Finely crafted, sharp, and gripping… A knockout.
Set against the backdrop of West Texas, Sanderson’s intensely sharp latest takes readers on one man’s journey to redemption. Colton Parker, husband and father of two, is content being a bouncer for the loan shark Snake Popp. When Bullet Price, a retired whore and bar owner, approaches Colton about tracking the killers of her gay friend Danny Fowler, the latter reluctantly agrees, unaware of the upheaval awaiting him ahead. The narrative is reliably tense, and Sanderson is excellent when it comes to creating memorable images and sympathetic characters in a few strokes. He does an excellent job of showing Colten at two different points in his life and showing how he is continuously trapped between hope and guilt as he gives in to the needs of the time. Sanderson is excellent at writing the tiny, intimate moments and razor-sharp dialogue while his exceptional descriptions of West Texas bring the landscape fully alive in the reader’s mind. The finely crafted plot pulls in readers from the very first page as the richly drawn story which spans decades, reveals the extraordinary resilience of a man who gave all he could to his loved ones. Along the way, Sanderson delves into themes of family, friendship, revenge, redemption, racism, loyalty, love, and humanity’s capacity to adapt in the face of devastating circumstances. Distinguished by its striking execution and razor-sharp dialogue, the novel places Sanderson among the best of contemporary crime novelists. In a glut of gritty crime drama, this one stands out.
GAMBLED DREAMS
By Jim Sanderson
Moonshine Cove Publishing, LLC
Pub date March 1, 2021
ISBN 978-1952439049
Price $16.00 (USD) Paperback, $6.88 Kindle edition