I don’t think there’s been a Sandra Brown book I didn’t like. I have read everything by the author and just can’t get enough.

Sandra was my first adult favorite author. She is still at the top of my favorite list.

Blind Tiger was a good story with strong characters. Some you will love and others not so much.

A must read for sure.

Set in Texas in the 1920’s at the start of prohibition the book profiles the greed and corruption of the small Texas town. The length of the book, 502 pages, might be a turn off for some but it is definitely one worth reading. Sandra Brown keeps you intrigued with a bevy of great characters along with an interesting plot and the pages fly by.

What is a blind tiger? By reading Blind Tiger by Sandra Brown, I learned that the term blind tiger is another name for a speakeasy, coined during Prohibition. Brown has written a page-turning story of hardscrabble people just trying to survive. If that means making and selling moonshine during Prohibition, then so be it.
Laurel Plummer, now a mother, and her husband, a WWI vet, return to her husband’s home in Foley, TX. This move is made without input from Laurel. Derby Plummer, Laurel’s husband, tells Laurel she will “thank me later” for bringing her to Foley after they arrive at his father’s rundown shack. Soon afterwards, Derby puts a gun “beneath his chin and pulls the trigger.” Laurel is standing in front of Derby as he pulls the trigger. What a devastating blow to see her husband die before her. Now, what?

Fortunately, Irv Plummer, Derby’s father, is willing to take Laurel and baby Pearl into his ramshackle home. He becomes like a father to Laurel, and he is delighted with baby Pearl, his granddaughter. Laurel and Irv fall into a routine in the home. Laurel tidies up the place and sets up a sheet to afford herself some privacy.
Laurel is hanging sheets on the line when a stranger wanders onto the remote property. Thatcher Hutton, a WWI vet himself, has just jumped off a moving train a few miles from the Plummer home. He asks Laurel for a drink of water and directions to the nearest town. His first and lasting impression of Laurel is that she is a woman to be reckoned with. Readers naturally expect there will be additional meetings between the two, but what will unfold exactly?

The day Thatcher Hutton arrives in the town of Foley, the doctor’s wife goes missing. As the latest stranger in town, Hutton is accused of abducting her. Only, what motive would he have for abducting this stranger, especially one who had been kind to him and given him freshly made shortbread from her kitchen?
This mystery of a missing woman is only one of the occurrences in Foley that warrants investigation. Readers will quickly realize other issues include prostitution, moonshine making and selling, and other nefarious happenings. As I read, I wanted very much to know what happened to the doctor’s wife. Then Laurel and Irv get mixed up in making and selling moonshine so my fears increase for their safety.

The sheriff quickly determines that Thatcher Hutton has had nothing to do with the doctor’s wife’s disappearance. In fact, the sheriff wishes to deputize Hutton because the sheriff recognizes Hutton’s innate ability to read people and also Hutton’s strength of character. Just because the sheriff feels Hutton is innocent, that doesn’t mean suspicion has disappeared.

Too, Thatcher and Laurel continue to cross paths in various ways. Each time they see one another, Thatcher becomes more intrigued with this strong-willed, attractive woman. Clearly, Laurel is attracted to Thatcher as well, but she keeps her emotions tightly under control.

As the story unfolds, more serious crimes occur. Who is behind these crimes and why? Are so-called solid citizens to blame? If so, who is the mastermind? Blind Tiger provides readers with true villains and true heroes; one simply has to read to the end to know which is which.

My book club discussed Blind Tiger in our first return to in-person meetings. And quite the discussion we had too. There is plenty of fuel for discussion: the characters themselves, Prohibition, the law, poverty, mistreatment of women, and redemption along with a bit of romance to offset the crimes.

Rich with historical detail, Blind Tiger is a story woven together by many threads: the widow of a troubled WWI veteran has no choice but to remain living with her father-in-law after the death of her newborn. The little town in which she finds herself seems rife with scandal: a local doctor's wife has gone missing, another drifting WWI soldier stands accused, and there are moonshine stills dotting the countryside.

Although that cowboy-cum-soldier, Thatcher Hutton, clears his name, his place is set at the table: the sheriff has taken a liking to him personally and has a profound appreciation for Thatcher's many skills. He takes Thatcher under his wing while the search for the doctor's wife continues--and as a moonshiners' war is baking.

