The Jack Widow Series: Books 1-3 (The Jack Widow Series Collection Book 1)

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This first book in a new loner-drifter series (think Lee Child's Reacher) is well written and, at times, almost poetic in it's atmospheric descriptions of both place and the inside of Widow's head. Told in the first person, it is an easy book to read, the sentences short and uncomplicated, like the man himself. But seeing through his eyes it is easy to empathize with him. Taken to be a worthless drifter by the locals, Widow uses his skills to uncover the truth about his mother’s last investigation. What was she looking for?

In the first chapter, specifically, Widow's thoughts on gunshot wounds went on for too long—sum it up in a paragraph, keep it short and sweet so the tension is high. You've got what should be a beginning that starts with a bang, but it ends up fizzling out with needless tangents. But that's all I'll write on that. I did enjoy this book, and I really wanted to give it three stars, but there are too many technical errors and such. Weirdly enough it seemed the second half was more polished than the first half, and Widow seemed more believable as Blade got the hang of the character. The writing became tighter, too. Widow finds himself in Texas sitting at a steaming hot bus station waiting for a bus to someplace else. While waiting, he starts chatting with Claire, Hood, an elderly woman who looks rather distraught. She is looking for her missing granddaughter. Her son, who recently was released from prison has scooped her up and skipped town. Before Widow can get all the details, Claire drops dead of natural causes. That's the way I did it and just like Netflix, it's so satisfying to be able to binge on a series knowing that there's another one, except in this case it's the last one, for now. In a year with tensions high regarding Muslim extremists, gun control, and police culture, the cops think that it's obvious that Marine Officer James Muhammad Turik was part of an ISIS cell.It soon becomes apparent that Widow maybe the only one looking at the facts and not the assumptions. Gaining the trust of the people he will need to right this wrong won't be easy. There's a lot of tension and a case like this makes or breaks careers.

On arrival he upsets the local cops (obviously) and the local gang of nutcases (obviously) and of course starts a relationship with a lady doctor at a local clinic. And then the bad guys roll in to clean up their mess and the body count rises.

If You Like Scott Blade Books, You’ll Love…

After showing Widow a picture of her six-year-old granddaughter, Claire Hood drops dead of natural causes, right at the bus station, right in front of him.

In other ways he is very much Reacher, big, strong, can fight with fists or weapons and apart from the unlikely stupidity of a supposed ex elite forces operative the actions and stories are good and enjoyable The concept here was really good, it was an interesting mystery but I had to take two stars off for wildly inaccurate claims about the firearms and ammunition as well as the many many times the hero did something fatal yet survived. Taken to be a worthless drifter by the locals, Widow uses his skills to uncover the truth about his mother's last investigation. What was she looking for? At times, Widow almost seems human in this book. He struggles with things that used to be second nature for him and even needs to enlist an old friend for assistance. Widow also steps things up and really gets his hands dirty in this one. Gone Forever: The Navy SEALs trained him. A secret unit of the NCIS recruited him. Enemies fear him.

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

This book was by far the tensest of the four, even though it may not have dealt with the biggest consequences, it does deal with a subject that is on most people's minds. Domestic terrorism. It confronts some of the issues in today's world where everyone seems in such a hurry to label and draw conclusions, long before the facts are in.

Minutes after meeting her, the unthinkable happens. Claire drops dead—natural causes. Right there in front of Widow. This is further enhanced by narrator Aden Philip Ormond's excellent interpretation of this lead protagonist. The reading is well paced, not too fast, not too emotionally imbued but just right for the military trained loner rediscovering his past and his understanding of just how much he owed to his mother in the last precious moments they are able to have together. Her death is his new beginning as sets out in search of her killer. With expression and good intonation, Orson's pleasant rough velvety voice also gives individual life to each of the other characters in the book also. Writer and narrator in harmony together. Some local townspeople want to blame Muslims. The politicians want to blame guns. The outside media only care about the headlines. Her son, James Hood, is mixed up with the wrong people--powerful people. The kind of people who will kill to protect a deadly secret. Terrified for her granddaughter's life, she has no one left to trust.Afterward, Widow finishes his coffee and leaves the diner to find a motel bed to sleep on. By the time his head hits the pillow, the military police show up, banging on his door. They've got questions and handcuffs. Turns out that James Turik, the Marine from the diner, went directly from the diner to the base and shot and killed five Marines before turning the gun on himself. Oh boy. And seeing as Widows was the last person to talk with him before this all went down, the military police want answers. Widow is handcuffed, and taken to the base for further questioning. Widow soon decides he needs to put his head on a pillow for a few hours, asks the waitress for the location of the nearest motel, and sets out to get himself some much needed sleep. Did you read all of the above? Did it seem as if I went on and on without actually Saying anything? Or, did it seem as if I’d missed a pertinent point? Or went into too much detail? Yes? Well, brace yourself, there is A LOT of that in this book! Plus, the characters are all from The Deep South - so they speak slowly - I had to adjust the narration speed to 1.2 for it to seem normal for me! (I listened to the audiobook version of this title). Anyway, ex military cop and special forces type (obviously) takes a delayed visit to his mum. She is a Sheriff and an ex-Marine (obviously) and has been shot while investigating the disappearance of a young girl. When she dies of her wound he decides to follow up the case and visit the area where other disappearances have been taking place. And he decides to take a break from his special secret Government job and just drift with nothing but a toothbrush for company. But as a starting point, why not visit the place where women have been vanishing? Obviously.