“I know this may come as a shock to you, Ranger, but the world is bigger than Texas.”

Strong from the Heart by Jon Land is Book 11 in the Caitlin Strong series, but it can still be enjoyed as a standalone novel. Thrills and suspense are definitely on the menu in this action-packed, electrifying fiction about opioid addiction and the ruthless, greedy people responsible for getting those drugs into the hands of kids. The bulk of the novel takes place in Houston and San Antonio, Texas, but an event in the Texas border town of Camino Pass sets the mystery aspect of Strong from the Heart into motion. What killed every resident in this small town so quickly and thoroughly? Were there any survivors? Was it an act of terrorism or biowarfare? Was the death of an entire town connected in any way to the spike in the country’s opioid addiction and deaths? Are the sins of the past coming to roost in the present? Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong is on the case to find answers but ends up asking more questions and tracking bad people into the underbelly of a drug enterprise and nefarious schemes that stretches all the way to Washington D.C.

Strong from the Heart is the perfect choice for anyone who loves a heart-pounding fiction that is riddled with drugs, bullets, Texas Ranger history, and a plot with enough twists and turns to make you want to go back and read the first ten books in the series, if you haven’t already. With his excellent writing style, Jon Land knows how to hook the reader right from the start, providing just enough action and superb character development to keep the reader engaged page after page, especially with a strong female protagonist at the helm. The overall plot is intricate and intriguing but not too convoluted, with the added bonus of story time when Caitlin learns how her great-granddad, Texas Ranger William Ray Strong, had his own adventures that involved Pancho Villa, kidnapped children, and Gatling guns in the late 1890s. Discovering the connection between William Ray’s story back in the day and Caitlin’s current drama is both exciting and disheartening because of the real-world truth that greed remains constant throughout the ages, and children will always be easily exploited and quickly stolen right before our eyes, both literally and figuratively. But there is more afoot in the present day scenario that is completely unbelievable and horrifying. Will Caitlin and the rest of her crew stop such total destruction in time? Only one way to find out, but watch out of that ending. It’s a total blast!

I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.

Strong from the Heart is book number 11 in the Caitlin Strong series, but the first of these that I’ve read, and I’m not ashamed to say that I’m hooked, but then, I’d be hooked on any story that starts (well, after a prologue featuring a traumatized mailman wandering in the desert) with a woman facing down ICE, Texas Ranger or not.

Still Caitlin Strong is a breathtaking character: competent, compassionate, and evidently the kind of person who seems to get caught up in trouble. As she points out more than once, “I haven’t shot anyone today,” and that last word tells us everything about her.

In this story, Caitlin is both solving the mystery of the death of the entire population of a small town, while also juggling with the fact that her lover’s son has overdosed on opioids obtained illegally at school. As the story expands, she tries to remain a Texas Ranger first, and a woman second, and it’s that dichotomy that really made me fall in love with the character.

Jon Land’s talent for believable dialogue only made this entire novel seem more vivid, and I love the fact that so many of his characters are just a little bit bigger than life. This book takes place in a heightened version of our own reality – different enough to clearly be fiction, but similar enough to make it seem plausible. Riding that line takes a special talent, and Land’s balance work is impeccable.

As someone who really isn’t a fan of westerns, I was a little leery when I realized this was a double-timeline story, half of it an incident from 125 years before, that had been related to Caitlin by her great-grandfather, also a Texas Ranger. That part of the story involves some very famous figures from American and Mexican history – western history – and even I was familiar with the names, grinning when the first was revealed.

Part mystery, part western, part action-adventure, this novel has something for everyone. It’s a decent length at 368 pages, but it’s well-paced, and reads much faster than you might expect. Familiarity with earlier installments of Caitlin’s story might have given me a slightly deeper meaning, but it works as a standalone as well – I never felt lost, or like I was missing connections.

I’m eager to read more of Caitlin’s adventures, and plan to go back and read the first ten novels in this series, but I also hope there’s more to come.