Laurel Plummer has finally landed herself a decent house and enjoys the company of her father-in-law, even if he is a bit odd. When she discovers by accident that he's moonshining himself, Laurel's initial reaction is horror. This is closely followed by the desire to catch up on her bills, and she finds herself managing--and growing--the business. But once Laurel becomes a problem for the locals, her concerns about the law lessen as her fears about her and Erv's lives bloom exponentially.

Can she trust Thatcher--a law man--to help her? He's one of the few people with whom she's familiar, and his interest in her is clear. But Laurel's been down a long, hard road, and trust doesn't come easily, especially since she now has several others under her care.

I loved the historical aspects of this story, the richness of the characters. It did drag a bit in the (lengthy) introduction, but overall it had a hell of a Prohibition-era Texas ambience that kept your nose in the novel. And, though I liked both Laurel and Thatcher, their romance never seemed all that compelling. Actually, Laurel's father-in-law, Erv, was my favorite character. However, the entire cast of characters is colorful and very individualistic; and even if the length of the book is a bit daunting, it's well worth it to step out of Sandra Brown's usual arena and into something new, dark, and interesting.

I loved this book! I mean, I've loved many Sandra Brown books but this one was so different from her usual romantic suspense that I often forgot it was her. That's not good or bad... I just applaud her for stepping into the roaring 20s and doing something a bit out of pattern for her. If you love speakeasies, flappers, and the illegal businesses of the prohibition era, this book is right up your alley. It has a complicated and well-laid-out plot with two characters I loved.

Laurel is a smart, brave widow, and I'd say a woman with grit who does what needs to be done to protect and support her daughter (as women do). Then there's Thatcher, a former soldier who hitched a ride across country on freight trains only to find himself in a town where he just needs to make money to get home. The two have chemistry that is slow and believable but also there's so much going on that you don't feel forced to focus on their romance.

Altough this book as all the Brown hallmarks and her smooth writing, I definitely felt it was fresh and new and I loved it. I think new readers may find out why she's so popular and old ones like me gained a new spark for her writing.

And, this author, yet again, got me with the "gotcha" moment in this book.

It's a different setting, which I loved as there aren't a lot of books set in the 20s...I loved Thatcher and Laurel, the supporting characters were interesting...it was overall a fun read.

As always with this author, I recommend the title.

This story takes place in the 1920s during the Prohibition period. Thatcher Hutton is a war-weary soldier returning home to his cowboy life. In order to avoid trouble he jumps from a moving freight train and ends up in Foley, Texas. His first encounter when he arrives into town will make him suspect. When a local woman goes missing he is suspected of abducting her or worse. This town is occupied by a corrupt mayor, a crooked sheriff, a notorious madam and bootleggers and moonshiners and an intriguing widow with a steel will. Thatcher finds himself reluctantly working with the local sheriff even though he is very intrigued with the young widow Laurel.

Instead of a fresh start for Laurel Plummer she is faced with tragedy. Being left destitute leaves her with few choices. So she engages in the lucrative business of bootlegging and moon shining -- making her a competitive enemy to the good ole boys. When violence erupts Laurel finds herself in the middle of a moonshine war that will put her on opposite sides with Thatcher.

Regardless of what side Laurel finds herself on Thatcher is determined to keep her safe.

Always reliable, Brown hits this one out of the park. The writing, tension, plotting, pacing, and history all combine to transport the reader a hundred years in the past. Any lover of romantic suspense will be captivated.

Sandra Brown never disappointed with anything she writes. I watched a clip of her introducing this book and I was super excited to get to read Thank you Net Gallery because she had stated that the bringing was the story of her grand father which is great I enjoying the book with all the characters that are both lovable to not so lovable. My hope as a lover of reading your enjoy this book as much as I have.

Laurel moves to a small Texas town with her returned army husband only to find moonshiners, trouble and more. ARC from NetGalley.

If I had to live during the prohibition, I'd be a bootlegger.

If I heard a campus was dry, I wouldn't even consider going there.

If there was no booze at a party, I'd bring my own roadie.

This may lead one to think I have a problem with alcohol.

This is not true.

I have a problem with people, which leads me to alcohol.

Growing up, Sandra Brown was one of my favorite authors. Per @goodreads, this is my 10th Sandra Brown book.

I've always loved the mystery element in Brown's novels and have found her to be a great storyteller.

