Cover Image: Down Range - Thrillerfest Exclusive

Down Range - Thrillerfest Exclusive

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

A decent start to a series. Yes, some aspects are things we’ve seen before but the novel comes from both a place of heart and knowledge, which is authentic. The writing isn’t anything special but not terrible either. It’s a big house kind of washed. Still, the voice comes through and I look forward to more from this author. Sometimes processed food still tastes mighty damn good.

Was this review helpful?

great book full of action and suspense great not action hero would make a good show on netfix. would recommend to freinds and family what a great book .

Was this review helpful?

This was an excellent 1st installment of a new thriller hero. Hopefully Garrett will return in a 2nd book. The hero is a unique character, and in addition to fast past action and twists and turns, the interactions and complexities of human relationships of the characters are what make this book even more rounded and depth.

Was this review helpful?

DEA Agent Garrett Kohl is not only a former Green Beret but an undercover agent working in Afghanistan when he sees an entire village gunned down by Taliban terrorists. Kohl can do nothing because he's not supposed to be in the country but when a young boy flees for his life, the only survivor, Kohl also can't let him be killed. He rescues him, returns with him to America, and then must protect him until the American government can build a case and the boy can testify to the atrocities committed, as the only surviving witness. The safest place he can imagine is his small Texas hometown. When he gets home, he finds out his brother is in trouble with the cartels in Mexico, his father is still angry with him, and trouble has a way of finding him.

This is an excellent first book by Taylor Moore. It’s as much character driven as a thriller with lots of time well spent on getting to know the characters. It reads like the first of a series though I have no evidence of that. Some great lines:

"What you really want to know is if you’re walking into a fight with a Ka-bar, when you should’ve brought your Howitzer.”

"“This your flavor?” It couldn’t have been more than nine-thirty, but Garrett knew never to turn down a drink when the bartender was buying. “Cold is my flavor.”

At its core, this is a story of loving family, dying for them. If you like that sort of loyalty, you will enjoy this book.

Was this review helpful?

This is a debut book/author, & he's done pretty good. I found it to be a quick read that didn't require too overly much investment. I think he did a pretty good job of setting up the characters that might continue. It has some good chase scenes, & 'good guy vs. bad guy' scenes, & somehow avoids 'over the top' gore & sex. I actually liked the historical & geographical references that he interspersed in the story. I see a lot of other reviews comparing this to author C.J. Box (of which I'm a huge fan!), but I didn't ever get that vibe. T. Moore offers a good start.....yeah, I'd check in again to see how he continues the series.
I received an e-ARC from publisher William Morrow/HarperCollins & Thrillerfest/ITW, Inc. via NetGalley, in return for reading it & offering my own unbiased, fair/honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Wow, this book started with non-stop action and continued through the whole book. It is definitely one of those books that you never want to end. A great hero, a kid, a boss that is balls-to-the-wall but fair. I don't know what else you can ask for.

I'm sure the way the story ended that there is more in the future of Garrett (and his family) and I really hope that it turns into a series.

Taylor Moore is right up there with Baldacci!

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book quite a bit. It starts off in the Middle East with our main character, Garrett Kohl, witnessing some horrible things but saving a young child he should have left at the battlefield site. His gets back and is asked to keep this child away from everyone as a witness against a horrific crime. He is then relocated back to deep country in Texas where the real story begins. Garrett gets back to town and there is some shady dealings occurring involving old friends from way back and his brother who is a lawyer in town. Garrett struggles to deal with the issues that his conscience wont let him avoid. He becomes closer to his more or less estranged brother and father. I don't want to spoil the plot but it is a really strong story and I anticipate a sequel at some point which I will happily read.
Thank you Netgalley, William Morrow and Custom House and Taylor Moore for the ARC for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Congratulations to Taylor Moore on a very successful debut novel #DownRange is a FIVE STAR story of Garrett Kohl going home from Afghanistan at the behest of the CIA to protect the only witness to a massacre. Sworn to protect Asadi, the witness, the former Green Beret now DEA agent is drawn into Texas panhandle intrigue and conspiracy. The treachery has grown beyond the Kaiser family buying up all the oil and gas rights to include working for a Mexican drug cartel. When Garrett's father makes a bad choice with cartel drugs the whole of the family is drawn into the vicious world of kill or be killed as they fight to rescue his brothers twins. Moore's writing include stunning visuals of the panhandle and Kohl ranch. Think Cormac McCarthy meets Don Winslow. Looking forward to the next Garrett Kohl book.

Was this review helpful?

