So descriptive the author makes you feel as if you are part of the story in See That My Grave Is Kept Clean.

Great storyline with well-crafted characters makes this a must read novel.

The title of the book first grabbed my attention. The jacket synopsis pulled me in and I'm very glad it did. While the outside of the book sets reader expectations, the characters and their story deliver so much more. Bart Paul first developed these characters two story lines ago. He has kept them true to the back story that he set them in while allowing them to grow and mature as they moved on to develop the kind of lives they'd always wanted. It's almost like reading a journal. Throw in outside influences that have stirred up old grievances and you have one heck of a read. See That My Grave is Kept Clean is more than just a catchy title.

See That My Grave is Kept Clean by Bart Paul
Tommy Smith High Mountain Noir #3

Coming into this series on book three and after a long day with perhaps more wine than necessary to tackle a book such as this I pushed it aside, told the publisher it did not make sense as I had not read the first two books and went on to other books instead. Then, today I realized that perhaps my vision was skewed by wine and revisited the book AND it is definitely worth reading. I had no trouble understanding the plot and the characters and though I would like ot know more about Tommy and Sarah and others...still was perfectly able to read and enjoy this book.

What is it about? Well, Tommy is out of the military with sniper skills used in war and perhaps in other books. He is wise and savvy and trail wise. He is an interesting character. He is also the husband of Sarah who works for the police force and he has a daughter. Sarah and Tommy have previous history from the books I have not read.

Into the life Tommy and Sarah are building walks a couple with a ten year old girl and they move on as Tommy prepares to pack items to a destination. On his way the couple say their daughter has disappeared and a hunt is on. BUT nothing is as it seems and there are more balls being juggled in the air than I thought there would be. There is a matter of missing money from a bank, sibling difficulties related to that money, biker gangs, prostitution of underage girls, corrupt cops, murder(s), coercion, trips into the wilds, hero-worship AND the saving of one life that perhaps made it all worthwile.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes
Note: I learned some interesting new terminology and I enjoyed that :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

The lead character reminds me of Clint Eastwood, a tough, no nonsense cowboy, who loves his family, friends and dog.

This is the third box in the series and i am looking forward to more.

Noir is a good description of this series. I really love this modern day western style adventure series about ex soldier Tommy Smith who only wants to in peace in his beloved mountains. Bad things finds him time and time again. I really recommend y'all to try this out.

This is the third in a series of Tommy Smith, a former Iraqi war vet who is now running packing trips in the High Sierras. He is now married with a baby girl. Although the population is sparse, the rate of bad guys and incompetent people seem to be higher than possible. Perhaps, that is what disappointed me in this book. The mystery initially involves a missing girl. But when a corpse of a woman, who may have been involved in a bank scheme, is discovered, all kinds of evildoers come out to plague Smith and family. I had read the author’s first title in the series and found it thrilling. And I intend to go back and read his second one. This one just didn’t work for me.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This third story in Bart Paul's thrilling western series is just excellent as the previous two. Tommy Smith, a young veteran of the US Army, finds his newly won domestic bliss, with his wife and baby daughter in their newly built ranch house, at serious risk when a missing little girl sets off an explosion of deadly greed over a fortune stolen from a local bank. Paul describes the spare Sierra wilderness with knowledge and love, the scenery and simple life juxtaposed against the brutal toil the harsh landscape takes from families and ranches. Paul injects plenty of gun action and thriller moments, making this story very hard to put down.

Billed as something for fans of Craig Johnson, I couldn't help but have high hopes for this one. In the end, though, the book didn't suit me...or I didn't suit the book.

See That My Grave Is Kept Clean (tentative connection to content) featuring Iraqi War veteran Tommy Smith is the third book in the series. A missing ten-year-old girl, a corpse of a missing embezzler, and a sinister owner of a "titty bar" and abuser of women and underage girls, an ineffectual sheriff, and plenty of dead folks.

Although not a book that I wanted to abandon, I had trouble connecting with the characters on more than a superficial basis and had little confidence in the plot.

There are a lot of admirers of this series, but ultimately, it wasn't a good fit for me.

Read in May; blog review scheduled for Aug. 31, 2019
NetGalley/ Skyhorse Publishing

Thank you NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing / Arcade for this arc.

I enjoyed this read very much. It felt like C J Box's Joe Pickett on steroids (think Nate). While this is the third book of a series, I read it as a stand alone and had no problem keeping up, but will definitely be looking for the earlier Tommy Smith books. The characters all felt genuine (except maybe Mitch, but who doesn't need a thorn in their side?) and the pace was hectic! Just the way I like.

A great read for a 90 degree plus afternoon. 4.5 stars rounded up.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It was a well written book. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.