I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley to read and review.

BORDERLAND by Peter Eichstaedt begins with Sam Dawson bound and blindfolded while being driven into the desert where he is executed by unknown kidnappers for undisclosed reasons.

Kyle Dawson is Sam’s son who returns to El Paso, Texas for his father's funeral and immediately begins asking questions about the circumstances surrounding his father's murder but gets few answers and commits himself to finding out who is responsible largely in part because of his strained relationship with Sam for years before his death due to his refusal to forgive his father's past sins.
Having experience as a well known investigative reporter for a newspaper in Washington who has a history of placing himself in harm’s way in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, Kyle is not hesitant to once again face danger to contact those who can provide the information he needs to find the killers of Sam.

Sam was a well known and loved figure in the borderland community of Rancho la Pena where he's been successful as a realtor in the development of the community, and has had several business contacts on both sides of the border which adds to the difficult task of solving the crime for Kyle.

Kyle learns that both political and narcotraficante – drug cartel interests could be a factor in the murder as he makes contact with the few people with inside knowledge who are willing to talk with him, and he finds that the lines between legitimate and illegal activities is blurred in the area on both sides of the border that he knew in his youth before moving from the area to pursue his career in journalism.

Peter Eichstaedt does a good job of avoiding much of what makes border tales involving cartels very predictable with the graphic detailed torture and murders related to the drug trade, while not dwelling on the violence it's not avoided but rather portrayed in a way that supports the story.
Kyle is solid in his professional life, but flawed in his personal life and he is believable as a man who re-evaluates the decisions he's made in the past that has alienated him from those closest to him.

3 stars.

I liked this book, but one aspect that was irritatingly notable is Eichstaedt overemphasizing Kyle’s bodily response to any confrontation with “his stomach tightened” more times than I could possibly note throughout the book. Hopefully as the cover shows this book as “A Kyle Dawson Novel”, more will follow and the author will find other ways to describe Kyle’s reaction to difficult situations encountered with others.

A good book with a good plot. I hadn't read this author before but I was hooked from the first page.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Peter Eichstaedt, and Wildblue Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.

I requested this novel because it features my home ground - southwestern Texas and New Mexico. I found myself a new author to follow. Peter Eichstaedt writes a fast paced, intense story with believable, honest people involved in a tale that keeps you hopping. And his coverage of my country is real and true as well. This is a novel I am comfortable recommending to friends and family. I look forward to more by Peter Eichstaedt.

I liked it because it is almost like something that you would read in the news papers.. it was well written and it explores how far a reporter will go for the truth .