Down Range
I was given an ARC if Taylor Moore’s Down Range in exchange for my review. I thank #NetGalley, #WilliamMorrow and #CustomHouse for the ARC.
I really enjoyed Down Range. Garrett Kohl is the main character. He has served in the military and currently works for the DEA. He is on a joint operation in Afghanistan and winds up saving a young boy from death. He is tasked with protecting the boy back in America while others try to figure out how to successfully resolve the situation in Afghanistan. Garret takes the boy back to the high plains of Texas and rekindles his relationships with family and friends he hasn’t seen much of in recent years. Turns out a few bad eggs are trying to make a fortune in the drug trade thereabouts. It is hard to tell who is involved and who isn’t, but almost everyone is dependent on a company or two that control the oil business in the area.
Garrett goes from one encounter to another learning more and more about what is happening. He relies on his skills and experience to navigate his way through the obstacles he faces. Garrett survives and the bad guys get what is coming to them. Taylor Moore gives enough information to inform why characters act as they do, but sometimes it seems a bit shallow. You know why things happen, but it would be nice if there was some more depth to some of the characters. And there was an instance or two of thinking someone is good or bad and then, after just a sentence or two, the opposite is revealed to be true.
I saw a couple of interviews with the author that reflected on his writing style. He said he likes to take a couple of col things and through them together and see what happens. He also said sometimes characters appear just out of the arc of the story and sometimes develop into more significant (and perhaps recurring) figures as the tale continues.
I think fans of the espionage/military thriller niche will enjoy Down Range and welcome Taylor Moore. I look forward to the next Garrett Kohl novel.

Was this review helpful?

A good, solid debut by author Taylor Moore, Down Range is a strong, action-packed start to a new series that has the promise of long-running success. Garrett Kohl is one of the good guys, and someone you will want to know better. Down Range, the first in the Garrett Kohl series, reminds me of a somewhat similar series by an author who has recently retired from writing. I have the feeling Taylor Moore and Garrett Kohl will fill that gap nicely.

The story starts while Kohl is on assignment in Afghanistan, and his actions there result in him bringing a young Afghan boy back to Garrett’s childhood home in Texas to keep him safe. Safe may have been the plan, but the ranching community there is anything but safe. Drugs, cartels, criminals, corruption throughout the ranks of local officials and other ranchers.

Down Range is non-stop, nail-biting, heart-stopping action, start to finish. But it’s not just a violent shoot-‘em-up. Characters have depth and are very well drawn. The credible plot moves quickly but smoothly, with twists and turns that keep you guessing (and afraid) who will survive.

Thanks to Thrillerfest and William Morrow and Custom House for providing an advance copy of Down Range via NetGalley. It is an excellent, exciting beginning to a series I can’t wait to continue reading. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I really liked this book! Kept me wanting to read! Didn't want to stop! Will definitely read more books from him!

Was this review helpful?

Garrett Kohl is as rough and rugged as the land he grew up on in the Texas Panhandle. He’s as comfortable on the back of a horse as he is behind the wheel of a vehicle. He served in the military special forces and now works closely with the CIA as a DEA undercover agent. The story begins with immediate action and tension as Garrett is on a surveillance mission in Afghanistan. He knows he’s past the allowed U.S. perimeter but when he witnesses marauders massacre an entire village, except for one small boy, he cannot idly sit by. He doesn’t stop until they all pay for murdering the innocent people. With the boy in tow, he returns to headquarters to take his punishment for interfering.
Only the punishment he receives is nothing like what he imagined. He is ordered to take the boy with him and return to Texas, to keep him safe for future testimony against the terrorists.
Here’s where the story shifts and Garrett’s family dynamics come into play. His mother is deceased. His father is a grizzled old rancher with more grit than John Wayne. He has one brother, Bridger, a prominent attorney in the small town of Canadian. Bridger is married and has two twin daughters. I was prepared to dislike Garrett’s father for his rough ways and spiteful comments, but this author made me love him. The old man takes the young Afghan boy under his wing and teaches him the ways of the ranch. The story’s pace cools down to a slow burn while building toward the climax.
While Garrett thinks he’s escaped the tense and deadly world of high-stakes drug dealing, instead he’s walked right into the most deadly fight of all and it involves his entire family. The Garza drug cartel is deeply embedded in the panhandle working through a local oil company to move the products.
When Garrett’s brother, Bridger is forced to represent Mescalero Oil, drawing up bogus contracts and representing two of the oil company’s goons who get caught with drugs, he plays a game of Russian roulette with his family as the bargaining chips. The brothers join forces, letting their bygone differences be bygones. They won’t rest until the family is safe again as well as the Afghan boy, Asadi.
The non-stop action, the authenticity of the setting, the weapons, the military tactics, and the characters are compelling and unforgettable. This author managed to combine high-tension thriller drama with family dynamics in such a way that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. All of the tertiary characters are multi-dimensional and each with their own story. If I had to offer any critique of the story, it would be that Garrett thought about and talked about how much he loved and missed his nieces and sister-in-law, and yet he never made an effort to go see them until they were under the cartel’s thumb, so I think a thread got dropped.
This is a story we will be seeing on the big screen. It’s that good! I highly recommend it.

