EXCERPT

Book 2 of the Trilogy

Tim Harrison is back. Years have passed since the tragedies that nearly broke him in Whipping Post. Now working as a company driver for Saxon Brothers Trucking in Dallas, Texas, he’s tried to carve out a quieter life. On a ranch outside of Cave Creek, Arizona, Tim and his loyal dog Rory enjoy a semblance of peace. His steady route between El Paso and Tijuana offers routine, but beneath that rhythm, Tim still wrestles with the shadows of his wife’s brutal rape and murder—demons that never quite loosen their grip.

That fragile balance shatters when a fellow Saxon Brothers driver is murdered by a ruthless theft ring operating out of El Paso. Tim’s old friend—the irrepressible and larger-than-life JD Tolliver—takes it upon himself to hunt down the gang. But JD’s crusade ends with him in a hospital bed, leaving Tim with a bitter choice: keep to his road, or confront the darkness head-on.

With two employees attacked and the police offering little more than silence, John Saxon, the no-nonsense owner of Saxon Brothers, steps in. He turns to Tim, pulling him back into a dangerous life he isn’t sure he wants. Tim has other things on his mind—like the glimmer of a new love—but when loyalty, friendship, and justice collide, he may have no choice but to face the fight he’s been running from.

This second chapter in Tim Harrison’s journey blends high-octane trucking life with gritty suspense, proving once again that the open road is never as empty as it seems.

Book Review by Phillip Zozzaro

Life has kicked many people in the balls; it’s 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.

Book Review by Blue Ink

(Reviewed: October 2024)

Roll Me Away, the second in a series about—and by—a veteran trucker, is part detective story, part romance, and part travelogue, seasoned with insights about the trucking industry from an author grounded in the trade.

The opening imagery and language quickly set the tone (and ominous direction) of the story and its protagonist, Tim Harrison: “Dusk descended on the Arizona skyline…It seemed the sun was slurping up the highway like spaghetti. As the black eighteen-wheeled Peterbilt semi hurtled westward, would it, too, find itself swallowed up?”

After dispatching backstory from his prior book, author Alan N. Webber sends Harrison—and his appealing dog Rory—on an adventure that begins as a search for the killer of a fellow trucker but turns into a battle for his own life. Along the way, Harrison becomes romantically involved and delves into his personal demons while relishing the natural beauty along his southwestern route.

The story pauses often to describe these scenic and historic venues; although interesting, these scenes don’t move the plot forward and would be more appropriate in a nonfiction travel book. The language is serviceable but uninspired, and the writing suffers from frequent over-explaining (“After navigating the one-way frontage road system that advances parallel to both sides of Interstate 10 for miles through the outskirts of El Paso…”). Additionally, stereotypical character tropes, including hotheaded bad guys and fantasy women who happily prepare meals for their men before or after sex that they’ve begged for.

Still, fans of Bob Segar and others of his ilk will enjoy the book’s use of song titles as chapter headings and other sly references and the overall storyline is compelling enough to hold the reader’s interest. Meanwhile, an exciting ending and quick tie-up of loose ends make for a satisfying, if sometimes bumpy, ride.

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