The New Book Review

Angels of Interstate 29
By Donald James Parker
ISBN-10: 0615242928
Publisher: Sword of the Spirit Publishing

Reprinted with permission from Latonya Franklin, review for Apex Reviews - http://www.apexreviews.org/

Seventy year-old Tex Harris has just been put out to pasture. Due to mandatory retirement laws, his longtime employer has officially relieved him of his duties, and he finds himself wondering just what he'll be doing with the rest of his life...fortuitously, he doesn't have to wait too long when an unexpected event quickly changes his life forever.

When he notices a young woman stranded on the side of the road, Tex - the Southern Gentleman that he is - pulls over to offer his assistance. Two young men are already on the scene, but something about them strikes Tex the wrong way, and his intuition is proven right when the situation quickly devolves into a tense standoff. Thankfully, the woman and her baby escape unharmed, but her would-be assailants manage to elude law enforcement and make a hasty getaway. Nonetheless, as a result of the breathtaking encounter, Tex is infused with a new reason for living: assisting those in need when no one else is around to do so.

So, he launches The Angels Of Interstate 29, a vigilant group of civic-minded seniors, who, like Tex, are retired but yet unwilling to pass quietly into the twilight of their lives. Joined by his best friend, Parnelli, and the lovely Lizzy, a widow he meets during his initial recruitment stop, Tex and crew embark on their collective quest to save innocent lives. As times goes on, though, the natural complexities of humanity inevitably emerge, and, at the same time that Tex competes with Parnelli for Lizzy's attention and affections, he soon finds himself contending once again with unresolved dangers from the not-too-distant past...

Angels Of Interstate 29 is quite the enjoyable read. Donald James Parker is a veritable master at crafting unique, original characters whose lives and leanings lend the story an impressive authenticity. Moreover, the wit and candor of his narrative style give it a distinctive edge that moves the story along at a compelling pace.

Last but not least, Parker's ability to bring equal parts intrigue, mystery, and suspense together into a convincingly coalesced whole treats the reader to a well-balanced, carefully-crafted tale hard to put down. A sure treat for fans of a good old fashioned, well-told story.

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (http://www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com/). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.