Posts Tagged ‘fiction’

Strong characters in fiction really capture my memory. One of the best is, The Judge. Probably Cormac McCarthy’s most memorable appearance in Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West.

The following is a description of what he looked like. “An enormous man dressed in an oilcloth slicker had entered the tent and removed his hat. He was as bald as a stone and had no trace of beard and he had no brows to his
eyes nor lashes to them. He was close to seven feet in height and he stood smoking a cigar…”- Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West

He rode with a group of scalp hunters. Their profession marked them as unsavory beings. The Judge was their interpreter of life and marked as semi divine, although demonic. His spoken words always brought the group to silence. “War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.” – Cormac McCarthy,

My name is Wally Runnels and I write Border Pulp.

Twisted Love
by Wally Runnels (Goodreads Author)

Brenna’s reviewFeb 15, 2020
Four stars-really liked it

Julietta is an archaeologist. Rocky is an ex-Marine turned hired killer. Set in Mexico, the stories of these 2 characters are, initially, separated. Eventually, the stories intersect, but not without a mix of the Mexican Drug Cartel, dirty cops, bloodshed, and the possibility of bringing forth some Aztec spirits.
Yes, the story has bloodshed. Yes, there are some gritty scenes in the book. Yes, there are prostitution and drug scenes in the book. The characters of Julietta and Rocky are well developed, passionate about what they do. Runnels works in a good twist or two of who is double-crossing who. Both Rocky and Julietta have a dark side, but both have heart, with a desire to get past the negativity in their world and move forward.
Twisted Love moves quickly and will keep your attention. I kept it with me in my car and at home so whenever I did sit and read, the book was right there.

***I received a copy of this from Wally Runnels.

A hired killer is paid to track and terminate a dangerous member of a Mexicali drug cartel.
The search leads to the In-Ko-Pah Mountains, an isolated region on the Mexican/American Border. The hunter and the hunted are soon forced to confront the threatening presence that inhabits the In-Ko-Pahs.