**3.5 stars**

Comanche by Brett Riley is an interesting and unusual mix of supernatural revenge western. Overall I liked it. I liked that the book started a few years before the main action so we could get some background on our detective ghost hunting crew before the main action of the story starts. This book felt almost like it could be the first in a series but since it came out in 2020 I am guessing not.

There is one part of the story that did really bug me. **spoiler alert** If you are ghost hunting in an area where you know the ghost will appear, you’re pouring rock salt to try to trap the ghost and it’s pouring rain so the salt keeps getting washed away….why can’t you wait until it’s not raining anymore??? I thought that particular part was really dumb. The characters need to watch more Supernatural episodes.

The audiobook narrator, Travis Baldree, did a great job embodying the different southern accents of the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the e-ARC I received in exchange for my honest review, sorry it’s so late!

Comanche by Brett Riley is a great paranormal/murder mystery that starts in 1887 where a murderer, the Piney Woods kid is killed and dismembered behind the train depot by a gang of citizens tired of the string of murders and sadness left behind by him. Fast forward to 2016, there has been a double murder and they happened close to the same spot where Piney Woods Kid was killed. Residents say they saw a man dressed in old gunslinger clothing and fear that he is the PWK and has come back to enact revenge. It is at that point paranormal investigators come into the picture and start their investigation. What they stumble on will put them in the path of the killer. Can they find a way out alive?



5 out of 5 stars


Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

Up to the middle of the book is a bit slow, you have the impression that the author struggles a bit to build the background of his characters, both the current ones, who will be the protagonists of the story, and those of the past, and some passages sound a bit forced. From the middle onwards, however, the story gets going very well and the crescendo of violence triggered by the interaction between the protagonists and the ghost they are hunting keeps the reader glued to the pages. The ending is, literally, incendiary, showing a writing skill that one would like even for a much celebrated author but always a little weak on endings.
The cover is decidedly ugly.

Riley's influences, without over-reliance, are clear and he adds a welcome addition to western, gritty noir. An engaging page-turner.

This book really did not work for me.

I couldn't finish it - as I just couldn't get my head around it at all.

I'm sure there are people who love Westerns who will enjoy this book. I must have just finished watching Westworld (which I love!) or something when I requested it.

I tried hard to like this book but I just didn't. The lack of quotation marks around all the dialogue made it challenging to read. I'm not one to shy away from a few curse words, (I'm a firefighter it comes with the territory), but this book had a lot of unnecessary cursing and gross details. There were a lot of chapters about Raymonds alcoholism that we're unnecessary for the story. I think it was in effort to develop the character but it was monotonous to me.

I think this book has potential and needs more polishing. This is just my opinion, other paranormal/mystery lovers may like it more than I did. Happy reading!

I really liked the sound of this one. I found it a quick read and enjoyed the different elements. Great characters and a really thrilling and spine tingling. I found the timelines easy to follow as well which can often be an issue with this type of book

I loved this book. And adventure story with a haunted twist that will keep you guessing until the end. Not my "normal" type of read but I'm so glad I branched out a bit. I admire how well Mr. Riley can take you to the woods and place you right in the protagonist's shoes.

This one is hard to put down, and why would you? Stay on the roller coaster until it's over.

Thank you Netgalley, Imbrifex Books and Brett Riley for free e-ARC in return of my honest review.

City of Comanche, Texas, is shaken by double murder near the old train depot. Witnesses describe the killer was dressed like an old-time gunslinger, but the rumor has it that it is a ghost of long dead Piney Woods Kid, who was brutally murdered in late 1880s. The team of investigators from New Orleans comes for the rescue.

As a person, who never been to Texas, I think the author did a great job setting up a scene with descriptions of the surroundings and they way the characters talk. On the other hand, plot and character-wise the story fell short for me. In terms of plot - I didn’t find it entertaining. At first, the idea was nice and there was some potential but by the end of it, it turns out as a Western-blockbuster type of book with little explanation. I also found that it was too slow of built with not-exciting culmination. Character-wise it wasn’t a hit for me too. If male characters were more or less developed, female ones were just there. They felt flat and boring.

Overall, I think I wasn’t right audience for Comanche.

An old west atrocity becomes a modern day ghost story. Even psychopathic killers have feelings, which a posse finds out after they disrespect an outlaw's body, pinning his murderous ghost to the site. Over a hundred years later, investigators come to Comanche, Texas, to rid the town a second time of the Piney Woods Kid. Humor and irony abound in this delightful tale of a pissed off ghost. I highly recommend this book for fans of ghost stories, westerns, and cozy mysteries. I was fortunate to received a digital copy from the publisher Imbrifex Books through NetGalley.

Such an interesting read. Brett Riley managed to weave a story that mixes so many genres. Thank you to the publishers for a chance to read this book.

I finished “Comache”, a western ghost story and murder mystery. As an avid horror/ thriller reader, the story line was refreshing for me.

Raymond and Leblanc are two private investigators. Raymond, who recently lost his wife, has started abusing alcohol to forget the pain. Leblanc tries to help Raymond so that the alcoholism does not destroy their business but is unsuccessful at pulling Raymond out of his misery. Absolutely nothing works until two people are killed at his sisters diner in Comanche, Texas. Rumor is that a ghost did it! Is it a cowboy ghost? Is it not?