Goes well with carne asada street tacos and Mexican beer – I recommend Indio or Bohemia.

There's nothing quite like jumping into a series with ten books behind it! However, with a strong female protagonist and a story rooted in Texas, there was no way that I could pass up the chance to read this one.

Opening with an unforgettable ear-worm and closing with poignant self-discovery, this is an edgy and intense thriller packed with high stakes subplots that masterfully converge. Exploring the past explains the present and readers are thrust into the competent hands of Ranger Caitlin Strong as she takes on the opioid crisis. Short, fast-paced chapters keep the tension and suspense mounting until the very end. Driven by quick, focused, and earnest dialogue, the plot grabs your attention and the author's deft storytelling keeps the pages flying!

Although this was the 11th book in the series, I honestly never felt that I was missing anything; however, considering the numerous and dynamic relationships Caitlin shares with so many of the secondary characters, my interest is definitely piqued to find out more about these connections by reading more about her backstory within the previous books. I was immediately drawn into the story and characters from the very beginning, and can't wait to spend more time with them as I make my way through the series and wait for future installments.

"'When things go from bad to worse, blood often gets spilled. What do you say we do our best to keep the street dry today?'"

Caitlin is such an incredibly well developed character. She is likeable, strong-willed, and just vulnerable enough to make her even more relatable to readers. The story is filled with so much danger, intrigue, and a passionate cast of secondary characters all willing to do their part to stop corruption and injustice. Following various perspectives across the story provides great insight and a spectacular insider's view of not just the investigation, but the unsettling underbelly of the criminal world. With immense compassion and the right amount of curiosity, Ranger Strong solidifies her footprint among other great female investigators. This story is smart, perceptive, riveting, fast paced, and incredibly hard to put down.

"Strongs have been Rangers almost as long as there's been a Texas. I never really had to wonder, since I grew up with all the stories about their exploits."

Each part opens with a small biography about a distinguished Texas Ranger in history. Elements of many genres make this an excellent selection for fans of historical fiction, mystery, thriller, and action. And with his attention to detail and the ultimate unveiling of all the seemingly unrelated plot threads, the story makes for an enthusiastic reread for literary analysis...or is that only me?

I'm so glad that I found this series! Ranger Strong is certainly a force to be reckoned with and should not be missed!

Strong from the Heart by Jon Land takes on the drug culture. The son of her lover, Cort Wesley Masters, nearly dies of a drug overdose after attending a party. Then there is the investigation of a town of 300+ residents that have all died in one night. How in the world could something like that happen? How did they die?

Caitlin Strong has to figure out what is going on in these two instances. They both appear to be connected somehow. But how? Caitlin is a Texas Ranger but in this case, Homeland Security, and other people involved in the case, her half sister Nola and Captain Guillermo Paz. Cort Wesley even has a ghost who encourages him on.

There is the side story of Caitlin's Great Great Grandfather, William Ray Strong, one of the first Texas Ranger. This side story also included Pancho Villa. At this point in the story, we learn that it involves Cameron Pass, the same town where all the people died. How are they related?

This is the 11th book in the Caitlin Strong series. You know when you read a series, it can get bogged down and boring? Not this series. I have not read all the books but have read a few. I enjoy the side story as much as the story of Caitlin and how she handles the investigation. This one tackles the horrible illicit drug dealings and the fact that the people involved are really high up in the government.

I loved the love-hate relationship between Caitlin and her half-sister Nola Delgado. Nola is in a relationship with Cort Wesley's son Dylan and Caitlin hates it. Nola is a psychopath and a killer. Not the kind of person she wants Dylan to associate with. But Caitlin needs her assistance in solving part of the criminal activities that are going on. The mystery of why all those people died in one town, how are the drugs being distributed and by whom, how is the government involved?

I loved the book, the excitement, the page-turner of a book. I love a book that has all the elements that this one does. We do have a drug problem in this country and I think the author did a good job writing about it and I look forward to reading the next one. Fingers crossed that there is one coming.

