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8797999's review against another edition
4.0
Well this was an enjoyable read, had me hooked from the start. A great lead character albeit a typical hero type, an ex Texas Ranger suffering a past trauma comes into contact with an escapee from a cult and the story goes on from there.
Sadly could be all too true in today's World with all that goes on under the cloak of darkness.
I notice there is a sequel to this which I might start tomorrow, top notch.
Sadly could be all too true in today's World with all that goes on under the cloak of darkness.
I notice there is a sequel to this which I might start tomorrow, top notch.
lurker_stalker's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed it quite a lot. The protagonist isn't unique in the genre but he was well-written. Emotionally damaged loner who gets into more trouble than he expects while trying to help people.
If another book featuring Arlo Baines is in the works, I'll certainly read it.
If another book featuring Arlo Baines is in the works, I'll certainly read it.
donnek's review against another edition
5.0
While there was a certain aspect to this book that bothered me (I really dislike cult stories) and if I could have given it 4.5stars I would have. However, there were other parts that I really liked, hence the 5star rating.
The story and MC, Arlo Baines, had a kind of "Jack Reacher" feel to it. The whole "getting off the bus in some podunk town in west Texas because he was tired of being on the bus" and immediately finding himself in over his head in murder and mayhem and a boatload of nefarious characters (the dreaded "disciples" of yet another religious cult). There was also the revealing of Arlo's past and why he's drifting from one bus stop town to another.
As to be expected, Arlo kicks scumbag @$$ and walks away from town with the residents gratitude, a job offer (that he declines) and gets back on the next bus out of town. Yeah, I plan to continue with the series and Arlo's next excursion off the bus.
The story and MC, Arlo Baines, had a kind of "Jack Reacher" feel to it. The whole "getting off the bus in some podunk town in west Texas because he was tired of being on the bus" and immediately finding himself in over his head in murder and mayhem and a boatload of nefarious characters (the dreaded "disciples" of yet another religious cult). There was also the revealing of Arlo's past and why he's drifting from one bus stop town to another.
As to be expected, Arlo kicks scumbag @$$ and walks away from town with the residents gratitude, a job offer (that he declines) and gets back on the next bus out of town. Yeah, I plan to continue with the series and Arlo's next excursion off the bus.
alwaysbooking's review against another edition
3.0
This book was not what I had expected. I thought it would be a suspense story.. but kind of went down the mystery side very fast. Arlo is traveling by bus around the country side ever since his family was murdered. All Arlo wants to do is sit and eat his food and be left alone to read his book. However he seems to be drug into the drama of a woman in a peasant gown with two children that need his help. One minute they are there asking for his help, the next he is defending them from two goons and they disappear!
Arlo will not leave town until he finds the woman and her children. Then he becomes the main suspect in a murder, however instead of being locked up or told not to leave town. He is told quite the opposite, he is told to get out right now. Arlo is the type of character that just can’t keep his nose out of everyone else’s business and leave well enough alone. He needs to know those kids are safe before he can leave. It seems one strange event leads to another and no one in this god forsaken town will give him straight answer until he meets an unlikely ally.
There were some things I did like about this book, the action scenes were spot on I could see them vividly in my mind. I could almost latch on to Arlo’s character most of the time, especially when he would have flashbacks. The plot line was a fantastic idea and where it all came together in the end was really good. However there were some scenes in the book that were never explained in any way. Was it a ghost or a mirage? Is Arlo loosing his mind? Those types of things need explained somehow somewhere. My lack of character connection really killed it for me. There was a lot of jumping around between the past and now, honestly I would’ve rather had the past story told than the now story.
This book had me intrigued at parts and confused at others. I’m not sure this would be everyone’s cup of tea. I would suggest picking it up at your local library or bookstore and trying a couple chapters out first.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for my copy in lieu of my honest review.
Arlo will not leave town until he finds the woman and her children. Then he becomes the main suspect in a murder, however instead of being locked up or told not to leave town. He is told quite the opposite, he is told to get out right now. Arlo is the type of character that just can’t keep his nose out of everyone else’s business and leave well enough alone. He needs to know those kids are safe before he can leave. It seems one strange event leads to another and no one in this god forsaken town will give him straight answer until he meets an unlikely ally.
There were some things I did like about this book, the action scenes were spot on I could see them vividly in my mind. I could almost latch on to Arlo’s character most of the time, especially when he would have flashbacks. The plot line was a fantastic idea and where it all came together in the end was really good. However there were some scenes in the book that were never explained in any way. Was it a ghost or a mirage? Is Arlo loosing his mind? Those types of things need explained somehow somewhere. My lack of character connection really killed it for me. There was a lot of jumping around between the past and now, honestly I would’ve rather had the past story told than the now story.
This book had me intrigued at parts and confused at others. I’m not sure this would be everyone’s cup of tea. I would suggest picking it up at your local library or bookstore and trying a couple chapters out first.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for my copy in lieu of my honest review.
itsmarkyall's review against another edition
5.0
Checked this book out because of the Writer Types podcast. Excellent read. Quick pace, tight prose, and a helluva story. If you’re a writer it’s one of those you wish you’d written. Can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.
mad_about_books's review against another edition
5.0
Here is a narrative that sucks you in with the first word… the first sentence… the first paragraph. You get the picture. It starts out pretty ordinary, yet not so ordinary and builds from there… word by word, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, page by page. Before you know it, a quarter of the book is behind you, but you keep on reading. It is a quietly violent story. If you are a fan of the old Eastwood man-with-no-name westerns, you know what I mean.
