historical foundation of the story or expand the main characters’ exposure to life at that particular time, resulting in a more immersive experience for the reader. This development proves timely as the action really ramps up later in the story.

The East Texas setting provides a diverse terrain for the main character's quest, with farmland long overdue for rain, deep, dark forests, swampland, and small, barely there towns. Wherever the location, though, the author delivers vivid word pictures that place the reader in the moment alongside his characters. While this is not the first novel of this author that I’ve read, it is my favorite.

I recommend NARROW THE ROAD to readers of historical fiction, especially those who enjoy coming-of-age stories, Depression era, or East Texas settings.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.

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Book Review: Draw A Hard Line (E.J. Kane Mystery, #2) by Micheal E. Jimerson

Draw a Hard Line by Micheal E. Jimerson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Legendary former Texas Ranger E.J. Kane returns in this exciting tale of revenge and betrayal.

Draw a Hard Line is the second exciting book in author Micheal E. Jimerson’s immersive, action-filled E.J. Kane Mystery series, which launched in 2022 with its stellar debut, White Gold. All its memorable characters return as E.J. and his ex-wife, attorney Rebecca Johnson, confront an old adversary when new evidence threatens to overturn the conviction of the murderous head of a dangerous white supremacist paramilitary group.

A little time has passed since the events of book one, and E.J. and Rebecca have both struggled with their efforts to help their daughter overcome her drug habit. Sharla has played her parents one against the other for years, and she now leans into her past successes with all the cunning of the addict she is. Readers learn so much more about the family: the death of the oldest child, son Konnor, in Afghanistan and its life-altering impact on E.J., Rebecca, and Sharla. While Rebecca blames E.J. for their son’s death, E.J. goes one further, blaming himself and God. He struggles with the erosion of his relationship with the Lord, obviously hurting and wanting to re-establish his former faith, just as he tries to understand and repair the uneasy and awkward relationship with Rebecca, whom he still loves.

The author introduces a truly evil villain in the character of G.H. Burton, the incarcerated-for-life (they thought) former leader of the Aryan Triangle. Through the storyline’s court proceedings, I was surprised to learn that DNA is not the be-all or end-all that television, films, and crime fiction portray. Complicating the case is the shadow of E.J.’s tarnished reputation and the vitriol of his former Texas Rangers supervisor, Lt. Col Craig Fenton, and the machinations of treacherous Sheriff Benjamin Berryhill. B.B.’s storyline caused mixed emotions for E.J. and me. The man is a heinous individual, but his son and wife are wonderful people, and he holds the keys E.J. needs to reset his life.

The plot moves quickly, and the author deftly manages many moving parts. Not only are there E.J.’s personal family struggles and the Burton debacle and sideshow, but E.J.’s old friend, Rex Ashe, is slowly succumbing to the ravages of Alzheimer’s. In addition, E.J. is experiencing his own health worries. I could almost feel every misstep and jolt to his knee as he physically tried to do what needed doing. E.J.’s and Cooper’s terrifying flight through the Big Thicket and the eleventh-hour confrontation with Conrad Beams were as edge-of-your-seat as they come.

I enjoyed the East Texas setting established in book one, especially the Big Thicket action sequences where you could almost feel the humidity, marshy mud, and mosquitoes. However, the story isn’t as location-specific as before, and readers new to the series may only get a general sense that the action is occurring somewhere in rural Texas. Admittedly, this is just a 'me' issue; the setting descriptions are absolutely vivid.

I recommend DRAW A HARD LINE to mystery readers who enjoy character-driven stories, courtroom drama, and heart-pounding thrills.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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