This was fun. I thought I'd read all of the series, but apparently I've missed one or two. I didn't know about the sister. I'll have to go back and catch up sometime.

I read this in one day, just settled in and got sucked into the story. I'm working on a book talk for my library on Damsels Causing Distress and this series was the first thing I thought of. I'm absolutely recommending this.

Since the inception of the Texas Rangers, there has been a member of the Strong family serving as a Ranger. Caitlin Strong is a fifth-generation Texas Ranger and just as fierce and awe-inspiring as her forebears. One of the many things I enjoy about reading the Caitlin Strong series is how Caitlin's present-day adventures often mirror those of her father, grandfather, great-grandfather, or great-great-grandfather. In <b>Strong From the Heart</b>, Caitlin is battling enemies on several fronts, including one with a very personal link to the children she's helping to raise with her significant other, Cort Wesley Masters. Dylan Torres, Cort Wesley's youngest son, has recently suffered an opioid overdose and the drugs were provided to him at his boarding school. Although Caitlin and Cort Wesley have often battled against enemies that have brought the fight a bit too close to home for comfort, this one has far-reaching ties and may require all of the help they can muster. While Caitlin is trying to reign in Cort Wesley from eliminating all drug dealers from the face of Texas, she must also work to find out who caused the deaths of close to 300 residents of a border town and the subsequent murder of a survivor. Will Caitlin and Cort Wesley be able to find the answers to their family's drug issue before it's too late? Is it possible the deaths of the border town residents due to cyanide gas are linked to the opioid crisis and if so, how and who is responsible? If the deaths aren't linked to the opioid crisis, then what was the reason for the deaths and who is responsible?

If you've been following me for any length of time, then you know I enjoy re-reading books. Yes, I often re-read books when I should be reading new books. So of course, I spent the past eight days re-reading the entire Caitlin Strong series in preparation for reading the newest addition, <b>Strong From the Heart</b>. I know, I know, I've told you that I love this series. You probably thought I was exaggerating. I wasn't. I read the newest addition in one day even though I was dealing with a severe migraine AND back spasms. Let me tell you when you can't comfortably sit upright or even recline, your pain medication isn't working, and you can't turn on a light or even have any music playing in the background but you continue to read, then you must enjoy the book you're reading, right?! I recently described Caitlin Strong as a combination of Wonder Woman, Annie Oakley, and the Lone Ranger. She's someone that is always out seeking the truth and fighting for justice no matter what. Caitlin isn't exactly a social advocate, but she does constantly get into "good trouble" by fighting for what's right. She's willing to stand up for the underdog even against seemingly insurmountable odds and she isn't afraid to go up against anyone, including the federal government when necessary. Case in point, she begins in <b>Strong From the Heart</b> by thwarting ICE agents from "taking several school children into custody" by putting them into "protective custody" as "material witnesses" for the Texas Rangers. She stands up against Homeland Security on a regular basis and has even stood up against US Senators. <b>Strong From the Heart</b> brings back a number of cast regulars, including Captain D.W. Tepper - Caitlin's Texas Ranger boss, Colonel Guillermo Paz - a former Venezuelan Colonel/assassin/current guardian anger, Cort Wesley Masters - Caitlin's significant other/former mob enforcer/retired military, Dylan Torres - Cort Wesley's eldest son and current student at Brown University, Luke Torres - Cort Wesley's youngest son and current boarding student at the Village School in Houston, Jones/Smith - former Homeland Security agent, Dr. Whatley - Rangers' pathologist, Nola Delgado - Caitlin's half-sister/assassin/pseudo-pharmaceutical representative, William Ray Strong - Caitlin's great-grandfather and a Texas Ranger, and Pancho Villa (yes, that Pancho Villa). As always with a Caitlin Strong story, there are bad guys and worse guys. One of the bad guys in this story is an "enforcer" that seems to enjoy killing for the sake of killing and suffers from "congenital insensitivity to pain" or an inability to feel physical pain. (You can tell that's not going to end well.) The worse guys, in my estimation, are the ones that have hired the enforcer and are willing to do whatever it takes to protect themselves and their goals, which is ultimately making money and gaining more power. This story has a lot going on, as with all of the Caitlin Strong stories, including family angst and drama, government intrigue, behind-the-scenes power-brokering, prescription pain addiction, legal and illegal drug dealing (on a massive scale), mass murder, intrigue, and more. Yes, I could give you specifics, but if I did you wouldn't want or need to read the book and you really need to read this book! Seriously, if you're into suspense, thrillers, or books filled with twisted action and believable (and unbelievable but in a good way) characters, then you'll want to read this book. For those of you that are just as addicted to Caitlin's exploits as I am, you'll definitely want to grab a copy of <b>Strong From the Heart</b> if you haven't already purchased a copy. For those of you that haven't already started the Caitlin Strong series, spend your staycation by starting with book one in this series, <b>Strong Enough to Die</b>, and read all the way through to <b>Strong From the Heart</b>. Trust me after the first book, you'll be just as hooked as I am. The books are well-written, the stories well researched, the characters realistic, and the action based on real-life scenarios. I look forward to reading more about Caitlin and her exploits accompanied by her band of misfits in the future (okay, they're more like a dysfunctional family than misfits, but you get the point). I really don't want this series to end and am hoping that there were be a few more additions to the Caitlin Strong series before it eventually ends. So, while I wait for the next Caitlin Strong book, I'll probably spend some time re-reading a few books in this series to tide me over.