I was most impressed by the way Hunsicker built the story. He tells you everything you need to know about the main character, Arlo Baines, at exactly the time you need to know it. In fact, there is Arlo's story and the situational story told in tandem so that by the end of the book you, the reader, are both satisfied with the outcome and want to follow the character further along his journey in life. THE DEVIL'S COUNTRY is, in every sense, a real page turner.
I was most impressed by the way Hunsicker built the story. He tells you everything you need to know about the main character, Arlo Baines, at exactly the time you need to know it. In fact, there is Arlo's story and the situational story told in tandem so that by the end of the book you, the reader, are both satisfied with the outcome and want to follow the character further along his journey in life. THE DEVIL'S COUNTRY is, in every sense, a real page turner.
mcbeezie's review against another edition
4.0
Gripping. I loved the piecemeal way of getting the main character's background. I thought he was compelling and would read more of his adventures as he travels around Texas. I devoured this book. Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
aer0chris's review against another edition
4.0
I won this in a giveaway, thanks to Amazon for hooking me up!
I went into this one not knowing much, just that it was about a Texas cop. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked it. The story was good, not overly “cop drama” with a lot of action, engaging storytelling, good characters, and a creepy cult. You get the present day plot meshing pretty well with a backstory set in flashbacks. The dialogue was occasionally clunky but I don’t know, maybe that’s how they talk in Texas. I’ve never been.
The edition I got was something called “Kindle in Motion” which was new to me. I had to read the book mostly on my Kindle app (my Kindle Touch is getting pretty dated at this point) so I could get all the page textures and all the gifs depicting scenes from the book! It was engaging, if a little weird as it kind of throws off your image of all the characters and scenes in your mind by having them actually shown to you as you read. But I appreciated the novelty of it.
Overall I’d recommend this one. It was a fun read with some good twists and turns. Check it out!
I went into this one not knowing much, just that it was about a Texas cop. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked it. The story was good, not overly “cop drama” with a lot of action, engaging storytelling, good characters, and a creepy cult. You get the present day plot meshing pretty well with a backstory set in flashbacks. The dialogue was occasionally clunky but I don’t know, maybe that’s how they talk in Texas. I’ve never been.
The edition I got was something called “Kindle in Motion” which was new to me. I had to read the book mostly on my Kindle app (my Kindle Touch is getting pretty dated at this point) so I could get all the page textures and all the gifs depicting scenes from the book! It was engaging, if a little weird as it kind of throws off your image of all the characters and scenes in your mind by having them actually shown to you as you read. But I appreciated the novelty of it.
Overall I’d recommend this one. It was a fun read with some good twists and turns. Check it out!
petra_reads's review against another edition
3.0
[b:The Devil's Country|31184478|The Devil's Country|Harry Hunsicker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479237231s/31184478.jpg|51826344] is a Jack-Reacher-type story set in Texas. Since the murder of his family, former Texas ranger Arlo Baines has been moving from town to town wanting to be left alone to catch up on his reading. Arriving in a tiny town in West Texas, Arlo becomes involved in an altercation between a couple of thugs and an oddly dressed woman and her two children. When the woman is found dead the following morning, Arlo becomes a suspect but vows to find out what happened to the two children.
This was your typical lone ranger takes on entire town scenario involving an obscure cult, corrupt cops, a female journalist who could become a potential love interest and turns into something like his sidekick and the Russian mafia (with the stereotypical Boris for good measure). Through flashbacks, the reader discovers Arlo's back-story and what exactly happened to his family.
It was a little crammed with formulaic stuff, the back and forth made it choppy in parts, and the repetitiveness of the character announcing 'this is what I'll do' followed by a sentence where he is then actually doing this exact thing became a little wearing.
On the other hand, some passages and descriptions were really well done, the setting was atmospheric and it contained some nice humor.
If you're looking for some light entertainment and fancy a good old action movie type novel with a hero who will destroy all evil then this should appeal. There was nothing much wrong with it, but there also wasn't anything special or innovative. I liked it well enough, hence 3 stars.
I was invited to read an ARC and opinions expressed are entirely my own. Thanks to the publisher.
This was your typical lone ranger takes on entire town scenario involving an obscure cult, corrupt cops, a female journalist who could become a potential love interest and turns into something like his sidekick and the Russian mafia (with the stereotypical Boris for good measure). Through flashbacks, the reader discovers Arlo's back-story and what exactly happened to his family.
It was a little crammed with formulaic stuff, the back and forth made it choppy in parts, and the repetitiveness of the character announcing 'this is what I'll do' followed by a sentence where he is then actually doing this exact thing became a little wearing.
On the other hand, some passages and descriptions were really well done, the setting was atmospheric and it contained some nice humor.
If you're looking for some light entertainment and fancy a good old action movie type novel with a hero who will destroy all evil then this should appeal. There was nothing much wrong with it, but there also wasn't anything special or innovative. I liked it well enough, hence 3 stars.
I was invited to read an ARC and opinions expressed are entirely my own. Thanks to the publisher.