Review: The Lotus and the Dragon - Brent Towns

Brent Towns has been highly successful writing Westerns, men’s adventure novels, hardboiled private detective yarns, and World War II action tales. Now he’s moving into yet another genre, the epic historical adventure novel, with his latest release, THE LOTUS AND THE DRAGON.

Taking place in Australia in the 1870s and ’80s, THE LOTUS AND THE DRAGON is narrated by Jack Crowe, a tough, hardbitten protagonist who starts out as a bounty hunter. After being unjustly convicted of a crime, he’s sent to an isolated sheep station to work off his sentence. When that is finally behind him, he starts a freight business, only to run afoul of violence and tragedy again and start a vendetta against a renegade police officer that will last for years.

The rather episodic plot of this novel follows Jack through stretches involving mining, riverboating, and romances with several beautiful women who may or may not be trustworthy. Encounters with various enemies result in him being beaten up, shot, nearly drowned, and left for dead more than once. Those enemies include not only corrupt policemen and politicians but also bushrangers, whoremongers, slavers, and an American business tycoon who ruthlessly takes over the Australian riverboat trade.

THE LOTUS AND THE DRAGON is one tough, gritty book. The action never lets up for long, and Jack Crowe takes enough punishment for several novels but is resilient enough to keep fighting all the way to an ending that’s crying out for a sequel. If you’re a fan of Wilbur Smith and Bernard Cornwell, you really need to check out this novel. It’s the same sort of epic, sweeping adventure and is very well-done. THE LOTUS AND THE DRAGON is one of the best books I’ve read this year, and I give it a high recommendation. It's available from Wolfpack Publishing on Amazon in e-book and paperback editions.

Review: Rails Into Hell - Brent Towns

I enjoy railroad yarns, especially ones featuring railroad detectives, so the Faraday series is a natural for me as both writer and reader. I’m strictly a reader on the latest novel in the series to be released, RAILS INTO HELL by Brent Towns.

The thread that ties these books together is Faraday Security Services, owned by Matthew Faraday, a Pinkerton-like detective agency that works only for the railroads. Other than that, the books are largely stand-alones featuring different Faraday agents as the protagonists. In RAILS INTO HELL, Jack Quade has a reputation as a gunslinger for hire, and at one time that’s exactly what he was, after clashing with his rancher father and leaving home. For the past several years, however, he’s been working as an undercover Faraday agent while maintaining his reputation as a fast gun.

The murder of a surveyor who’s laying out the route for a spur line brings Quade back to his old stomping grounds, where he discovers that a range war is brewing between his father and a rich man who has moved in and started gobbling up all the smaller spreads in the area. Quade has to juggle both problems and try to find out if they might be connected, while at the same time dealing with complications involving a couple of beautiful women. And then there are the continued attempts on his life, one of which might just prove successful before he can untangle the dangerous threads of this assignment.

Towns provides a lot of genuinely surprising plot twists in this novel, along with plenty of action told in an effectively gritty style. RAILS INTO HELL reminded me of the great hardboiled Westerns published by Gold Medal, Ace, and Dell in the Fifties and Sixties. It’s well-written and fast-paced, and I hope there’ll be more Faraday novels in the future. In the meantime, this one from Wolfpack Publishing is available on Amazon in e-book and paperback editions, and if you’re a fan of tough-minded Western novels, I give it a high recommendation.

The MI6 Files, Book One: Burning Lance - Brent Towns

I bought this series when I was still at Rough Edges Press, but other than that I had nothing to do with it. So now I get to read it as a fan, rather than an editor. Which is good, because I really enjoyed it. THE MI6 FILES is a spin-off from Brent Towns’ extremely popular Team Reaper series. The protagonist, former Royal Marine Commando Richard Todd, previously appeared as a supporting character in some of those books. Todd, now working for MI6, England’s foreign intelligence service, takes center stage in BURNING LANCE.

The title refers to a Russian-designed and built laser weapon meant to be launched into space and capable of destroying entire cities from there with one pulse. However, it’s stolen from the Russians before it can be launched. The identity of the thieves is a mystery. The leaders of MI6 know that such a weapon can’t be trusted in anybody’s hands, so they assign Todd the job of finding the Burning Lance, recovering it, or destroying it if he can’t get it back.

