An American Kill

John Whicher #2

by John Stonehouse

                          Praise for An American Outlaw

 'a blistering slice of modern Americana...a fast-moving, tension filled manhunt...hooks the reader, brilliantly rendered.' RAVEN CRIME READS

'having spent time as a USAF Air Policeman riding with Tom Green County Sheriff and the Texas Highway Patrol makes the book more real...' STEVIE-JOE, AMAZON REVIEWS, OK.

'powerful, smart, action packed...' B.CASE, AMAZON TOP-5OO REVIEWS, CA.

'stunningly stylish...practically buzzing when I sat down to write the review...' PAUL RED OR DEAD

'relentless...a considerable achievement...' MURDER,MAYHEM&MORE.COM

'As a veteran, who also spent years in rural Texas, was able to relate and enjoy...' REV. STAN CHAPIN, AMAZON REVIEWSJohn Whicher is a US Marshal, not long out of training - barely twelve months back from serving in the Persian Gulf war. In south Texas, he's working his first case when a multiple shooting on the US / Mexico border leaves five non-documented aliens and one American dead. 
The county decides to limit any inquest - money's tight, deaths among illegals are notoriously hard to crack. But Whicher, new to law enforcement, is not about to let his first case slide. Who sets the limits, how are they defined? Can a man's terms be any other than his own?

Genres: Thriller

404 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 25, 2015

About the author

John Stonehouse writes the Amazon #1 bestselling Whicher Series.
His debut, An American Outlaw, gained wide acclaim among readers and reviewers alike - both it and the following books have gone on to become bestsellers at Amazon, Apple i-Books, Barnes & Noble and at Kobo.
A writer who's spent a lot of time traveling, both in the states and overseas, he’s interested in history, literature, music and poetry - and drawn to wide-open spaces; places few people go, inside or out.

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Reviews

[Tulay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story.

This was my first book written by this author, very different writing style. He knows south Texas landscape and talk. But y'all is used to refer to more than one person, and there are many men with big hats too. Murdered illegals being investigated by Marshall and FBI, money being made on the both sides of the border. Learned about Neural Tube Defect (NTD), toxic mold in the unprocessed corn that causes birth defects.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clean, sad novel with enough twists for a 60’s dance floor. Like this one and rest of series . Love the narrator (though I put the speed of narration up 2-5 notches.

[Ay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got bored and wandered off.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty damn good...border problems existed then as they do now. Still think with all the land in West Texas and the amount of people that want to better their lives by coming to this country, open borders with some control for letting in "bad guys" would be the best thing for this country. My dad and grandfather made this country better while helping make their families better. But I digress and realize that under MAGA regime, this country ain't going to get better for a while. As to the book, we get to see the main character at the start of his US Marshal career.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting story that had plenty of drama, excitement, twists, action, and human doubt. The story describes a newly certified US Marshal who's caught up in a murder investigation. This Marshal is also a vet, with a strong moral sense of doing the right thing. And this is where the meat of the story is because to everyone else, it's just a murder involving illegal aliens. Along the way to solving these murders, this Marshal steps on several toes, kinda disregards lawful boundaries, implicates his superiors, gets suspended, but ultimately solves the murders. The characters are dynamic and the author plays them well against each other, he has the office politics down to a tee, and the ending will catch you off guard.

[Philip Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set 20 years before the events in An American Outlaw which preceded it, this book finds a younger Marshall Whichever trying to find the murderer of a group of illegal immigrants.

As with the first book, the characters and sense of place pervade every page. It is not a fast-paced page-turner however. Instead the Marshall meanders back & forth across a range of border locations & characters as the hunt for the murderer heads towards its climax.

I enjoyed the book for its feeling of authenticity in terms of characters as well as place & time. A lot of police legwork is required to catch this murderer.

I'll be back for the third in this series

[Fred · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of young people are found murdered on the U.S.-Mexican border, most of them Hispanics. U.S. marshal, Whicher, investigates. He discovers the seedy side of the border where illegal immigration goes hand-in-hand with corruption and prostitution. This is not a bad book but I found some parts of the narration just a bit tedious. There's a lot of movement in the novel, people travelling from one place to another, but no real development of the characters. I find it difficult to really get into a book if the characters have no depth and the reader doesn't really understands what motivates them.

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A JS. Mystery Adventure Novel (TWSB - 2)/The Desert Near the Border/ 5 Men Killed

JS. has. penned the second. Novel in the Whicher series. In this episode we find the Marshall assigned to solve the murders of 5 men near the border. After the initial investigation the Marshal's office says, "Do not waste to much time on this problem." The assigned marshal gets upset because it's his first legitimate case. He continues to investigate. This is an excellent read for the genre. ....DEHS

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the second book in the series, but was actually a prequel to the first book. The main characters were the same, just younger, telling about the beginning of their careers and adventures. I liked this one just as well as the first book, the author definitely has a unique style of writing. It also piqued my curiosity of the history of south Texas, so I was diverted for a few hours in research! My only criticism was that there were so many new characters to remember. I should have made a list!

I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Texas Westerns!

[Michael Bowker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story but not as good as the first book in the series.