Happy Reading, y'all!

Caitlin Strong, Texas Ranger, is certainly a force to be reckoned with. She pulls no punches. And her half sister is even more lethal. Add to the mixture Caitlin's friends Colonel Paz and Cort Wesley and you've got a crime fighting crew like no other. This time they are fighting an opiate pipeline whose leadership goes high up in Washington, DC.

I like Land's writing style. The dialogue is brutal and unique. Sometimes it feels stilted but it is very engaging. The characters form a rag tag bunch. Each one is so different and their quirky characters are developed well. There is even a little magical realism thrown in with an imaginary character, or maybe not.

I like how Land brings the history of the Rangers into the plot as well. He does a good job of weaving the historical background into the narrative. Pancho Villa even makes an appearance.

I like how Land arranged the plot to explore the opiate issue. The drug running aspect is balanced by Caitlin's use of prescribed pain killers after her injuries from the last novel. Then, for added interest, Land throws in a little secret government activity from years ago, or is it unfounded conspiracy theory?

This is another entertaining novel from Land with plenty of action, a high body count, engaging characters, and an interesting plot.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

This review was posted on The Romance Dish on August 1, 2020. Link below.

Strong from the Heart delivers the same twisty plot, action, and character growth that have become hallmarks of this series. Land has a knack for crafting stories that play on issues of the time, such as the dangers of new 5G technology or, in this book, the opioid epidemic.

What keeps me reading the series, however, is not the great plotting but the characters. I picked up the first book, Strong Enough to Die, because I was intrigued by the title first and then by the blurb. In that book, Caitlin is a former ranger still struggling to come to terms with the end of her career. Her marriage isn’t in great shape, either. Her husband is back from the Middle East with amnesia, and things weren’t good between them when he left. As though she didn’t have enough trouble, former mob enforcer and ex-soldier Cort Wesley Masters has just been released from prison and is looking for Caitlin. He has committed more than enough criminal acts to justify far more time than he served, but he did not commit the crime for which she arrested him. He wants a word with her about that.

Cort Wesley finds Caitlin in the middle of a potentially lethal problem. The situation goes downhill from there, but they come out of it as reluctant allies. While that may seem highly improbable, Land has a knack for pulling off the enemies-to-allies-to-more trope. He has also written a series about a Shin Bet (the Israeli equivalent of the FBI) agent and a Palestinian-American detective. He finds commonality between disparate characters that makes their dynamic work.