This book takes place in the 1920's during the prohibition and is full of cowboys, bootleggers, lawmen, murder, mayhem and an old time speakeasy.

Little bit of mystery, little bit of romance.

However, at 500 pages this book was just too long for me. I found myself rushing through the pages and not in a good way.

I liked the characters, but never did get a good old mystery out of this one.

Thank you @netgalley for the eARC! I'll probably still buy all of Sandra Brown's books, but this one wasn't my favorite.

Overall, the book was good, just a bit slow. I am glad I went with the audiobook over physically reading it. Some storylines are better as an audio. The narrator did an excellent job with the characters, I would love to listen to something else he has read.

I liked the setting of this book. It still had the trademark twists and turns that the author is known for but the time period lent itself well to a story. I appreciated the timeline of this book. Normally the author packs everything into a matter of days but the events in this book built to such a boiling point. There wasn't a big gotcha moment at the end because it was pretty obvious who had done what but it was an engrossing story throughout.

I love Sandra Brown's books and am always eager to read one. This one felt different than her other reads with the main focus being bootlegging in the 1920s. The romance felt like it took a backseat compared to other novels. That said, it was interesting, and some things at the end really surprised. It's not quite five stars for me because it did feel long at times.

As a long-time fan of Sandra Brown, I was eager to read this. It did not disappoint. It was a rollicking romp through the days of prohibition with a WWI soldier accused of a murder he didn’t commit. And a highly charged relationship with a straight-laced strong woman in Foley, TX. It was delightfully addictive 5-star read.

I was excited to get my hands on this historical fiction by this talented author. The Prohibition era was a book that appealed to me because this time period is not often written about. Although it was well researched, it seemed to move along slowly and was too long. It would probably make a great movie or mini-series. Sorry to say I abandoned it at 60% #BlindTiger #NetGalley

Blind Tiger was full of historical madness and fun... Prohibition bootleggers, moonshiners, madams, and dirty lawmen, there is a story for everyone in this book.

I am typically not a Sandra Brown reader but I was totally into this book. Well written and researched. I enjoyed the story of Laurel and her family.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced ebook copy.

Blind Tiger is a classic Sandra Brown romantic suspense story and if you are a fan of this author or that genre at all, you will definitely want to pick it up.

The Great War is over but almost two years after armistice, Thatcher Hutton is still finding his way home. Lack of money and no job means he’s been playing cards to get cash for meals and hitching rides on freight trains to reach the ranch where he worked as a cowboy before he was drafted. His most recent stint of riding the rails finds him in a freight car full of angry men planning to attack the moment he falls asleep, so he escapes the only way he can – by jumping from the rapidly moving locomotive. He gets away relatively unscathed, but he wasn’t able to choose his location and finds himself stuck in the middle of nowhere Texas, walking miles just to reach a domicile. It’s not much, just a lean-to with an outhouse a few feet away but he figures the people there can help. He stops to ask for a drink and directions to the nearest town. The woman hanging the washing on the line is cool and anxious to have him gone but she points him toward a nearby small burg, lets him drink from their bucket of fresh water – and gives him a memory to carry on the road. He can’t recall ever seeing a sight as pretty as that lovely lady struggling to hang waterlogged sheets on a windy day.

Laurel Palmer is still shell-shocked from all the tragedy that has befallen her in the months since the war ended. Her father-in-law Irv has taken her in but as an invalided former railroad worker, he doesn’t have much in savings and the two of them can barely make ends meet. They’re living in a shack miles away from town and the stranger arriving at their door looking for aid reminds Laurel of just how vulnerable they are. He was handsome and polite, but strong and quick. Irv had been nervous enough to grab his shotgun and Laurel had been nervous enough to realize she needed to start bringing in some money so she and Irv can move closer to town.

The tiny town of Foley doesn’t have much in the way of industry, but there is a livery stable, and Thatcher demonstrates sufficient skills with the horses that the owner agrees to give him a job for a few weeks. That should enable him to earn enough to buy a train ticket home. With the employment question settled, Thatcher needs to locate a place to live and responds to a sign in the grocer’s window offering a room to rent. When he arrives at the address given, the beautiful pregnant lady at the well-kept, spacious house advises him the sign should have been taken down, since the room being offered is now a nursery. She gives him shortbread to sweeten the sting of rejection and sends him to a far more dour facility on the less affluent side of town. Thatcher doesn’t know it, but the brief encounter is about to change his whole life because that gentle gal goes missing that night.

