Broken Truth is my first by Reavis Wortham. Modern day cowboys written very nicely. It was a fast paced thriller that really holds your attention. Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen and of course Reavis Wortham for bringing this book to my attention.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

The Broken Truth by Reavis Wortham is a gripping thriller that plunges readers into a world of mystery, danger, and deception. Wortham, known for his Red River series, crafts a standalone novel that showcases his talent for creating intricate plots and compelling characters.

The story follows Texas Ranger Sonny Hawke, who is called to investigate a series of brutal murders in the small town of Ballard. As Hawke delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a web of lies and corruption that threatens to unravel the very fabric of the community. The tension escalates as Hawke races against time to stop a killer who is always one step ahead.

Wortham’s writing is taut and suspenseful, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. His portrayal of the rugged Texas landscape adds a vivid backdrop to the unfolding drama, enhancing the sense of place and atmosphere. The characters are well-drawn and multi-dimensional, with Hawke standing out as a determined and resourceful protagonist.

Wortham balances action with emotional depth. Wortham explores themes of justice, loyalty, and the impact of past traumas on the present. The relationships between the characters, particularly Hawke’s interactions with his colleagues and the townspeople, add layers of complexity to the narrative.

The plot is filled with twists and turns, keeping readers guessing. Wortham skillfully weaves together multiple storylines, creating a rich tapestry of intrigue and suspense. The pacing is brisk, with each chapter propelling the story forward and building momentum.

The Broken Truth is a standout thriller that will appeal to fans of crime fiction and suspense. Wortham’s masterful storytelling and keen eye for detail make this a must-read for anyone looking for a thrilling and immersive reading experience. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Wortham’s work or new to his writing, this novel is sure to leave a lasting impression.

The Broken Truth by Reavis Z. Wortham
A Tucker Snow Thriller #2

My ~ Oh My ~ What a great addition to a thrilling series!

What I liked:
* Tucker: widow, single parent, needs time to grieve but always there for his teenage daughter, strong, lethal, has his own moral code, has been uncover with his brother, thought his job with the TSCRA would be easier, seems to be “snakebit” more often than desired ~ Love him and want to see more of him
* Harley: Tucker’s younger brother, partner when under cover in the past, family man, married to Tammy with two young sons, adopting Jimma, a bit hyper, in synch with Tucker on the job, civilian with a business of his own
* The relationship between Tucker and Harley and they way they work fluidly as a team
* Chloe: strong, resilient, survivor, good friend to Jimma, has been through a lot, missing her mother and younger sibling, would like to just be a teenager at some point in time – as would Jimma
* Tammy: Harley’s wife, strong, lethal, protective, good mother, loving wife, can identify with her
* Russel & Jenny: good friends, strong, capable, there for those they care about
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* That I felt part of the story and cared about the outcome
* That some of the criminals wore gray rather than black hats and perhaps some can change their ways
* Being made aware of the part the oil industry and its product has on the world
* That it made me think
* Knowing there is another book to look forward to

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Wendell Cross, who he works for, the methods and means he used to implement his plans, and his disregard for just about everything – except himself

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks-Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC – this is my honest review.

5 Stars

2nd Book in the Tucker Snow series that crosses several of my favorite genre, mystery, western and lots of thriller action. Reavis Wortham is a prolific author with several excellent series in his library and it's evident in the quality of this series. Set in the Oklahoma/Texas cattle areas, Tucker Snow accepted a job from the Cattleman's Associations to police their members. This allows the recent widower to spend time with his teenage daughter. The first book in this series was awesome, this one the same.
Wortham built a realistic community and populated it with characters that are so three dimensional, he must have met them in real life. Good guys or bad, their place in the story fits them. There are not many authors who can so completely blend the everyday lives of the characters into the plot and have readers so engrossed they miss sleep to find out how it ends.
Investigating a string of cattle thefts will take Tucker, along with Harley and his gang, into the middle of the mystery death of a rancher and the questionable probate of his estate. What started as a few questions will lead to blood and bullets as Tucker's curiosity comes close to killing him.

Tucker Snow, Cattle Cop and his brother Harley, retired law enforcement, are at it again in the second book of the Tucker Snow Mystery Series.

Local cattle are missing and along with the missing cattle, some of the ranchers are as well. There just is something wrong with this scenario. Tucker is warned, but that just makes him want to get to the truth. What follows is a harrowing ride throughout Northwestern Texas as Tucker and Harley race to keep their families safe from a seemingly unstoppable foe.

I was amazed with the 'new technology' that the author adds to the drama. If these new tech devices are real, we're all being surveilled...all the time! That's kind of a scary thought. Although most of us know, with our smart phones, we're being tracked daily. The other high tech gadgets are just over the top!

An excellent read with lots of twists and turns. The book was a bit slow in the beginning for me, but quickly picked up speed and I couldn't put it down.

Action, suspense, and a suspicious death combine with fantastic characters in this contemporary western crime thriller. This is book two in the Tucker Snow series and the story is set soon after book one. Tucker and his daughter Chloe are living on a ranch near Ganther Bluff in Red River County, Texas. They relocated here after Tucker’s wife and youngest daughter were killed in a car wreck.

After leaving his job as an uncover narcotics agent for the Texas Department of Public Safety, Tucker has taken a job as a special ranger for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, the oldest livestock alliance in Texas. While a lot of what he deals with is cattle rustling, he also deals with ranch equipment thefts and other items.