Caitlin’s relationship with Cort Wesley develops slowly and must take into account his two sons by a deceased former lover. Through the series, Caitlin and Cort Wesley work to define and solidify their relationship as they and his sons gradually forge a family. By Strong From the Heart, the family bond is firmly established, but they face problems common to families everywhere. They must deal with those while confronting the larger threat of the main plot. If you don’t like series with continuing characters, this may not be for you. If you do, however, you may find this process as appealing as I do.

Ongoing supporting characters include Caitlin’s Texas Rangers captain and other rangers, the ghost of Cort Wesley’s deceased cellmate, and a former Venezuelan secret police operative who set out to kill Caitlin and instead, in part because he’s prone to self-examination and philosophy, has become part of her team.

Strong From the Heart opens with a mailman wandering the Texas desert, seemingly unaware of his surroundings. Agents from ICE intercept him. Tracing his straight-line path backward, they discover a small town where everyone is dead. They cordon off the area and assemble personnel to investigate. Caitlin Strong is the Texas Rangers’ liaison to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), so her captain sends her to join the investigation.

While Caitlin searches for the cause of this catastrophe, the opioid crisis hits home. One of Cort Wesley’s sons overdoses on Oxycontin and nearly dies. This sets Cort Wesley on a mission to shut off the drug supply that nearly killed his son.

Both Cort Wesley and Caitlin are up against powerful figures whose wealth insulates them from consequences. They live in the shadows and intend to rule from there. The pills they’re making and selling will generate even more wealth, and the sudden death of an entire town spurs them to think on a bigger scale by weaponizing a deadly product.

As the two investigations gradually become one, they turn up the heat on those responsible, who retaliate. After a confrontation with Caitlin, the pill pushers’ enforcer decides to take revenge in a very personal way. My one problem with the book, a small one, was that I wasn’t entirely sure the resolution of this situation was believable. I can’t say more without spoiling it.

Caitlin’s half sister, Nola Delgado, steps in to help Caitlin and Cort Wesley. The role she plays in the story and her connection to Caitlin, who didn’t know she existed until after their father’s death, is an interesting one. Where Caitlin goes for her gun only when she has no alternative, Nola revels in killing. In fact, she’s a professional assassin. Land uses her as a mirror for what Caitlin might otherwise have been and a warning of what Caitlin doesn’t want to become. At the same time, they struggle to determine how much of a relationship and how much similarity shared blood creates.

Also woven through the story, as usual, is a case handled by one of Caitlin’s Texas Ranger ancestors. This one involves Pancho Villa and Texas history and ties into the present case in a surprising way.

Obviously, this is a thriller, not a romance. But it’s a thriller with family woven through it. There’s also explosive action and a twisty plot.

Strong From the Heart stands alone but reading the earlier books, as with many thriller series, provides layers and shading to the characters.

Highly recommended. 5 stars

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

This is my first visit with Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong, and it won’t be my last! It is a fast-paced thrill ride, from a tiny Texas town to a long-term US government official with many cities of illegal opiate deaths exploding in between. The stakes have never been higher for Caitlin when the life of a loved one is on the line and a killer who has never been bested is after her. The mysteries are challenging, as even when the culprits are identified, proof must be found to take them down. Great-grandfather Texas Ranger William Ray Strong and Caitlin have many parallels in their professional lives, showing that history often repeats itself.

There is a rich legacy of Texas Rangers in Caitlin’s family, starting with her great-great grandfather. We get to see great-grandfather William Ray this time. It is 1898, and children in the border town of Camino Pass were kidnapped. A posse that included their fathers left days earlier and no word was heard from them. William Ray was there to pick up a prisoner to take to trial and imminent death for his crime of murder. William Ray and Pancho Villa rode off to look for the missing children before taking Villa to court. What they found was astounding, beyond what he could have ever anticipated.

In the present, Luke Torres is the son of former outlaw Cort Wesley Masters, a close friend of Caitlin’s. She had been a surrogate mother to him and his brother since their mother was murdered. Luke was in the hospital from an opiate overdose. Had his boarding school roommate not found him when he did, they would be planning a funeral.

