He has done it again with a spine-tingling murder-mystery ... [with] Texas-Style twists and turns that keep the reader intrigued and interested ... the characters are marvelous, believable and, well sort of Texan ... Patterson and Bourelle spice up the story with a rhythm not unlike a country-western ballad. Succinct, to the point writing dominates their style ... A thriller for sure, but it’s got an undeniable Texas taste and twist that will do more than entertain the reader.
Texas Ranger is something special. While it is certainly an ideal beach read, it is also a book for all seasons, as well as for anyone who enjoys strong, compelling characters and a puzzling mystery with a number of potential suspects. That it takes a geographical detour to an unexpected locale is a major plus. If Patterson and Bourelle decide to keep Yates and his extended coterie of friends and family active beyond this book, I’ll be there
It’s possible to imagine Patterson and Bourelle checking off pretty much every stereotypical-Texan box they can think of, one by one. That said, the Texas Ranger version of the Lone Star State still isn’t terribly far divorced from reality ... As a purely disposable mystery, Texas Ranger isn’t half bad. Patterson and Bourelle’s rapid-fire chapters squeeze in plenty of dishy small-town drama on top of the murder case ... Cheesy, yes. Patterson and Bourelle do get off a good line every once in a while ... but other sentences land with a thud ... when Anne’s killer is revealed, it makes complete sense but still comes as something of a surprise. Looking back, I probably shouldn’t have been. But that’s the mark of an effective mystery.
