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They Did What Had To Be Done
The Return: The Grass Isn’t Always Greener follows a rancher in Colorado who, after his wife is struck with a mysterious illness, moves his family to Denver only to be caught up in a web of deception and hidden enemies. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The Return is the third in the South Park series, all set in Colorado in the 1870s. It follows ranchers Ike and Lorraine McAlister as they struggle to survive in a fast-changing world. What they faced every day is not so different than what we face today, as days blur by in a seeming swirl.
How has character development for the main character changed for you through the series?
Ike McAlister is a strong protagonist who is also a flawed man. Much of what changes him is a result of his marriage to Lorraine, a steadfast, strong partner in a harsh world. He doesn’t have to carry the whole load, and relies on Lorraine throughout the series.
What intrigues you about this time period enough to write such a thrilling period piece?
I’ve always been intrigued by the grit of the Old West settlers. There was no whining, no complaining, no one was a victim, they just went about living and did what had to be done.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
Right now, there’s no fourth instalment planned, but I am working on another western mystery set in the time period between the end of the Civil War and 1900. Six short stories in one novel, all revolving around a mysterious pistol with a deadly past.
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Lorraine’s condition fails to improve, and Ike narrowly escapes a deadly attempt on his life. Soon, the couple finds themselves tangled in a web of deception, where hidden enemies plot their destruction. As suspicion deepens and threats draw closer, Ike and Lorraine must unravel the truth before it’s too late.
Will they survive long enough to expose the conspiracy, or will the shadows of Denver claim them both?
Perfect for fans of historical western thrillers, [Your Book Title] delivers suspense, grit, and heart in a world where survival is never guaranteed.
The Return
Mike Torreano’s The Return is a western that finishes his South Park series. The book follows Ike McAlister, a rancher in Colorado whose life gets very, very hard. A terrible blizzard hits his ranch, and his wife, Lorraine, becomes mysteriously ill. Then he gets a job offer from a man named Stilwell, a railroad boss who is also a secret enemy. Ike’s family moves to Denver, but this move is a trap. The whole story becomes a dark mystery. Stilwell is trying to destroy them, seeking revenge for a long-past death, and Ike and Lorraine must fight for their very lives.
I really got into this book. The writing itself is direct. It doesn’t use fancy words. It just tells the story. I liked that. It felt honest, just like the characters. The pace just keeps moving. You get a real feel for the high-country cold. It feels brutal. The book really dives into ideas of loyalty. It talks about revenge. It asks what you would do for your family. I felt a lot for Lorraine. Her sickness was a total mystery, and it made me feel helpless right along with Ike. The whole plot is a big tangled web of old wounds. It was a heck of a thing to unravel.
The central theme is definitely revenge. This story gets dark. Stilwell is a really nasty piece of work. He has no good side. He just wants to destroy people. I felt real anger at his plotting. I was on the edge of my seat. I worried about Ike. I worried about the kids. The book’s real heart is the McAlister family and their friends. They stick together. They have grit. The ending was my favorite part. It was a huge surprise. This felt like true frontier justice. It was a very powerful and smart way to end the mystery.
I absolutely recommend The Return. It’s a fantastic read. It has all the classic Western parts. You get cowboys. You get vast landscapes. You get sudden danger. But it is also a really good mystery. The plot is full of twists. I think this book is perfect for anyone who just loves a solid, traditional Western. It would also be great for someone who wants a fast-paced mystery, one with a lot of heart.
Pages: 338 | ASIN : B0FQX3BH8W
Review: The Return by Carter Vance
The Knights Templar are much more than a group of men with vague secrets. They are men of action. Men of power. And they have a purpose. They must safeguard the next coming of Christ. The time of the next coming has arrived and great evil stands in its way. The Templars must use all their training and power and influence to fight back against an enemy that has infiltrated the upper echelons of society and has inserted itself as a power player in politics, finance, and even the drug trade, all in preparation to thwart the prophecy that has yet to be fulfilled. Sarah and Peter Christos are the expectant parents of the next prophet and are wrapped up quickly in the Templar world. They have to fight not only for their lives, but for the life of their unborn child.
The Return is an impressive romp around the world. I thought at first that this book was going to be like The Da Vinci Code, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it’s more like Dan Brown meets Tom Clancy. Although, both aspects seem overtly contrived. While there is some interesting world history blended with fiction to the point where it’s hard to tell the two apart, other parts are a little too unbelievable. Example: At one point the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran gets a random visitor to his house. The man presents himself as a dead, but now resurrected, Imam from 800 years ago and the President accepts this with the guy basically saying ‘trust me, it’s me’ and the President proceeds to divulge some fairly important information to a person that just walked off the street (later it’s revealed that the man is not an Imam and is indeed a regular guy just trying to get information). Like the old order, the Templars’ in the book are a military order to its fullest realization. They’ve got secret military installations, tanker ships converted to mobile assault bases, fighter jets, and battalions of highly trained soldiers, but the weapons systems are a little too futuristic to fit into the Tom Clancy style of books and pushes the book into the science fiction genre; which is not necessarily a bad thing. While all the action and fighting and weapons were interesting what brought this book down a notch for me was that the whole book was delivered with a lack of basic literary devices. It’s not that these specific things are missing completely; it’s that the creative writing was missing from this very creative story. And instead the story is given in lines of facts; ‘he did this’, ‘she did that’, ‘they went over there’, and then a series of details of what a place looks like followed by a timeline of what happened. It’s unfair for me to say this book does it and none others do; it’s just that it’s more prominent in this story where other stories would cover it up with creative writing so you don’t really notice it. But back to my earlier statement; if you enjoy Tom Clancy-esque stories than this might be right up your alley, as the action and adventure take you on a wild ride around the world.
Pages: 317
ASIN: B0072VTEU2
Find out more about the author, Carter Vance at www.cartervancebooks.com
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