I have read Comanche by Brett Riley. This is not really my cup of coffee but there was something about this book I actually liked. I usually don't read science fiction, hooror or ghost stories. But, this one had a western theme and I like those. How do you solve a murder when the killer is a ghost? Well if you read this you'll get one sollution. It is a rather entertaining story and I will see in the future what Riley will write. I must thank #Netgalley and #ImbrifexBooks for giving me this arc to review.

The story was way too repetitive, the ghost was hardly ever in it and the men where just annoying douche bags.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

In 1887 near the tiny Texas town of Comanche, a posse finally ends the murderous career of The Piney Woods Kid in a hail of bullets. Current day, The Piney Woods Kid's ghost appears and is murdering the descendents of the people who killed him.

So, how do you stop a ghost from killing? A decent read, some slow parts as the story was building.

3☆

I had a good time reading this book. It's a fun thriller/horror/ghost story that keeps you turning the pages. I appreciate the character arc that we see the main character go through from the beginning to the end. This book definitely has series potential.

The formatting for dialogue is different from what you typically see in books, which can take a moment to get past. I didn't even notice it after a minute of reading except for every so often where I would end up reading a sentence three times trying to figure out if that was supposed to be dialogue or just part of the text.

There are going to be spoilers galore here, so if you want to read this book without any knowledge beyond the blurb, you should stop reading this review now.

The legend of the Piney Woods Kid is this: he was a murdering bastard, and a posse caught up with him, making him dead. That was back in the 1800s. Fast forward to modern times, and someone/something is killing off descendants of that posse, and witnesses say it was a gray-looking man dressed in Old West garb who did it.

Enter Raymond Taylor, who recently lost his wife and decided alcohol was the way to go to blunt that pain, and his partner, Darrell LeBlanc, of New Orleans, called in by Raymond's sister, who lives in Comanche with her husband, the mayor. They want to know what's going on in this small town, and they want whoever is responsible brought to justice. Sounds kind of like a posse to me.

Turner and LeBlanc arrive in Comanche with their medium sidekick - and by medium, I mean the crystal ball-toting kind - and a professor from LSU.

This isn't a mystery that's a intricate puzzler. We know immediately who is killing the folks in Comanche, and the motive is very straightforward: revenge. That it's a ghost as the murderer is fine - someone has to be the bad guy, so why not the original bad guy?

The story overall was just ok. There was a lot of wasted potential here, and I found the story itself repetitious and a bit cringey as I went through it. There's a lot of male posturing/alpha nonsense again and again, like frat dudes at a kegger telling their pals to hold them back so they don't kick the shit out of another dude. There are also not that many sightings of the ghost, which is a little odd since it's at least tangentially a ghost story, and if the Piney Woods Kid is pissed off, his ghost wandering the town where he was killed would have been something I'd have liked to see.

I found the pacing tedious, and the try/fail, try/fail repetition annoyed me. Parts of the book went on longer than they could have, and reading those parts, I don't understand why they weren't chopped down.

One big annoyance is the complete lack of quotation marks to denote dialogue. This made the action scenes in particular very difficult to follow, because they also shifted viewpoints. If a reader - or, specifically, THIS reader - has to backtrack at times during these sequences to figure out who the hell is saying what, you're going to have an annoyed reader, or one who just stops reading the book and gives it a DNF. I did finish it, but I imagine others will not. As the author is a professor of English at the college level, he knows there is a reason certain standards exist - quotations and punctuation, as well as no head-hopping in scenes among them - and that to stray from these things means the writing must be superior. Alas, I did  not find it to be so.

On the whole, it looks like this may have started as a short story or novella years ago, was trunked, then was brought out and used as the basis for a novel without rewriting the original material. That can be good, sometimes. This was not one of them.  Although the last 50 pages or so finally have some action, the ending was a letdown and one we've seen any number of times in 80's horror flicks with magical talismans or cursed toys/books/whatever.

Two stars out of five - one for writing it in the first place (my default), and one for an intriguing, but not well executed, idea.

Thanks to NetGalley and Imbrifex for the reading copy.

So, some of the Amazon reviews of this book reference the lack of quotation marks making this book unreadable for some.

This is a legit concern. When I began reading the book, that was frustrating. It was hard to tell dialogue from inner thoughts and descrptions. But as I kept reading, it settled in for me and I was able to read and appreciate the author’s style.

However, I’d definitely suggest downloading the sample before buying to see if you can hack the style.

If you can, what you get is a really solid ghost story.

You’ve got parts that are just really eerie – the chills down the spine sort of creepy. You’ve got a ghost story that’s both tragic and horrific. And you’ve got some wonderful characters who just hope will come out of this okay.

I really liked this book.

It may take a little getting used to, but once you do, it’s all too easy to get lost in the story.

I’d definitely read the author again!

I was so excited to read this book after reading the description - the ghost of an outlaw killed centuries before resurfaces? Wow!
But when I did get around to reading it, I was disappointed.