He won’t be working alone, though. The Russians have decided that the weapon is too powerful and should be destroyed, too, so Todd is teamed up with a beautiful female Russian agent in his search. Before you think that you know where that’s going, as it turns out the Russian agent is a lesbian and not interested in Todd romantically. But they do become friends and comrades-in-arms as their mission turns into a globe-trotting adventure with a somewhat surprising conclusion as it’s revealed who has the Burning Lance and what they intend to do with it. This is a high-stakes game, with the fate of millions resting on Todd and his Russian partner.

To put it simply, this is a wonderful book, part James Bond and part Man From U.N.C.L.E. It also reminded me very much of one of the early Nick Carter, Killmaster books in which Nick was teamed with a Russian agent. The writing is smooth and terse and a very welcome contrast to so many current thrillers that are bloated beyond belief and often pull their punches when it comes to the climaxes. The big finish to BURNING LANCE is very satisfying, as is the brief wrap-up that follows.

I always felt a little funny about praising books that I edited, but as I said, that doesn’t apply here. BURNING LANCE is one of the best books I’ve read this year, another winner from Brent Towns, and if you’re an action/adventure fan I give it a very high recommendation. As usual, it's available in e-book and trade paperback editions. The next book in the series is coming soon, and I’m looking forward to reading it.

Commando: HMAS Expendable - Brent Towns

The crews of The Wombat and The Tiger are reunited once again, on a mission to uncover the truth about a new terror lurking in the Coral Sea! Are they really being betrayed by their American allies -- or is there more to this than meets the eye? They've been fooled once by radio transmissions, but now Captain Griffin has a cunning plan...

Brent Towns spins another fine yarn of naval warfare in this sequel to THE WOMBAT AND THE TIGER. The feuding battleship captains--who are also reluctant allies--are excellent characters, and there are plenty of battle scenes and plot twists. As an added bonus, an Admiral Towns makes an appearance in this one as well. As always, this is a very entertaining story.

Commando: The Flying Emu - Brent Towns

Estranged twins Teddy and Ernie Sharp followed their own paths in the Great War. Teddy took to the skies while Ernie trained hard with the Australian Imperial Force, determined to make his mark. Then, a chance meeting on the Western Front and Teddy's untimely death changed Ernie's life forever, as he abandoned the AIF and took on his brother's wings in the Australian Flying Corps. But his natural talent in the air would only take him so far under the sinister gaze of the German Imperial Black Hawks!

It's always a good day when there's a new COMMANDO yarn by Brent Towns to read. This is a World War I aviation story, for the most part, and that's one of my favorite subgenres of war fiction. As always, Towns spins his tale with plenty of heart and action, and I had a fine time reading it.

Commando: Raging Metal - Brent Towns

August 1942.
Raging metal burned hot under the scorching desert sun. But a grudge between two Aussie tank commanders boiled even hotter. Sergeant Bob Andrews hated Sergeant Simon Meredith, but when Bob's tank was knocked for six and he saw Meredith leave him high and dry -- his rage exploded fivefold. The coward had abandoned Bob to die, or worse -- be captured by the Jerries! And Bob wasn't a forgiving man!

(This is a great example of how Brent Towns mixes action, great characters, and history in these COMMANDO yarns. He clearly did a lot of research for this one but never slows the story down for infodumps. I've written some about the tank war in North Africa, and I really enjoyed this story.)

Commando: Retribution - Brent Towns

Charlie Grubb's father is found dead -- murdered in his own factory. The main suspect has fled, joining the Australian Imperial Force to avoid justice. But if he thinks he can get away that easily, he's a fool. Charlie will do anything to avenge his father, even if it means tracking the dog to the beaches of Gallipoli and Messines Ridge!

(After a short break, I'm back to reading COMMANDO issues, and as expected, this one by Brent Towns is excellent. It's a well-constructed mystery yarn and covers a considerable amount of time and distance. I like the World War I setting, too. You can't go wrong with these if you enjoy war comics.)

Commando: Across the Fence - Brent Towns

Deep in the Vietnamese jungle, pilot Jake Clancy is lost and running for his life -- but Australian SAS Sergeant Jack Walker and his team are moving in, ready to pluck him from the jaws of the Viet Cong. The Australians' prowess earned them the nickname the "Ghosts of the Jungle," and it was a good thing too, as when an American General gets taken captive Jack's team must go... ACROSS THE FENCE!

(This is the first issue of COMMANDO I've read that takes place in the Vietnam War, and since it's written by Brent Towns, you know it's good. This yarn flows very nicely from one action sequence to another and has excellent characters. Recommended.)