The author writes in the present tense, rather than the typical past tense, and I find that this style pulls me out of the story more often than a past tense style book. I have a feeling it is being done to portray a sense of immediacy and to being you into what the characters are experiencing, but it has the opposite effect on me.

The story itself is a good mystery but I didn’t find it as compelling as the first. Something similar to stories I have read previously.

[Rick Farlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

CHIRP AUDIOBOOK

Honestly, I purchased this audiobook because of the narration… Rodney Turner has a deep resonating voice that’s perfect for a crime thriller. The storyline itself is really confusing at times, requiring a lot of concentration to fully grasp the total picture, but it all works out in the end. The timing of the story is appropriate, based on the current border crisis and no doubt, there are many aspects of the real life story that are kept secret from all of us… The corruption and suffering is a true American Tragedy.

[Jeff Benham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serving a bench warrant is a bit more difficult when the bail jumper is also a coyote, someone who gets paid to get immigrants across the Mexican border. This is why Whicher and his boss, US Marshal Scruggs are there. Other law agencies are there with their own agenda, hoping to catch the coyotes in the act. Whicher comes across 4 dead immigrants and a dead coyote, who nobody but Whicher seems to care about His bail jumper was found dead later, so his job should have been over. That isn't how he operates. He needs to investigate where he is told not to and that lands him in a heap of trouble.

[Bob Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two is the origin story of Whicher, a case involving illegals, human smuggling, water contamination and corruption in the Marshall service. What a follow up to the first book! The style reminds me of the old television show, Dragnet,where the premise was "just the facts, ma'am". Except compared to this telling, Dragnet was James Lee Burke.
I listened to the audio version. The narrator's voice was gravelly enough to pave one of the roads Whicher drove his pickup on. It worked beautifully and I'm hooked on this series

[Loralee Lillibridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page Turner

So glad I found this author's Whicher series. Book 1 held me hostage from the first page. Book 2 is the same fast- paced, unique writing style and heart-pounding action as the first book, but with totally different stories. Set along the Texas/Mexico border where danger is a way of life for those living in both sides. I definitely recommend this John Stonehouse series.

[Dennie Fugitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whicher's a Winner

Intrigue and , a twisting plot keeps you guessing until the end, like all.good mysteries. A good fleshed- out cast of characters gives credence to the story as well as attention to the settings depicted . Being familiar with the country, Stonehouse nails the contour and the culture along the southern Texas border. I'm hooked! If you're a fan of Conolley or Crais, you'll want to follow Stonehouse and John

[D. La · Rating 4 out of 5]

The killing was in the usa

I finished this book in a few days. I have it four stars cause I couldn't get into the flow of the story. The author kept me as confused as the young marshal. He gave a few casual clues that I remembered when I started this review. They were set up by a casual conversation with goes unnoticed. So at their you get another surprise witch explains it all. Thanks for all the entertainment.

[Wil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging, evocative, satisfying

Writing style evokes the raw, hot landscape, transported me there...
Contrasting dialogue in the unique Texan, Southern language continually engaged me. And the plot, even our hero Wicher, got it all backarsewards! Satisfying Western read, thanks..... Now for the next one!

[Dennis Plante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Read

Would have been 5 stars, but I had a little bit of a hard thing keeping track of all the characters. That may have been me, anyway really liked Marshal Whicher, had character flaws like any person. It was a good mystery, but that also seemed a little disjointed to me.

[Jc · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot follows the US Marshal’s enquiry into the murder of a bunch of Mexican wetbacks. It is a bit complicated but it makes sense at the end. I liked the main character and the Texan speak. The style is at times disconcerting because it makes you jump from one scene to another without much transition. Worth trying another one by JS.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again I listened and the reader is soooo good. Complex story and mystery. Because I do not recognize Spanish names and could not see the spelling, I at times had some problems remember who the character was and got a bit confused. Grateful for the ending that explained the entire crime. Will consider next one in this series

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice fast read. Short, choppy dialog sometimes causes a re-read. Ending is not cut & dried as with most mystery, crime books - there's a touch of humanity in the final resolution that makes for a "feel good" ending

[Nancy Fredenburgh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book but difficult to follow. Many directions, and divisions.Agents, sheriffs, marshals. border guards and the FBI.Murders and stolen cars and trucks, and 2 women dead. More dead and moved without permission. Whicher's young and new. Can he figure it out?? You'll see.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second in the series following a Texas federal marshal as he solves crimes and tries not to be too corny in the process. This second book is a flashback/backstory to how he got started in the law, following the Iraq experiences that are obligatory for current lawman stories.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

[Robert Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Border patrol and Mexicans crossing illegally

[Stephen Imbeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read...poignant surprise ending....

[beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

Started with third book in the series, read next two then went back and read first two. Each one was better and better. Look forward to reading more.

[dave spalding · Rating 1 out of 5]

Come to Marlboro country

"Is this sponsored by Philip Morris?"he wondered lighting his 47th Marlboro Red of the morning,oh and the brand name hat.

[KATHLEEN M]

Not for me. I found it very hard to follow.

[Monroe Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loves the way he describes everything. In the present tense, real easy to read. A little disconcerting the way he jumps around with little or no transition. Reasly enjoyed it and highly recommend.