The book had immense potential, why did the author waste it? The "ghost", when it does appear (which was too few times), is not too scary. And the main detective investigating the case is an alcoholic after he has lost his wife in a freak accident, but his condition is underplayed to the extent you don't even remember it till the end anymore.

And why didn't the author use quotes for dialogues???

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC copy.

I’m always up for a good ghost story especially one with a historical twist. I liked how the Old Wild West theme was applied as that is a category I haven’t read with ghost stories yet.
I did like this book but it took a long to finish as the pacing and plot did not keep my attention sufficiently enough. It was also a little difficult to read since the dialogue didn’t have quotation marks.
Aside from the slow buildup and few actually ghost scenes, I did like this book and I thank NetGalley and Imbrifex Books for this digital arc!

Louisiana detective duo Raymond Turner and Darrell LeBlanc find themselves in the town of Comanche, Texas, investigating a series of murders that may have been committed by a wild west bank robber ghost.

I went into this book genuinely expecting a Scooby-Doo style reveal about the murders and what I got was instead one of the best meldings of the traditional detective novels and the supernatural that I’ve read in recent history. I really enjoyed this book. There were a few detective cliches I’ve grown tired of, like the “Detective with a drinking problem and tragic past” but there was enough fresh action in this to keep it entertaining throughout. I will warn you that it’s more ghost adventure than detective mystery, but if that’s what you’re in the mood for, you’ll enjoy Comanche.

This will appear in printed format in issue #2 of TABLETOPS & TENTACLES (July 2020)

Tapping out at 30%. Just can't do the no quotation marks for dialogue here. Sometimes it works, especially if the dialogue is the beginning of a new line, or it's own line completely, but here it is often buried deep in a paragraph and I've found myself continually going back and re-reading sections to make sure I am following along.
The opening chapter of this was engaging and excited me but I just can't struggle through this anymore.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for sending this, but unfortunately I just can't go further.

(On Goodreads I didn't give this a rating, but Netgalley requires it. Apologies.)

I love the concept of this book. Who doesn't love a ghost from the Old West who wants revenge on the New West family descendents? However, this book had about 15% great parts, but the rest dragged on and was so repetitive.

I understand Raymond's wife died and he is now an alcoholic. I get it, but this concept was beat down. Also, I get it that the mayor doesn't like his brother in law Raymond.

This paranormal book lacked paranormal activity. There were few parts with the ghost actually in it. The rest was monotonous.

Also, why does this book not use quotation marks?

This book had so much potential. I'm bummed.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Holy blended genres Batman! This debut book walks the line between procedural/police mystery/gothic horror/ghost story/PI and it almost works. There's a couple of tiny jarring bits that tipped me out of the story, but nothing that iddn't let me re-engage straight away.
A solid, interesting book that's well worth the read.

This modern western ghost story is a fun, engaging and quick read. The timing and pacing are on point and the characters pull you into their plight as the story unfolds. Time well spent.

This is a book for the lovers of mafia, old gangs, guns, armies and that type of explosive action! I couldn't put it aside from my hands from the first time I picked it up and I am really glad that I didn't do it. I gave this book a rating of 5 stars because it totally deserves it!

A Surprise in Disguise

I didn’t know if I would like Comanche. A ghost story about an outlaw cowboy, however, this book took me by surprise. Let me just say that I love a ghost story, but I didn’t see how it was going to work. The book doesn’t have a different twist on a ghost story, but it’s different in its own way.

This was a great read for me as it had all the elements I enjoy. It started with the action right away, and it has all the elements of a good story with a tragic death, family tension, and a horrible murder, all set in Texas. Riley gets extra marks for a Supernatural reference that made me chuckle. (Seeing as how that’s my #1 Favorite TV show … I will be sad when it ends.)

All in all, this book was a beautiful distraction and great time killer. I would highly recommend.
A Surprise in Disguise, Lipford

"Comanche" is a just okay story for me. It wasn't really stellar or original but it did manage to be entertaining.

This was a very fun read. A modern western ghost story, it was different than anything I have ever read before. Comanche, a small town in Texas, is a sudden crime scene when two people are killed outside the newly opened diner. The witnesses claim that they saw a gunslinger committing these murders. Some even believe that this killer is of ghost form, the Piney Woods Kid, returned from the grave. Two private detectives from New Orleans accompanied by their psychic sidekick will have to stop these murders before it is too late..

It was a fast past read and kept me engaged until the last page.
My only complaint was that without quotations marks it was a little hard to follow along with who was talking..

Thank you NetGalley, Imbrifex Publishing, and author Brett Riley for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

The author does a wonderful job of giving details. The story line itself is interesting, but the beginning was slow for my taste. Sure, you see some action in the beginning and you also get a brief story of who The Kid is and what happened in 1887 in Comanche, Texas.

However, I couldn’t connect to any of the characters, not Raymond, not The Kid or even Le Blanc. The story and the plot are unique, but it wasn’t my cup of tea, unfortunately.