Commando: Dingo's Mates - Brent Towns

In 1914, Aussie Dingo Smith and his cobbers -- Blue, Pete, Harry, Tugga and Puddin' signed up with no hesitation. Dingo would do anything to protect his mates, but on the beaches of Gallipoli, among the mass devastation, something changed in Dingo. As he faced the barrel of a Turkish soldier's rifle, his blood froze. Had the bravest of them all become a coward?

(This is the best COMMANDO issue I've read so far. It's a tale of cowardice and courage under fire in the classic war fiction tradition. An excellent yarn and it gets a high recommendation from me.)

Commando: Catalina Sunrise - Brent Towns

Bill Mitchell has always been a stubborn soul, so when he leaves the farm to join the RAAF, his father knows better than to stand in his way. But when a sinister Luftwaffe pilot shoots down his friend, Bill's desire for vengeance makes him unpredictable and a danger to his crew.

(This is another excellent COMMANDO yarn from Brent Towns, whose work got me started reading this series again in the first place. And I'm glad it did, because I've really enjoyed them.)

Commando Comics by Brent Towns

(My friend Brent Towns is a bestselling Western and thriller writer from Australia, and recently he's added comic book author to his list of achievements, becoming one of the regular writers on the long-running COMMANDO series of war comics published in England. He has six out so far, with more in the pipeline. I've read all of them in the past couple of months and really enjoyed them. Great action and characterization. I grew up reading OUR ARMY AT WAR, OUR FIGHTING FORCES, and SGT. FURY AND HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS, so I'm really glad to have some top-notch war comics to read again on a regular basis. For a long time it was difficult to get issues of COMMANDO in the States. When my friend David Whitehead, also a fine writer, was scripting them, he sent me some, and you can find used copies of print collections on-line. But the publisher is now making some of them available digitally, and that's the way I've been reading them. If you want to read some excellent action comics, check out the titles by Brent below. While I'm waiting for his next one to come out, I've also picked up e-book editions of several COMMANDO issues by other authors and will be reading them as well.)

FLAK RUN!
Norway fell to a German invasion in 1940, and when they did, the Nazis gained access to a factory that could manufacture a component vital to the creation of nuclear weapons. The SOE and the RAF were in agreement, the factory must be flattened at all costs. There was only one man for the job -- only she wasn't a man. Nancy Peacocke was regarded as one of the best female pilots in Britain. Her precision skill with an aircraft was exactly what the RAF needed to destroy the factory. But before she could drop the bomb, she had to get through the FLAK RUN!

JUNGLE REDEMPTION
Deep in the thick, muggy jungle, Sergeant Ted Jones and his squad of raiders trudged on. Eaten alive by insects and wet with sweat, they closed in on their target -- a Japanese radio station. The lone radio operator had no idea what had hit him until it was too late. But as they made their escape, a searchlight blinded them and they froze. Ted's cobbers covered their retreat, but one by one they fell, until only one man walked out...

HELLFIRE PASS
Trapped in the confines of the Selarang Barracks, Sergeant Pete Mellion couldn't be further away from his turbulent past -- that is until his old nemesis, Lieutenant Reg Williams, is assigned the same work detail building the Thai-Burma Railway. Slaving away in the intense heat of the jungle, can these two foes put aside their feud in order to escape? Or will Hellfire Pass consume their very souls?

LEGIONS OF THE DAMNED
In 9 CE, over twenty-thousand men of the Roman Legions were on a perilous mission in the heart of Germania to consolidate the Roman Empire. But they didn't count on the betrayal of one of their own... And now the survivors must retrieve their eagle, all amidst the fall of the LEGIONS OF THE DAMNED!

THE WOMBAT AND THE TIGER
A monster is lurking in the shipping lanes north of Port Darwin -- the size of which no-one has ever imagined. Freighter after freighter sink without a trace and the only ones who can stop the beast have fought their way into a jail cell! The Wombat and The Tiger crews are fierce in a bar fight -- but Captains Griffin and Beaumont must put their differences aside if they are to take on this devil from the Far East.

THE PEREGRINE FALCONS
In mid-1944, Hitler launched his vengeance weapons. These evil V-1 rockets struck at the heart of Britain's cities, killing innocent people in their thousands. But Hitler wasn't going to have it all his way, as his V-1 rockets began being caught in the talons of a squadron known as the Peregrine Falcons -- experts in taking out the buzz bombs. But there was a saboteur in the nest, one that Squadron Leader Henry Abercrombie never saw coming.