No Hallowed Ground by Steve Hockensmith (Double-A Western Detective Agency #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong story with plenty of action

Cons: A couple of minor things

The Bottom Line:

Tracking bank robbers

Or is there more to story?

Plenty of action 

More Action in the Old … Mid-West

I seem to be circling around to series I was reading in January right now. Not completely, but there are several series I’ve done that with this month. The latest example is No Hallowed Ground, the second in Steve Hockensmith’s Double-A Western Detective Agency. 

This is a spin off from his popular Holmes on the Range series and is more action oriented than straight up mystery novel. It features a trio that has worked together since their time in the Army. They are Diehl, Hoop, and Eskaminzim. This time around, they are joined by Hoop’s wife, who also happens to be Eskaminzim’s sister, Onawa. 

When the book opens, it’s March of 1894. Their latest assignment takes them to Missouri. Their client is tracking a group that stole the funds from the bank where they work. They need the foursome’s help in getting it back from the thieves before anyone knows the money is gone and the bank loses trust in the community. 

At least that’s the story our heroes are being fed. They suspect there is more going on, but for the time being, they are content to help track down the thieves. Until a confrontation begins to bring the truth to light. Suddenly finding the stakes raised higher than they ever imagined and more outnumbered than they counted on, they have to find a way to save the day before it threatens to unravel the country. 

As I said earlier, this is more of an action novel than a true mystery. Having said that, we have some nice twists to the story that do show Steve’s background as a mystery writer. 

But if you are looking for action, you’ve come to the write place. A few times, I did have to remind myself I was reading an action story, but mostly I was on board with what I was reading. The action starts early, and there’s plenty of it. There’s more meat to the story than in a typical action movie, so the action isn’t non-stop, but there’s still plenty of it. 

The book switches up the third person narrator on a regular basis. This results in us getting the full story and increasing the suspense at times. These switches are always easy to follow and used perfectly. 

As with an action movie, the characters are a little thin. It’s not as bad as in an action movie, but they could be a little better developed. Still, this is a minor complaint. 

We do get some language in the book, but I was more bothered by the violence. Not enough to keep me from enjoying the story, but if that kind of thing bothers you, know it’s there before you pick up the book. 

As with the first in the series, I read this via audio. Chuck Galco is the narrator again, and he does a fabulous job. 

This book delves a little into the politics of the time, mostly in motives for various characters. I appreciated how it handled that. It made me think without preaching. Above all, it felt organic to the story.

If you are looking for an action tale with a story plot, you’ll be glad you picked up No Hallowed Ground. You’ll find the pages flying by as you get lost in the story.