"Blue Falling" by Tom Wright

It may be unfair of me to blog about a book that you have no chance of reading (yet), but I’m too excited about this opportunity I’ve been given to keep from telling you all about it. Through my Super Secret VIP Connections, I have been allowed the chance to preview novels by an as-yet-unpublished author, Dr. Tom Wright, PhD. (Remember that name, folks! If I’m any judge, one of these days you’ll be seeing it at a bookstore near you.)

Out of Wright’s four completed novels, the first that was sent to me is called Blue Falling. It’s a mystery set in the fictional town of Traverton, Texas, which just happens to be found smack-dab in the middle of the non-fictional part of the US where I live. If you could pick up this book and turn it over, you would probably read something like this on the back cover:

"On what at first appears to be just another beautiful country afternoon, retired Texas Ranger O.Z. Royal and ex-cop Jim Bonham are riding fence through the crimson clover on their jointly-owned ranch. Suddenly, their familiar surroundings are disturbed by a small plane that comes in low and crashes in the pasture not far from where they stand. Though their immediate instinct is to aid any survivors, the wreckage quickly blossoms into a fireball that keeps the two men at bay until it is too late. Soon it becomes clear that unexpected clues have been uncovered during the examination of the broken remains. Despite the resistance of his loving and determined wife Jana, Bonham can’t help but be sucked into the whirlwind of an unofficial investigation that becomes more extensive and tangled at every turn."

Blue Falling is tight, well-written, and nicely paced throughout. My connection with the book was not deeply emotional, but that is not what I expect from a mystery novel, anyway. It certainly retained my attention, and the plot was never stagnant. It’s written in a straightforward and chronological manner, with the added interest of believable psychological insight; the author is not only a talented writer--he is also a well-established psychologist.

I think Dr. Wright could easily make Blue Falling the first in a series of books. It has a good cast of strong characters. Sequels could show Bonham as sheriff and O.Z. still working in an unofficial capacity. Even a prequel would work, covering several plot points that are mentioned in this book as having happened previously. This story would also translate well to cinema, although (as usual) quite a few details would likely be left out.

I have no information for you regarding when this novel might become available for your reading pleasure, but I will do my best to keep you updated when I get the scoop. And remember . . . you heard it here first!