The characters, in my opinion, were extremely
well developed. The readers gets a
sense for who they are and their personalities with out much backstory. I loved Raymond and Leblanc’s banter in the book. It really brought the characters to life. I was able to connect with all the characters and felt a loss when something bad happened.

I loved the overall plot of this book and enjoyed the pacing. There were plenty of high octane action scenes and gore to keep me interested. I felt that this book was set up very well. The first chapter tells the historical back story and then the book fast forwards 130 years to the future for chapter two. At this point, the mystery begins to unfold.


The end of the book wrapped up quite nicely, but I felt there was a bit of repetition as the story was ending. 4.5 ⭐️

Comanche seemed to have what it took to be a great little ghost story. It started off strong. The old west and all of its romantic mythology laid bare in a scene of brutality. There is no mystery here. The ghost of the outlaw butchered in the opening scenes comes back to kill the descendants of those who did the cutting. It's not a new story but it can be good if done right. And sometimes it is. The characters are all there. The politician, the indigenous people, the cop, his tough wife, the PIs...Every one of them I wanted to see in action. There were times in which the reading flowed and I got caught up in the story. And then there were times were it got slow and nothing much happened and no characters were really developed. Those times I wanted to skim. The book picked up again but that time left an impression. You just kind of knew what was going to be happening and you went along hoping to enjoy the ride. I mostly did.

COMANCHE is Brett Riley’s debut novel—a supernatural western horror story filled with heart, humor, and of course, murder.

’In 1887 near the tiny Texas town of Comanche, a posse finally ends the murderous career of The Piney Woods Kid in a hail of bullets. Still in the grip of blood-lust, the vigilantes hack the Kid’s corpse to bits in the dead house behind the train depot. The people of Comanche rejoice. Justice has been done.

’The year is now 2016. Comanche police are stymied by a double murder at the train depot. Witnesses swear the killer was dressed like an old-time gunslinger.’

A bit of a mystery steeped in the supernatural? Yes, Please! I enjoyed reading COMANCHE, told from the perspective of characters I had no trouble rooting for, though the storyline felt a bit flat to me; I'm looking forward to reading what Riley comes up with next.

Thank you, NetGalley and IMBRIFEX BOOKS, for loaning me an eGalley of COMANCHE in exchange for an honest review.

i really loved the mixture of horror and western, I wish we had more of this genre. The author was able to create a interesting world and I liked the characters.

Equal parts Western, ghost story, and crime thriller, Comanche should have been a two-barrel explosion of genre-bending fun. Instead, it was a mediocre procedural with repetitive themes and, annoyingly, no quotation marks. Author Brett Riley devised a unique plot and built around it a world of lore. He also succeeded at mixing in deep, realistic character development. Unfortunately, this all combines into a weak gumbo screaming for spice.

Comanche tells the tale of the Piney Woods Kid, a ghost seeking vengeance for his brutal death in 1887. With ghostly, and fatal, ammunition that reads like a device gleaned from a Marvel comic, the Kid sets out to kill the modern-day descendants of those who done him wrong. Enter Raymond and LeBlanc, two PIs from New Orleans with familial ties to Comanche, Texas. Their quest is for two Grails: stop the killings, and find a Texas equivalent for their beloved crawdad po’boys.

Those little details, like throwing a New Orleans duo deep into the heart of Texas, is the shining savior of this read. Riley builds believable, enjoyable characters complete with the burden of dreams and a mess of flaws. Many of those flaws are endlessly repeated over and over like an Emmitt Smith touchdown run against the Cardinals. The daily grind of the investigation does not properly translate into compelling reading. Too many pauses. Too many personal interactions. Not enough gris gris.

Riley sets up the situation but resigns to playing on the outskirts of a genre read, never getting dirty from the soil by totally jumping on in. Comanche should have been a daring read. And scary. And fun. Rather, this is as safe as an episode of CSI: Des Moines.

Heaps of jambalaya to Netgalley and Imbrifex Books for the advance readers copy.

Not a ghost town, but a Western combined with a ghost story! The Piney Woods Kid is violently killed by a posse in 1887 near Comanche, Texas. Over 100 years later in 2016, people are being killed in Comanche by 'an old-time gunslinger'. Call in the PIs from New Orleans and you got a thriller! A fun read, but I wanted more 'ghosts'. Sometimes repetitive and wordy, but entertaining. Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 Stars

Comanche is a thriller/murder mystery type of book.
It's nonstop action keeps your interest through out . The plot was not what I was expecting but I enjoyed the fast pace of it. The characters grew on me and I wouldn't mind seeing them in another book by this author.
Lots of action from beginning to end will keep you well entertained.

Pub Date 01 Sep 2020
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
In this ghostly tale of violence and revenge, strong characters abound. The opening salvo sets a macabre tone for the rest of the novel. Piney Woods Kid is dead after terrorizing the town of Comanche, Texas; or is he? Interesting concept and will appeal to the lovers of ghost stories and horror novels.
Triggers: violence, language, occult
This is not a favored genre for me but it was fast paced and a blend of history and modern crime which was enjoyable.

I enjoyed my read of Comanche. The writing style, the changing of the voices was something I found myself really comfortable with. But I wish we'd had less mention of the character's (what felt to be) exaggerated grief and more expansion of the supernatural elements.