Book Review: Trouble at Timber Ridge by Kevin Crisp
This novel was provided to me for free for an honest review.
ASIN: B01FYMS3RU
Link to author’s web site: Kevin Crisp
Genre: Western (but with a cross genre feel with detective novels)
Print Length: 154 pages
Plot synopsis: Harlan Shea never planned to set foot in Timber Ridge again. Not after the shoot-out that had taken the lives of friends and brought the wrath of his employer down upon his head. Now, his old boss has asked for his services again to help uncover an elaborate scam that is ruining his ranching business. Can Shea uncover how it is being done and who is behind it? Shea returns to Timber Ridge, to find ghosts from the past lie in wait and where the haunting eyes of a mysterious young woman may be his undoing.
Cover: Great cover that makes the genre clear.
For some reason this novel did not grab me. There is nothing wrong with the narrative which rolls along at a good pace and is flowing and engaging. I liked the characterisation, the characters are well rounded with a good selection of those to like and those to dislike. The dialogue is well integrated into the story and used well to explain what is going on without appearing forced or turgid. And the setting is well described and gives a good sense and feeling of what is happening where. The editing is competent - I don’t remember seeing any typos. But I think it is the plot that did not grab me – not because it was not good, but I think, because it was not a typical Western. There was (to my mind) a strong line of a detective novel running through it, which some people will love, but as I am not a great reader of that genre I struggled with the story line, hence my three star rating.
What do others think?
There were no reviews of this novel on Amazon.co.uk at the time of writing. On Goodreads.com there were two ratings without reviews (1 star and 5 stars). There were three reviews on Amazon.com, all of them 5 stars.
I would, therefore, recommend that others give this book a try and see what they think. It is obviously a book that divides opinion.
Other books by Kevin Crisp.