Overall, even though it wasn’t my cup of tea, the story line is a good one, I enjoyed the twist and the author does a good job in telling the story

A really good western where the bad guy just happens to be a ghost and the good guys include an alcoholic, a physic, a professor of the paranormal and a man tasked with keeping everyone focus'd. The backstory set the scene for a revengeful ghost to terrorize a town who hires the motley crew. It is a surprisingly very good book. If you were giving it a grade it would be an A++ but we will just have to settle for 5 stars.

Comanche – Brett Riley

If the Wild West genre is dead, then Comanche, by Brett Riley, is a good shot at resurrecting it. The story, not a mystery but a ghost story with outlaws, follows the journey of Raymond Turner, P.I., to redemption. An alcoholic haunted by the loss of his wife, Ray leads his partner LeBlanc, medium McDowell, and professor Frost from New Orleans to Texas in order to solve the murders being committed by the ghost of The Kid. They will all have to outgrow their own fears, their own scepticism, to recruit a motley crew of future victims in order to defeat the phantom and halt its vengeful killing spree.

Despite their failings, the characters all have something for the reader to root for, creating the empathy which promotes investment in the story. Mr Riley builds it well, with enough unexpected outcomes to the plans to avoid simplified heroes. Also, he stages the action to the ineffable showdown all good Western will have, so much so that even the cliché event is welcome, cinematic, convoluted, atmospheric, and action-packed.

Who would enjoy this
Comanche is a smart creation. It would appeal to people who enjoy a tale of human self-improvement. It will also be a good choice for lovers of cinema with big showdowns, to the point they might even forgive the ghost part of the story. On the other hand, Mr Riley’s work should be recommended to lovers of mild paranormal fiction. Nevertheless, I believe its strongest point is the readers’ identification with the characters – if you’re an empathetic reader, this will bring out all your emotions.

Who should give this a pass
If you are looking for a Western, or a book in the horror ghost range, this is not the book for you, as you will be disappointed. This is no cowboy story any more than it is a true ghost story – both these are elements to help carry the main tale, but they are not really explored, leaving such audience unsatisfied.
On the other hand, if you get overly attached to characters, or have difficulty handling descriptions of human and personal loss, better leave this volume on the shelf. Comanche is a work for entertainment, thus it is unsuitable for readers looking for more than that.

Conclusions and suggestions
Even before reading the information on Mr Riley, I was impressed at how very Hollywood-esque I found this book: the way it follows and describes actions, the inner monologue of the characters, it all makes one think of voiceover; the showdown, crucial to the genre of action where I’d also slot this book, made me think of iconic film gunfights; the segmentation of action intro scenes, including staging of places and actors; even the way it barely introduces elements such as the American West, or the phantasmagorical, yet uses them as an element of mystery throughout the novel. It was not surprising to learn that Brett Riley is both a teacher, and a scriptwriter, skills he has clearly employed when creating this work. Comanche is definitely engaging, an example in structure and characterisation.

I knew, when I picked it, more or less what awaited me inside. I was not disappointed. Well done, Mr Riley, this was a piece that should do well with an audience wanting fun and redemption, action and a bit of anxiety.
I was, however, quite frustrated with a few of the elements and characteristics of this book. To begin with, I don’t really get all these alcoholic/addicted characters which seem to populate more and more stories (such as Bridget Jones’s Diary, The Girl on the Train, or Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas). I have a similar issue with swearing or general rudeness. These may well be because I’m not cool enough, but the more the point is driven that the character is craving for a drink, swears, acts in revolting ways, etc., the less I am interested in the character. I can do with a couple of instances, then it becomes a matter of “I got it, the character has that issue, no need to keep telling me, I got it, all right, I got it!”

This sort of repetition was rife in this book, thus I often lost interest, ending up skim reading certain paragraphs. It may be a personal peeve, but it was sad to handle, considering the excellent characterisation done in this book otherwise which also affected, to an extent, the showdown scene. After a wonderful pace throughout the book, this scene had everything thrown at it: the weather, the clichés, the repetition of action. It became clear the writer was enamoured with it, but the readers, less so. However, I am certain it would make an excellent sequence on film.

Something else I did not enjoy was the lack of speech punctuation, even during dialogues. I understand the absence in works such as Angela’s Ashes, or E. E. Cummings, where the authors aim to mirror stream of consciousness. In this tome, it was confusing unnecessary, and to any lover of language, frankly frustrating. It is as though Mr Riley had forgotten that any deviation from norm is an indicator of added meaning, such as when vernacular appears in italics, yet he had no added meaning to be found attached.

I imagine it is quite clear what my recommendations are to be for this novel:
• Use punctuation correctly, it’s there for a reason.
• Trust your readers to understand the character once you have described him/her, so only a few and far between repetitions are needed.
• Honour the tropes you use in your narrative, giving them enough depth to be relevant.
• What works in cinema does not necessarily translate well onto paper, as it takes different amounts of attention to watch an event than to read and imagine it. Beware of mixing media.