Strong from the Heart: A Caitlin Strong Novel

Land ably juggles multiple plot threads in his riveting 11th Caitlin Strong novel (after 2019’s Strong as Steel). After determining the origins of a killing agent that wiped out all 288 residents of the Texas border town of Camino Pass, relentless justice-seeker Caitlin, a fifth-generation Texas Ranger, becomes a murder target when attempting to bring down the heinous architects of a massive drug operation. Meanwhile, Caitlin’s rebel lover, Cort Wesley Masters, aggressively investigates pill mills and extensive distribution networks responsible for the near death of his son, Luke Torres. In flashbacks to 1898, past episodes mirror present ones, with Caitlin’s great-grandfather, fearless Texas Ranger William Ray Strong, joining forces with young Mexican bandit Pancho Villa to battle a mighty Chinese drug cartel and locate the abducted children of Camino Pass. Repetition and padded scenes somewhat inhibit the flow, but the subplot concerning Villa and William Ray more than compensates with its historical intrigue. Series fans will be eager for more. Agent: Natalia Aponte, Natalia Aponte Literary. (July)