Was this review helpful?

What a stunning debut for this new author! A DEA agent, Garret Kohl, ends up returning to the High Plains of Texas with a young Afghanistan boy in tow. If you thought he left the war behind, think again, as family, his lawyer brother, and a special girl all find themselves involved with a bunch of criminals that have taken over the community! Garret can Not just let things go, blood Is thicker than anything else and his family needs him. Garret is also a battle tested Green Beret, and the criminals have no idea what is coming for them!
Amazing characters that you get to know quickly, scenes straight out of the history books throughout Texas, descriptions that will have your heart beating faster as you can Not put this book down! There is a new type of thriller adventure here right now, with a new take on the genre that you can not read fast enough!! Simply fabulous, and any who enjoy thrillers by Brad Taylor, Bradley Wright, or Mark Greaney better grab this book as soon as it is published!! I am so excited for the next in this series!!
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the author who I thank for opening my eyes to a new series to love, and I offer you my honest thoughts and feelings in this review.

Was this review helpful?

Down Range is an exciting read, and the author's experience shines through in the descriptions and detail. However, several things stood in the way of giving the book a higher rating. First, the book starts with a long narrative setting the scene before the characters come alive. Second, the dialogue written is engaging, but I felt more narrative detail took me out of the story throughout the book.
I felt the author told the reader how to experience the words by excessive punctuation, including exclamation points and ellipses. And, along the same line, the overuse of italics to emphasize words and phrases felt like the author didn't trust the reader and had to use gimmicky techniques to make sure the reader 'got it.'
This author worked so hard crafting descriptions and choosing the right words that the adverbs used stood out as either unnecessary or a distraction. The double whammy was seeing the word exactly in italics.
The slips in point of view were confusing and took away from the main character. These are all easy things to fix in future writings.
Having said all this, there is no question this author has the ability to write a great story, and I look forward to book #2.

Was this review helpful?

This is a tautly written, tense, action filled book that checks all the boxes. Garrett Kohl is man who has fought for this country on many fronts, beginning with his stint as a battle-hardened Green Beret and then an undercover DEA agent. He's seen the worst people can do and battling that is a top priority for him. He is not afraid to take chance to save or protect people Born into a ranching family he is determined to protect the community where he grew up, especially when criminals corrupt local law enforcement and terrorize Kohl's family.
Kohl walks right off the pages of this book, grabbing you from the first chapter and keeping you mesmerized until the last page. A spellbinding novel that exposes the evil in mankind as well as the determination and bravery of men like Garrett Kohl. This book is unputdownable.

Was this review helpful?

Wow! Down Range is another reason 2021 will be known as the year of the dazzling debut. What a terrific thriller! Taylor Moore, like John Gilstrap, knows how to write a hair-raising tale which would make an awesome actioner! Down Range is a perfectly paced adventure with an amazing assemblage of characters. Good guys. Bad guys. No shortage of either. It's a wild-west tale set in modern times. Any reader of this book will be able to easily extrapolate there are many more thrilling 'Garret Kohl' tales ahead of us. I can't wait for the next one! Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advance reading copy.

Was this review helpful?

Down Range featuring former Green Beret Garrett Kohl is an action packed ride. Garrett is now a DEA agent and is on assignment in Afghanistan. He has just witnessed a horrific sight and taken his own action that could cost him his job and freedom. He catches sight of a young boy trying to make his way from the village below and attempts to help but realizes he must get away now. As he reaches his own vehicle the boy makes it to his side. Together they make a fast exit while being shot at.
Once back at his camp Garrett is ready to face the consequences of his actions, which are not what he expected at all. The young boy is a witness to the earlier carnage and now Garrett's job is to keep him safe. He can only think of one place that could be, back in Texas.
Once back home Garrett finds out there is almost as much trouble there for the locals and again finds himself knee deep in it.
Now he's got to help his own family as well as try to keep the young boy safe.

This is an incredibly fast moving, hang on to your seat ride that I recommend.

Was this review helpful?