“Strong Vengeance” by Jon Land

Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong is from the stock where legends are made, but Captain Tepper decides she needs to learn how to balance her two responsibilities: job and family. She is caring for her boyfriend’s sons Dylan Masters and Luke Tores. Cort Wesley Masters would be there, but he’s literally fighting to survive in a Mexican prison for the murder of a drug lord.
Suddenly, Cort Wesley is out of jail. His old acquaintance Jones has a job for him. There’s a terror cell in San Antonio and his talents are needed. So, if Cort Wesley rids Texas and the world of this terror pack, he is free. Lesson to be learned: everything costs and nothing is free!
This story has it all, two ships—one from the past and one present—love, fear, betrayal, treasure, Texas Rangers (of course), and a few grisly/sickening scenes that are so well-written they made me wretch. I could go on all day. One concrete thing I will share, Teofilo Reyes Braga hauls away garbage—an ironic job for him.
Blurred lines between lies and truth on both sides of the law, past and present with fierce tendrils linking them together and the exploding mushroom that is this story just gets bigger and bigger right in front of your eyes. The way Land weaves his tale caught me off guard at every junction, and I loved it!
I would be utterly remiss if I didn’t mention the way Land portrayed the father and son relationship. Cort Wesley adores both his sons, but his relationship with Dylan was so expertly written, when those two shared a scene, I felt I was peeking in on something real.
When I start a new novel, there’s some anxiety in the newness. I start reading and instantly feel that “fear.” Then, out of nowhere comes Caitlin Strong, my old friend with her SIG-Sauer and I am completely unafraid. I take her hand and allow her to lead me wherever she’d like. For me, that makes not only an amazing character, but comes from a class-act author!

Reviewed by Terri Ann Armstrong, author of “How to Plant a Body”