Caitlin was in Camino Pass as part of the Surge Capacity Force team that responds to certain emergencies with Homeland Security. All the not quite 300 residents of the town were found dead of unknown causes. While searching the town, they discovered one survivor who had been in the back room of the clinic, sleeping off a drunk. They are to find what killed the residents, and whether it was an accident or a bioweapon attack. They also had to keep it out of the news to avoid an influx of lookie-loos and press before they learn the source.

Caitlin is torn, wanting to join forces with Cort Wesley to find who gave Luke the drugs and where they came from. She also has work to do with the team at Camino Pass where national security may be at risk. She is at the hospital where the survivor is being tested when the National Guard members standing guard are killed, along with the medical team in the isolation unit, and the survivor. Caitlin tracked the killer to the sub-basement, where she tried to bring down a huge man and injured him seriously before he got away. She is now in the crosshairs of a killer who fights to the death, has never lost, and has the indirect backing of a high-ranking government official.

The characters are very well defined; the protagonist and her friends and associates are very likable. Caitlin’s half-sister Nola is a wildcard, however. They have only known of each other’s existence a short time. Nola is a killer, a psychopath – or sociopath – who seems to enjoy killing those she executes. She has Caitlin’s back, however, and will go the distance to save her sister’s life. Watching the interplay between them is worth seeing. I like Caitlin and appreciate her standards and pride in being a Ranger. What I did learn about Cort Wesley and Colonel Paz is just enough to whet my curiosity for next time.

This is an intense, riveting masterpiece that traces some of the history of the Texas Rangers through real and legendary Rangers. It is also a tightly plotted novel of seemingly unrelated situations and challenging crimes for which only Caitlin and her colleagues could find solutions. The incredibly volatile, unpredictable ending is very satisfying, with all loose ends tied up; I highly recommend this, particularly to those who appreciate the history of the Texas-Mexico border and seeing the Texas Rangers in action.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

An entire town is wiped out. Each person died in their home as if they just fell asleep. What could have killed over three hundred people? Caitlin Strong, Texas Ranger, is on the case. When two survivors are found, perhaps an answer can be found as to why they didn’t die. Opioid use has hit Texas and becomes personal when Cort Wesley Masters’ younger son almost dies from an overdose. Cort, in his own take charge manner works to uncover who supplied the pills. With the help of the continuing secondary characters, can Caitlin and Cort solve both complex cases that seem to be connected in this thrilling story? Woven through each amazing Caitlin Strong story is the history of her past family members in the Texas Rangers. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Reading a thriller by Jon Land is like getting a visit from an old friend.
This book is no exception.
Caitlin and company still know how to kick butt without bothering to take names.
I usually enjoy the history lesson that Caitlin gets about one of the members of her family.
But this time, it felt little forced.
In this book, three different people told her the story. But without knowing where the other people left off, they all seemed to know exactly where the story should be picked up.
I still say that Mr. Land just needs to write a full on Western novel…

Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong charges in guns blazing once more in Jon Land's "Strong from the Heart", eleventh in this gripping series.

This time, she and Cort Wesley take on the opioid trade - not only Big Pharma but also some very powerful figures that pull the strings in the background. Said trade hit home hard for them both after Cort'Wesley's younger son almost died from an overdose.

Each episode is enlivened by fascinating Texas Ranger lore, and back stories about Caitlin's Ranger predecessors. Former secret police colonel Guillermo Paz continues to have Caitlin's back as does a fairly recent addition to the series, her newly discovered half sister.

The series is often over the top but always highly entertaining.

Wow! So many strands woven together bringing the past into the present and today’s opioid epidemic. Above-the-law politicians need to learn that nobody is beyond the reach of a Texas Ranger. Ranger Strong gets moving when her high school “son” overdoses. This starts the action which builds with so many characters joining the action, all with their own agendas and demons.