Vengeance Is Mine by Reavis Z. Wortham

Published by Poisoned Pen Press on July 1, 2014

The first Red River mystery, a haunting and powerful tale, remains the best of this series. In Vengeance Is Mine, Reavis Wortham again tells a story that doesn't live up to the promise of the initial novel, but the characters and setting are strong and the lively plot is fast and fun.

A Vegas hit man, deciding to retire after his conscience prevents him from fulfilling a mission, steals the Mob boss' safe as severance pay. A beautiful woman he meets as he's leaving Vegas joins him. They end up in Lamar County, Texas -- a place Cody Parker once described to the hit man -- bringing more trouble to a small rural community that has seen more than its share of violence.

Coincidentally (and the coincidence is huge), the hit man not only Cody in Vegas, but also the sheriff who has become the nemesis of Ned Parker. As we know from past novels, Sheriff Griffin is crooked, and his errant ways cause him to fear the hit man who unexpectedly appears in his little patch of Texas.

Following the formula he crafted for this series, Wortham moves the plot forward with chapters written in the third person while occasionally adding a chapter from Top's youthful perspective. As always, Top and his foul-mouthed cousin Pepper manage to be in the center of trouble whenever it arises.

The men in the Red River novels "live in a world of hurt and fact." They say what they mean and they don't sugar coat it. The men make an effort to avoid displaying their emotions but Wortham conveys their emotions effectively. Over the course of the series, Wortham has fashioned primary and secondary characters who seem as real as your neighbors (at least if your neighbors live in northeast Texas).

Wortham has a keen ear for regional dialect. His characters continue to explore themes raised in earlier novels -- changing times, rising crime, the loss of neighborly ways. Pepper is almost the sole advocate for change -- she's tired of the farm and the smell of manure -- while Top is afraid of change, particularly the changes that are occurring in Pepper's body.

While Vengeance Is Mine fails to match the captivating suspense of The Rock Hole, it is a worthy addition to the series. I liked it about as much as Burrows, but I suspect that a new reader's appreciation of this novel will be enhanced by reading at least the first two before tackling this one.

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