Bad Dirt: Wyoming Stories 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)I greatly enjoyed Proulx' Close Range collection of short stories,
and Bad Dirt (subtitled "Wyoming Stories 2") is a very worthy
encore. The Close Range stories gave a wonderful flavor to the
rural areas of the state, the people, the land, the warm and the
rough sides, both past and present. Some of the stories were
humorous, others were harrowing, some were a whimsical mix. You'll
find just the same mix (and a bit more) in Bad Dirt. You start off
with a 12-page story about Game & Fish Warden Creel Zmundzinski (who
turns up again in a couple of more stories) that begins in a nice
straightforward fashion, and then takes off into a kind of
humorous Proulx-Stephen King joint venture (or perhaps
Proulx-King-Carl Hiaassen).
Several stories center on the residents and the 3 bars in the tiny
town of Elk City: I very much like reading another of Proulx'
short stories when I feel that I already know the characters well
(one of these is a kind of Proulx-Hiaassen mix involving rental
alligators--it sounds bizarre, but the story works in a truly
delightful way).
The best of the stories is The Wamsutter Wolf, and runs about 35
pages. Buddy Millar lives in a $40/month rental housetrailer
5 miles out from the center of a small boomtown (almost all
trailers). You don't get much for your $40 a month. His only
neighbors live close by in an even grungier trailer--a bully who
beat him up in high school, his wife and passel of grungy young
kids, one of whom is a 4-year-old alcoholic (his father believes
that learning to drink young avoids the problems that come with
learning later). This is a horrifying and harrowing story--
stronger than anything I remember in Close Range. It's very
tough, utterly realistic, and it left me wanting to see it
expanded to about 300 pages as a novel.
Annie Proulx and William Gay (I Hate To See The Evening Sun Go
Down) are the two best short-story writers I've read in many
years--and both write excellent novels as well.

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Trophy Hunt: A Joe Pickett Novel Review

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(More customer reviews)The Jo Pickett Mysteries by C. J. Box were recommended to me through Amazon.com, being a gungo-freak for Randy Wayne White and James W. Hall mysteries. After reading "Open Season", I bought and finished the next three novels over a period of three weeks. Needless to say I was "hooked". I enjoyed Trophy Hunt less than I did the other three. The story line was to say the least a bit macabre with all sorts of bizarre happenings. There were all sorts of loose ends that were not resolved. Why did Maxine's hair turn white? What was the significance of Nate and Sheridan's dreams? What caused Nate's falcons to "freak out"? Where did that grizzly bear come from (Savage Run, perhaps?) There was a bit too much of the "woo-woo" stuff (using Jow Pickett's apt descriptive words. I do like the continuity that follows from one novel to the next; so I really recommend starting to read the Joe Pickett novels with the initial "Open Season." You get to see the development of the major characters in the storyline.
I agree with one of the reviewer's comments that it is time that Joe becomes a real lawman. Hey C. J.! Let him run for sheriff and earn enough money to take care of his family. Let's crank out a sequel and explain where that bear came from. I still get queasy when I smell slab bacon.


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The Mustang Breaker (Horse Dreams Trilogy, Book 2) Review

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(More customer reviews)Bly pulls you further into the life of Develyn Worrell in the second book of this series...with several twists and turns along the way. Just when you think Develyn may have found her match, she realizes he isn't the one for her. She has so many male admirers she could take her pick. In walks the Mustang Breaker from book 1 in the trilogy, but could he become more than a friend? Develyn certainly finds him appealing and exciting, but is that enough? The Lord shows Develyn that her summer in Wyoming isn't all about her, but about the needs of others. Once she puts that into perspective, things become more clear. Leaving her future in the Lord's hands, she determines to live each day as it comes, and to the fullest. She also realizes that this time she must accept nothing less than all God wants for her life, or she will risk compromising her future. By the end of The Mustang Breaker (book 2), the reader is still wondering about Develyn's daughter's crisis, which has yet to be revealed. Also, Develyn has now eliminated two men from her list of potential future mates. Is the man she least expects the one the Lord has for her? I have a feeling book three in the trilogy will reveal that answer. Meanwhile, Casey Cree-Ryder seems to have found her soul mate. I can't help wondering if a double wedding is ahead. Waiting patiently for the final book in the Horse Dreams Trilogy, and wondering what great mystery will be revealed that will conclude this series.

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In this second book of the winsome Horse Dreams trilogy, heavyhearted divorcee Develyn Worrell's mood continues to lighten as she has escaped Indiana to enjoy the equine charms of a small Wyoming town. There, in a place she visited as a child and has dreamt of ever since, the Lord's leading becomes clearer, even as cowboy romances and the relationship with her grown daughter get more complicated.

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Winterkill (A Joe Pickett Novel) Review

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(More customer reviews)Winterkill brings the same fine storytelling and excellent sense of character and place found in Box's previous Pickett novels. Kudos to Box, who has quickly become one of my favorites.
The only thing that prevents me from giving this book five stars is the unforgiveably sloppy editing. One character is christened both "Trey" and "Terry" - on the same page. A crucial event in the novel - the abandonment of April - is referred to as having happened three years ago, then in another mention, five years ago. The book is also filled with distracting typos, including several double words ("he saw that that the snow had melted" type things). Errors of this kind are unfortunate and distracting in a book of this caliber. I can only assume the publisher was overly eager to get the next book by this award-winning author on the shelves.

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