Thatcher, the only stranger in town, is suspected of abducting and killing her. At least he is by the nosy neighbor who saw him at the house and the overly interested mayor who responds to said neighbor’s interference by pressuring the sheriff to arrest Thatcher. Fortunately, Sheriff Bill Amos is a smart man and quickly figures out Thatcher wasn’t involved. Bill just as quickly realizes that Thatcher is handy with a gun, quick on his feet and even faster at spotting a lie. Which makes Thatcher the perfect choice to help him discover who did take the missing lady.

Just as Thatcher is getting on the right side of the local law, Laurel, driven to desperation by her need for funds, finds herself on the wrong side of the new prohibition regulations. There aren’t many jobs available and certainly nothing that pays very well in a place as small as Foley. She’s got a good head for business, though, and Irv’s friend Ernie has a moonshine whiskey recipe that tastes better than anything available from a distillery. It’s not long before Laurel, Irv and Ernie are running a thriving – if illegal -business of their own. Unbeknownst to them, however, they’ve started their little production just as a local man has begun machinations to take over the entire territory. He’s a cutthroat competitor whose business plan is to brutally eliminate the competition. As the book’s description says, when

violence erupts, Laurel and—now deputy—Thatcher find themselves on opposite sides of a moonshine war, where blood flows as freely as the bootleg.

Word of warning – this book contains a fair amount of carnage and includes scenes of women being ferociously physically and sexually assaulted. I didn’t feel any of it was gratuitous; it seemed a realistic depiction of the vicious criminality that resulted from Prohibition.

Blind Tiger creates an intricate tale involving loss, reinvention, murder, mayhem, lies, corruption, whore houses, grimy speakeasies and rivalries among moonshiners and bootleggers in wild cat country in Texas in 1920. The book was definitely slow growing in parts, which caused me to skim through some chapters. I’ve read quite a few of Sandra Brown’s novels and typically find them enjoyable. To me, Blind Tiger seemed a bit flat with secondary characters far more interesting and likable than the protagonists. My favorites: Irv, Ernie & Corinne. The book was also peopled with a few cardboard stereotypes. But, a nice way to spend a leisurely Sunday.

I have been reading and enjoying Sandra Brown books for many years now. And over the years I come to expect a certain story. Her novels are always entertaining, have great romantic suspense, and a good amount of sexual tension between the couples.

But when I picked up BLIND TIGER I didn’t realize that this book would be vastly different to what I come to expect form this author. Different but GOOD!!! BLIND TIGER is set in the past. The roaring 20s. A time when making moonshine was a dangerous way of making a living.

Laurel, young but already going through one life lesson after another, was such a strong women, that became more obvious with each chapter. She was feisty, smart and brave. And didn’t hesitate to do what needed to be done in a very resolute and capable way.

Thatcher hitchhiked his way through the US on trains and had to literally jump off to safe his skin. That alone was already such a great start to the book. Right after he jumped off, he made his way to Laurel’s ranch and from the very first moment he and Laurel met, there was something in the air.

Thatcher was someone who handled everything in a very analytical way. He was calm under pressure, which helped him more than one time. He was assertive when needed. Always supportive and understanding, and never overbearing. Especially when it came to Laurel. Their relationship was a semi-slow burn, nicely paced, especially in regards to the circumstances and time period. Their connection felt authentic and real.

AND MAYBE BECAUSE I DIDN’T EXPECT THIS KIND OF STORY, I ENJOYED IT EVEN MORE SO.

In retrospect, what I loved the most about this book was that the author decided to write something completely different from her usual genre. Sometimes authors get into a rut, and books start to sound the same. They become repetitive along the line of cookie cutter stories. But with this novel the author changed it up. Also the book was really well researched, and thanks to the research the novel was rich in detail and felt very authentic to the time period. The tension because of the territory wars between the different moonshine producers and the ruthlessness that always an issues when it comes to money making kept me flipping pages. Then there were the speakeasies, the hidden bars, which were a well kept secret because of the prohibition at that time and the people who risked their lives by making a living brewing illegally in hidden camps.

All of it made for a fascinating story.

All in all, I had a fabulous time reading BLIND TIGER!!! And would love to read more stories like this in the future.