Roll Me Away

Tim Harrison is back, years away from his problems in Whipping Post. He’s now a company driver for Saxon Brothers Trucking in Dallas Texas. He has settled down on a ranch outside of Cave Creek Arizona. He and his dog, Rory, are assigned a steady route between El Paso Texas and Tijuana Mexico, but Tim’s still fighting demons from the rape and murder of his wife.

When a fellow Saxon Brothers trucker is murdered by a theft ring working out of El Paso Texas, Tim’s old buddy, the ever colorful JD Tolliver, gets involved in hunting down the gang. In the process, JD winds up in the hospital.

Now with two employees having been attacked by the same theft ring, and no word from the police, the owner of Saxon’s, John Saxon, gets involved. He enlists Tim’s aid, pulling him back into a situation and a life Tim is not sure he wants to become involved with. He has other things, like possibly a new love life, on his mind.

Roll Me Away by Alan N Webber

Book review by Philip Zozzaro “Life has kicked many people in the balls; its part of living.”

Life on the open road appeals to Tim Harrison. He can drive his route from east to west while enjoying the idyllic scenery of the southwestern US. Solitude also provides him time with his thoughts, often consisting of memories of his late wife, Amy. The tragic murder of Amy set off a chain reaction of grief and death in his family that Tim is still recuperating from years after. Despite nearing the denouement of his stages of grieving, anger and a desire for justice still grip his mind. The robbery and murder of a fellow trucker alarms Tim and spurs Tim’s best friend to an ill-fated attempt at revenge. Despite a new flame in his life, Tim is reluctantly pulled into an attempt at payback against a pair of ruthless criminals.

The theme of retribution runs strong throughout this winning crime thriller. The story unfolds from the perspective of both heroes and villains as a spontaneous act of violence during a crime triggers an avalanche of unintended consequences for both sides. Tim enters the narrative as a flawed individual, attempting to rebuild his tattered existence in the years following his wife’s untimely passing. The possibility of a new romance reveals a different side of him. Tim is unwavering in his loyalty to his friends and will act accordingly when standing up for them, even risking his life. The story combines equal elements of humor, drama, and suspense as Tim and fellow truckers look to avenge a fallen brother. The rocking music and lyrics of Bob Seger could serve as a companion soundtrack to this excellent book.

Book Review by Becky Reddell

Tim Harrison’s life wasn’t what he expected it to be. Dealing in the aftermath of tragedy, he’s on the road to recovery with his sidekick and favorite dog, Rory. However, his life takes a turn when his friend, JD Tolliver, gets involved in the death of a trucker and winds up in the hospital himself. Soon, Tim partners with Saxon Brothers trucker business owner, John Saxon, to find the gang spreading fear and death through their larcenous activities. Is he ready for everything he’s about to encounter?

The author, Alan N. Webber, gives us a straight-forward writing style. It’s definitely a contemporary, no-holds-barred type of dialogue and narrative that gives you the thoughts, actions, and suspense of his characters. While I love the opening lines of this story, and the almost poetry-like wording, I find the blunt-speak both realistic and unnerving. I would definitely add a trigger warning for anyone sensitive to language, the political views held by the main character, or anyone uncomfortable with a storyline that includes rape.

The overall content of the book had several positives. This was a different storyline that hasn’t been seen a lot: a trucker out to deal with a gang of thieves and partnering with his boss and a friend in an unlikely trio, but the points of view, differentiation of characters, revelation of back stories, and more help to keep you in-tune with the plot. The author is excellent at creating suspenseful scenarios and realistic characters. The switch from first person to third person helped give different scenes a special type of view and momentum. I loved the inclusion of Spanish, the map the author added, and actual restaurants along El Paso, making the story feel more authentic.

For me, the ending was true to life, with a bit of redemption, forgiveness, and a bittersweet feeling. Again, the author gives the reader a matter-of-fact writing style and detailed pictures of what’s happening to his characters. These are all the things I like the best.

To conclude, although there are many positives to this story, I wouldn’t call it my favorite read. I would recommend it for readers who like a suspenseful action story, or someone looking to deviate from the regular amateur-detective style, but in part because of the triggers I mentioned earlier and some of the storytelling, I would hesitate to recommend to anyone outside of those genres.

Whipping Post

Whipping Post was published in 2010. 

Back then, owner-operator Tim Harrison suffered like so many other truckers because his wife thinks he’s gone too much, and truth be told, he was. Her loneliness finally led her to the arms of another man, leading to tragic consequences. 

The novel is full of characters only found in the trucking industry, as well as some insight into outlaw bikers. 

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