Texas novels come in all stripes, but leave it to veteran writer Robert Flynn of San Antonio to introduce the species of the tiger tale to this neck of the woods. Collaborating with the late Dan Klepper, Flynn has released The Devils Tiger, a wild story about a Russian veterinarian who accompanies three zoo-bound Siberian tigers on a flight to Houston. The plane crashes, the big cats escape, and the injured vet (who happens to be a total babe) must join forces with a taciturn hunter (who happens to be a handsome hunk) to track them down. Disaster, deadly predators, raging hormones—that's already plenty of plot for any novel, but the story turns up the tension by having its tigers infected with a deadly virus. All this just screams "screenplay," but Flynn and Klepper employ a writerly style that belies the cheap-thrills nature of the story. The authors also excel at evoking the desolate nature of the South Texas badlands while providing Deliverance-style rednecks, some suitably grim feline butchery, and—well, let's not let the cat out of the bag. Reviewed by Anne Dingus
"Years ago, in state documents, Vachel Carmouche was always referred to as the electrician, never as the executioner." This stately but ominous opening line kick-starts Purple Cane Road (Doubleday), the crown jewel of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series. The Houston native wrings enough nuance, danger, and humor out of a single page to stock your garden-variety mystery writer's dialogue larder for months. The emotionally taut story line revolves around Robicheaux's investigation into his mother's long-ago murder at the hands of the police. This is the finest hard-nosed detective writing so far this year and may stand as one of the best of the decade to come. Reviewed by Mike Shea
Fort Worth's Doug Swanson is pulling the plug on his Jack Flippo series, which makes House of Corrections (Putnam) your last chance to dance with the charming wild man. Flippo is all the more endearing for his faults (e.g., a propensity for sharing wives not his own). And this is a worthy send-off, with Flippo at large in Galveston, dodging the wreckage of a drug heist gone bad. Safe journey, Jack. If you change your mind, we'll save a seat at the bar. Reviewed by Mike Shea
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