Book Review: Vacancy (The Dust, #2) by Jann Alexander

Vacancy: Secrets and Second Chances in Small-Town Texas by Jann Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Secrets and second chances exact a price.

Vacancy is the second book in Jann Alexander’s West Texas-set women’s fiction series, The Dust, and in this novel two women at different points in their lives face tragedy and second chances, finding common ground in their losses. Keep a box of tissues at hand as these characters quickly wedge their way into your heart.

Helen McCabe, the middle-aged, widowed kindergarten teacher, is shocked by her husband’s sudden death, suffering the uncertainties and questions it prompts. In her grief, she becomes entangled in the life of one of her small students, a winsome, shy girl named Jillie, and concerns herself well beyond the boundaries she’d normally recognize. Charlene Simpson, Jillie’s mother, has been trapped in an abusive relationship with Jillie’s deadbeat, drunk of a father, and a new pregnancy is the last thing she needs. Not only is he in no position to welcome another child into her tenuous living situation, but her boyfriend, Ray, who didn’t want Jillie or Mick, his young teenage son from an earlier marriage, is going to take out his displeasure on her with his fists. Both women have drifted through their lives up to this point, and their conflict over Helen’s excessive interest in Jillie motivates both to seek a better way. A terrible accident reveals they have more in common than they ever thought.

Alexander’s characters are strong and vividly crafted, and their choices drive the plot. I was immediately drawn into these two women’s lives, waiting for the next shoe to drop because of the ominous foreshadowing from the beginning of the book. The descriptions of the struggling, dusty West Texas town of Hartless are cinematic, and the harsh extremes of the High Plains weather add another layer of challenge to everyone’s daily existence. The town’s name itself hints at what the besieged young single mother may find there when the dust settles.

I recommend VACANCY to readers of women’s fiction, especially those who want strong female protagonists and character-driven stories.

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 - Shrimping West Texas: The Rise and Fall of the Permian Sea Shrimp Company by Bart Reid

Shrimping West Texas: The Rise and Fall of the Permian Sea Shrimp Company by Bart Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An out-of-left-field topic told with humor and style.

Shrimping West Texas: The Rise and Fall of the Permian Sea Shrimp Company by Bart Reid is about the author’s experiences researching, starting up, and operating his West Texas shrimp company. For those that don’t know, the location of his operations was in the Trans-Pecos region of the state, in the Chihuahuan Desert, about 500 miles from the nearest large body of saltwater (the Gulf of Mexico) and about 800 miles from the nearest ocean. Assuming the inhospitable conditions of the setting, the idea this would be even remotely possible piqued my curiosity. What Reid relates is an amazing story of innovation, hard work, and determination, and his ability to tell his story is spellbinding; I read the entire book in one sitting.

The author begins by explaining his very particular combination of background, education, work experiences, and skills that placed him in the unique position to, first of all, consider and then undertake the development of shrimp farming in an inland desert location, not only on his own behalf but for several others who saw the merit and possibilities of the industry. I enjoyed reading about all the different entities and resources he contacted trying to determine the feasibility of the idea and the mechanics of building, operating, and maintaining the resulting operation, from starting up to day-to-day. But, it is his recounting of obstacles met, successes and setbacks, people met and friends made, and the drawbacks to and riches found in small-town living where the book really shines. The author’s humor and engagingly personal delivery elevate his story, making it a favorite for the year. Frankly, I knew from the start I was in for a treat when he opened with an Aggie joke.

I recommend SHRIMPING WEST TEXAS to readers of unusual non-fiction topics, anyone who eats food (get a peek at where some of it comes from), and every Aggie needs one or two on their shelf at home and at work.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Book Blog Tours.


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The Lone Star Lit Audiobook Pop-Up Blog-Hop & Giveaway: The Covey Jencks Mysteries: Love and Murder Deep in the Heart of Texas by Shelton L. Williams

THE COVEY JENCKS MYSTERIES:

LOVE AND MURDER DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS

by

Shelton L. Williams

Narrated by: Stephen E. Lookadoo Jr.

Mystery / Amateur Sleuths / West Texas

Listening Length: 17hrs, 44 minutes

Publication Date: July 27, 2022

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Shelton Williams's book The Covey Jencks Mysteries: Love and Murder Deep in the Heart of Texas is more than a collection of mysterious tales of murder and investigation. By bringing to life these characters, the author has highlighted the global issues of racism, drug abuse, political extremism, and women trafficking.

In the midst of it all is our protagonist, hell-bent on finding out what secrets he may find out if he stepped into the dark shadow of Odessa.

This omnibus edition of the Covey Jencks Mysteries includes newly edited versions of Covey Jencks, Covey and JayJay Get Educated, and The Chinese Murder of Edward Watts. It also includes a new preface from the author and foreword by Charles E. Morrison.

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The newly updated Covey Jencks collection is delightfully exciting, and narrator, Stephen E. Lookadoo, Jr., brings Covey and JayJay to life. 

Author Shelton L. Williams gives us three great mysteries to enjoy in this new Covey Jencks audiobook omnibus collection featuring long-held secrets, murder, mayhem, prejudice, human trafficking, drug abuse, love, and loyalty with settings in the state of Texas. Covey is a native son of the West Texas oil town of Odessa, returned home after a law career in DC, and ready to hang out his shingle in his hometown. The bread and butter of the new firm is helping clients with their business dealings after the creation of NAFTA (remember that), but, thankfully, the cases Covey and JayJay tackle focus on murder. 

I enjoyed the description of Covey’s process of forming his new practice. He brings on board an interesting array of talented and, sometimes, quirky personalities who maintain the law practice while he and JayJay travel around the state hunting down witnesses and solving crimes. As a Texan, it was great seeing familiar place names mentioned in the books. But I really was invested in the rekindling love story between Covey and JayJay. The time period of the story is the mid-1990s, and a mixed-race couple was something that would raise eyebrows, so there is an encroaching fog of racism present as the two reunite and team up to investigate the murders in each book. Their love and support of each other get them through this in an admirable and inspiring fashion. 

For his part, narrator Stephen E. Lookadoo, Jr. literally breathes life into our hero and heroine, main characters Covey Jencks and JayJay Qualls. I’m usually pretty skeptical that I’ll fall into a female character who a male narrator voices, but I honestly bought into Lookadoo’s portrayal of JayJay. He’s excellent as Covey, but I connected to his JayJay. This made for a story that was all the more immersive and entertaining. 

With its great characters and characterizations, solid mystery storylines, and well-done you-are-there settings, I recommend the COVEY JENCKS MYSTERIES: LOVE AND MURDER DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS to mystery readers who enjoy listening to their favorite genre and like stories that tackle real issues or those set in Texas.

Shelton L. Williams (Shelly) is founder and president of the Osgood Center for International Studies in Washington, DC. He holds a PhD from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and he taught for nearly 40 years at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. He has served in the US Government on 4 occasions, and he has written books and articles on nuclear proliferation. In 2004 he began a new career of writing books on crime and society. Those books are Washed in the Blood, Summer of 66, and now the three books in the Covey Jencks series. All firmly prove that he is still a Texan at heart.

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THREE WINNERS:

Each receives an audiobook edition of THE COVEY JENCKS MYSTERIES:

LOVE AND MURDER DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS

(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 10/31/22.)

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