Posts Tagged ‘Political Suspense’

I’m thrilled to be sharing a review for The Antelope Play, Boyd Taylor’s second book in his Donnie Ray Cuinn Series.

You can read my review of the first book HERE.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for my review of the third book, The Monkey House and on Thursday for the fourth book, Necessities.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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The Antelope Play

The Donnie Ray Cuinn Series #2

by Boyd Taylor

23993617

Category:  Adult Fiction,  260 pages
Genre:   Political Suspense
Publisher:  Katherine Brown Press
Release date:  July 25, 2015
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (Some minor cursing.)

My Review

It’s some time later and so much has happened to Donnie. After leaving Texas and pursuing a possible career in historical studies, he’s back in Texas, a damaged man. His wife and her family were gunned down by a drug cartel and his guilt weighs heavy on him.

Now a lawyer and associate in a Texas law firm, he marks the passing of time, hating the small town of Velda and losing all sense of direction. Fed up with his job he quits and sets up shop in his own office in an even smaller town, Antelope City, population: 1004. Things change quickly when a seemingly trivial case lands him in the middle of a water right’s case.

I’m not really sure how much time passed between the first book and where we are now. A lot has happened and the author provided the information in just the right places. My curiosity grew as I learned why Donnie left Mexico and what occurred to send him, tail tucked, back to Texas. He’s different. More mature, yes. But bitter, disillusioned. I missed his easy ways and humor. As he digs into the new case, he starts to come out of his miasma. I caught glimpses of the character I was so fond of.

This book isn’t fast paced. More like steady until you get near the end. It’s not packed with action. What makes it so hard to put down is the author’s writing. The descriptions of the towns, the diverse character’s and their antics,  it all reads so easy. It’s fun reading even when not much is happening.

It was like coming back home as I read this. Not sure quite what it was, but something had me loving this even more than the first book. There’s more intrigue, more scheming, sadness and humor. But, I’m thinking it’s Donnie. He’s the something extra. And what might happen to him is why I can’t stop reading this series.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

When Austin native Donnie Cuinn accepts a job as an associate in a Texas Panhandle law firm, his boredom and disdain for Velda, a sleepy Texas town, is forgotten when he gets caught up in a struggle over water rights, possible radioactive contamination of the nation’s largest underground fresh water supply, and the violence of an invading Mexican drug cartel. Along the way, Donnie learns to respect the local rancher, whose brother is at the center of the troubles, and to come to terms with the violent death of his young Mexican wife.

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Add To Goodreads

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Watch the book trailer for Necessities (Book #4 in the Donnie Ray Cuinn Series)

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Meet the Author:
 

BOYD TAYLOR lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and their Havanese dog Toby. Necessities is the fourth novel in the Donnie Ray Cuinn series. In a former life, Boyd was a lawyer and a corporate officer. A native of Temple, Texas, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in government and an LL.B. from the law school.

Boyd’s first novel “Hero” was prescient in its story about fake news. His second novel, “The Antelope Play,” dealt with drug trafficking in the Texas Panhandle, an unfortunately accurate forecast. The third, “The Monkey House”, involved commercial development of a large green space in the center of Austin, all too familiar to Austin residents. Whether his upcoming novel “Necessities” predicts future events with the accuracy of the earlier books remains to be seen.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Facebook

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giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Enter The Giveaway!

Ends March 7, 2018

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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To read reviews, please visit Boyd Taylor’s page on iRead Book Tours.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Finally, it’s time for me to share my review for Hero by Boyd Taylor. This is the first in his Donnie Ray Cuinn Series.

Make sure you stop back by tomorrow for my review of the second book, The Antelope Play. On Wednesday I’ll be reviewing the third book, The Monkey House and on Thursday I’ll be reviewing the fourth book, Necessities. Be sure to stop back by.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Hero

The Donnie Ray Cuinn Series #1

by Boyd Taylor

 .

Category: Adult Fiction, 180 pages
Genre: Political Suspense
Publisher: Katherine Brown Press
Release date: November 9, 2015
Tour dates: Jan 3 to Feb 28, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (Some slight cursing.)

My Review

Donnie Ray Cuinn Is nobody special. Just a humble historian. Until the day he uncovers a startling document and writes about. Then he lands smack dab in the middle of a gubernatorial race in the mighty state of Texas.

You see, Sam Eben Payne V, is one of the candidates and that article Donnie wrote shed a rather ugly light on Sam’s ancestor, creating a bit of a scandal. He claims the document was a fake and brings the full force of his power down on Donnie. Now Donnie must choose, retract the story or stand by what he believes to be true.

This is very much a character driven story. Something I happen to love. And there’s such a fun cast. It makes everything outrageous. And the author writes these scenes that make you wish you were a fly on the wall. Like when Sam Payne, running for governor and with deep roots in the state, demands the story be retracted and just can’t believe it when a nobody like Donnie refuses to obey. He has a hissy it. He huffs and he puffs but Donnie won’t back down.

It took some time for me to warm up to Donnie. In the beginning he’s not got much ambition or focus. But Sam Eben’s threats put a burr under his saddle and he gets fired up. Plus, he’s finally found a girl he can love and shes’ no shrinking violet. There’s a scene in a hotel room where some Republic Militia bust in, catching them naked and unprepared, and Cecilia shows her Texan upbringing. Donnie sums it up eloquently, “My God, you’re wonderful!” LOL

What I thought might be a snooze turned out to be one heck of an entertaining read. My excitement built as Donnie evolved, became someone I liked, and opened his can of whoop ass on those who thought him ignorant and lazy. I have the next three books waiting to be read and I just know it’s going to be more crazy fun.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

When budding historian Donnie Ray Cuinn stumbles upon an old letter in the musty bowels of the Texas State Archives, he believes he has uncovered the true story of Sam Payne’s valiant, or perhaps not so valiant, capture of Mexican leader Santa Anna during the Battle of San Jacinto. Cuinn’s findings are published in a local magazine. But the article eventually becomes fodder in the gubernatorial race between Democratic upstart Bob Braeswood and Republican favorite Sam Eben Payne V, the great-great-grandson of the Texas hero. Braeswood is intent on exploiting the past, while Payne will do anything to suppress it. In the ensuing battle, Donnie finds his beliefs, not to mention his relationships, stretched to the limit in the first novel of the Donnie Ray Cuinn series.


Buy the Books:
 
Watch the book trailer for Necessities (Book #4 in the Donnie Ray Cuinn Series)
.

Meet the Author:
 

BOYD TAYLOR lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and their Havanese dog Toby. Necessities is the fourth novel in the Donnie Ray Cuinn series. In a former life, Boyd was a lawyer and a corporate officer. A native of Temple, Texas, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in government and an LL.B. from the law school.

Boyd’s first novel “Hero” was prescient in its story about fake news. His second novel, “The Antelope Play,” dealt with drug trafficking in the Texas Panhandle, an unfortunately accurate forecast. The third, “The Monkey House”, involved commercial development of a large green space in the center of Austin, all too familiar to Austin residents. Whether his upcoming novel “Necessities” predicts future events with the accuracy of the earlier books remains to be seen.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Facebook

Enter the Giveaway!
Ends March 7, 2018

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giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

To read reviews, please visit Boyd Taylor’s page on iRead Book Tours.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE