“Mr. Paul, a veteran rancher as well as an author, writes fine action scenes, and his descriptions of nature and animals can seem just as thrilling.” —Tom Nolan, Wall Street JournalFor readers of Craig Johnson and C. J. Box, a taut, fast-moving contemporary thriller that builds to an explosive, action-filled conclusion.The third book in the acclaimed western thriller series that debuted with … thriller series that debuted with Under Tower Peak—named one of the Ten Best Mysteries of the Year by the Wall Street Journal—See That My Grave Is Kept Clean once again features Iraq War sniper and Eastern Sierra packer Tommy Smith. With his new wife, Deputy Sheriff Sarah Cathcart, and their baby daughter, he is building a home and a new life as he opens his own pack outfit in the high country of his youth.
When a young girl is reported lost in the canyon above their home, Tommy leads the search, but instead of the missing child, he discovers a corpse that may hold the key to a long-unsolved local bank theft and a fortune in stolen cash. The FBI is called in. Though Tommy tries not to get involved, the promise of easy money has lured unsavory characters from the hard streets of Reno, and speculation about the missing cash is undermining the social fabric of their little town.
Facing threats to his family and the way of life he is fighting to preserve, Tommy must call on all his skills to uncover the connection between the missing girl and the long-dead body—a link that will inevitably lead to an explosive showdown deep in the Sierra wilderness.
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This is the third book in this series but I read it as a standalone and was able to understand the story.It is mainly about the main character Tommy smith who is a Iragie War Vet that just wants to live in peace with his family but things just keep happening. It has a good mystery and was fast moving. Well developed characters and I loved the discription of the area made it so you could envision where it was taking place. Was a good read to pass the time .
A whole lot of everything – language, jargon, love, animals, deception, hard-working, hard-living people
As in the previous books in this series it is easy to associate with the characters and be reluctant to put the book down before you find out what is going to happen.
I enjoyed the original story line, about a man whose work is packing folks into the high country for adventure. Of course, there is a story within a story, along with some bad guys who try to mess everything up while searching for a fortune. I like the characters in the story. I think others will, too.
This fine book takes you into Bart Paul’s Eastern Sierras on a fast-paced thrill ride with an electric and unexpected ending. An exceptional contemporary western.
Bart Paul delivers a barrelhouse of a story, a tight and lyrical tale of malfeasance and evil, splashed vividly against a stunning Sierras backdrop. A terrific book.
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