In this case, he’s chasing some rustlers, but when a visit to a local rancher is followed by attempted bribes and threats, Tucker believes there’s more going on than rustling. His brother Harley once again joins him in his investigation.

Great characterization is something you can count on from this author. Tucker is still grieving the loss of his wife and daughter while trying to support Chloe as she grieves and goes through normal teenage angst. He is detail oriented, a planner, and pursues justice. He has a strong moral code but doesn’t always play by the official rules when it comes to protecting his family and friends.

The book is disquieting and unsettling at times with plenty of exciting scenes, drama, and action. Once again readers know many of the antagonists early in the book. However, it didn’t detract from the journey of following Tucker’s investigation. The world-building is fantastic and takes readers to rural eastern Texas. The action-packed chase scene in the early chapters is just the beginning of the action. A few twists and turns in the plot added to my curiosity and engrossment in the story. The novel highlights greed, grief, family, friendship, various types of crimes, dangerous coverups, the rural grapevine, contrasts between those living in the city versus those living in the country, and much more.

Overall, this was a tense, riveting novel with a story arc that kept me engaged throughout. While this series is best read in order, enough background is provided to allow this to be a standalone novel as well. Those who enjoy contemporary western crime thrillers will likely enjoy the series. I can’t wait to see where the author takes the next book in the series.

Poisoned Pen Press and Reavis Wortham provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for August 20 2024.

Tucker Snow is a special ranger for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Assn. He shows up at most stock sales and verifies the shipping tickets with the stock actually brought to market. Trying to catch cattle thieves is a full time and very dangerous job.

Tucker’s brother Harley often assists him tracking lost shipments. He has a quick wit and even quicker temper. Together they team up to reduce the amount of thefts. The banter between them is hilarious as they continue to track the bandits.

Revis has woven this story into a very believable narrative. Large scale profits attract high-level, cold-blooded thieves. Consortiums grow and the biggest thieves get the richest. Can Tucker and Harley thwart these thieves? Read and Enjoy! 5 stars – CE Williams

I overall genially liked this book. I did struggle keeping up with whose points of view I was reading at the beginning of each chapter, and I appreciated all the background information provided about the setting. It was very reliable, because this is the area I live in.

Wonderful characters. Great storyline and there are cowboys. Twists and turns you wont see coming and so much more.

The Broken Truth is another action packed thrill ride featuring cattle agent Tucker Snow and his brother Harley. The book is part of a series but could probably be read as a standalone. Tucker and Harley always find trouble and it’s rarely related to cattle. While he’s supposed to be investigating stolen cattle, Tucker stumbles into a dangerous cover up of radioactive materials that is causing cancer in local ranchers. The bad guys come for Tucker and his family and the Snow brothers serve up their own renegade brand of justice. Action packed and full of hard hitting vengeance, the Snow brothers kill all villains and let God sort them out attitude is the whole reason I love these books. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon review copy from NetGalley.

Tucker Snow is back in The Broken Truth by master storyteller Reavis Z. Wortham. This time it's not only cattle that's disappearing, it is ranchers as well. Tucker has his work cut out for him and once again family plays a big part in the story. In my opinion this series is not the best one by this great author but it'is still a damn good read. I have never felt let down by any books from Wortham and he has a wonderful way of creating fantastic characters and settings, he has stories that spans most of Texas history now and there is another series I still haven't started yet but that is my fault. If you like stories about rural Texas and swift justice then I recommend that you try this author. I must thank Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for supplying me with this advance copy of a great book.

Tucker Snow is a “cattle cop” in Texas and in the course of his job, he stumbles into a mystery that goes way beyond the scope of his jurisdiction when a local rancher dies and everything with his property is quickly and quietly dealt with. Tucker and his retired law enforcement brother, Harley, can’t help but dig deeper to find out what’s really going on in their area. No one would expect the mystery to unfold and endanger Tucker and his family. There’s nothing some people won’t do for money and corporate greed is rampant in this story. This book was well written, full of twists and turns along with the sinister actions of criminals. I feel that it was a bit slow to get into, but once the action picked up, it was an easier read.

Tucker and his brother, Harley, don’t seem to purposely look for trouble, it just keeps finding them. As a special ranger for the Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, Tucker covers a vast area in both Texas and Oklahoma regions. I enjoy how the brothers interact and their similarities as well as their differing personality traits. They play well off each other.
Tucker is following up on an uptick in cattle rustling. A friendly stop at a rancher’s place sets in motion a chain of strange events. The plot took unexpected turns as the story unfolded. I thought it was a fresh look at the oil industry conglomerates. It kept me engaged and guessing how it would play out. The story has a Western vibe but is modern and fresh. I know I’ve stated this before, but I must reiterate how wonderful it is to find an author I love from my native Texas. Having grown up in North Texas many of the places in this series are very familiar and Mr. Wortham makes them come alive. His characters are authentic, interesting, and he draws the reader into their lives. I will read more from this wonderful author and can’t wait for more in the series.
NetGalley provided an advanced reader’s copy of “The Broken Truth” Tucker Snow Thriller #2, by Reavis Z. Wortham, publisher Sourcebooks, Poisoned Pen Press, expected publication 08/20/2024. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

Need a cowboy “fix”? Well modern day cowboys may not remind me of Gene and Roy, but the bad guys are just as evil and have found new ways to practice their evil trade. Seeing just how extensive their reach extends is the problem for our protagonists as they must find ways to let the good guys win.