Set in Nevada ranching country, Paul's stunning sequel to 2013's Under Tower Peak brings back his tough but reflective hero, Sgt. Tommy Smith, and evokes a sense of place that seems almost timeless. . . . Each plot reveal feels simultaneously shocking and inevitable. High tension and gorgeous Americana make this a standout. -Kirkus, starred review
A Tarrantino-like thriller that's hard to put down. -Booklist
Bart Paul writes about California's northern ranch lands the way James Lee Burke writes about the Louisiana bayou country. Cheatgrass is a fast-paced, character-driven literary thriller that will leave you longing to read more novels featuring Sergeant Tommy Smith. Cheatgrass should be a strong contender for both the Edgar and Golden Spur awards. -Howard Frank Mosher, author of God's Kingdom and Walking to Gatlinburg
A fast-moving thriller with a lot of tension. . . . The descriptions of the landscape are wonderful. -The Daily American
Fast-paced, this plot will leave you begging for the next novel to be released. . . . Using this gorgeous setting allows the reader to truly feel as if they're right there. -Suspense Magazine
Praise for Under Tower Peak:
Under Tower Peak has everything I look for in a thriller-big characters, big action, sharp dialogue, and the magic of place. Bart Paul brings the California mountains to life through Iraqi war sniper Tommy Smith, a tough soul who would like to forget that war and get on with his life in the great outdoors. This book is engaging as a firefight and haunting as a campfire story. -T. Jefferson Parker, author of The Famous and the Dead and The Jaguar
A superb contemporary western thriller. Paul's Tommy Smith is right up there with James Lee Burke's Dave Robichaux. . . . Bart Paul knows his High Sierra country inside out. Under Tower Peak is a beautifully-written, searingly honest literary thriller by a first-rate storyteller and outdoorsman. -Howard Frank Mosher, author of Walking to Gatlinburg
A great Western thriller. Bart Paul knows how to keep things interesting and his attention to detail is pitch-perfect-from how to pack a horse to the relationship between two modern-day cowboys. In Tommy Smith, he has created a Western hero that is part John Wayne and part James Bond. Under Tower Peak is a hard book to put down. -Dan O'Brien, author of Stolen Horses and Buffalo for the Broken Heart
Paul writes with spare, clean, hard-driving prose that skates along morality's knife-edge-writing reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy and James Lee Burke-all the while layered with lush, keenly observed descriptions of the natural world and man's place in it. Wild-country noir with gripping, compelling action. -Kirkus Reviews
A superior blend of thriller and contemporary western, full of gun lore and with a fine appreciation of the Sierra Nevada wilderness. And Paul's spare, reflective style recalls Hemingway. -Booklist, starred review
A scenic, suspenseful debut novel turns out to be one of the best of the season. . . . Bart Paul's debut novel displays some formidable influences-Hemingway, for instance . . . Shadows of Cormac McCarthy and Jim Harrison also flutter across the pages of this swift-moving tale. . . . The nonstop action in Under Tower Peak is well-paced, the plot twists surprising (even shocking), and the occasional humor welcome. . . . A must-read. -Wall Street Journal
Set in Nevada ranching country, Paul's stunning sequel to 2013's Under Tower Peak brings back his tough but reflective hero, Sgt. Tommy Smith, and evokes a sense of place that seems almost timeless. . . . Each plot reveal feels simultaneously shocking and inevitable. High tension and gorgeous Americana make this a standout. Kirkus, starred review
A Tarrantino-like thriller that's hard to put down. Booklist
Bart Paul writes about California's northern ranch lands the way James Lee Burke writes about the Louisiana bayou country. Cheatgrass is a fast-paced, character-driven literary thriller that will leave you longing to read more novels featuring Sergeant Tommy Smith. Cheatgrass should be a strong contender for both the Edgar and Golden Spur awards. Howard Frank Mosher, author of God's Kingdom and Walking to Gatlinburg
A fast-moving thriller with a lot of tension. . . . The descriptions of the landscape are wonderful. The Daily American
Fast-paced, this plot will leave you begging for the next novel to be released. . . . Using this gorgeous setting allows the reader to truly feel as if they're right there. Suspense Magazine
Praise for Under Tower Peak:
Under Tower Peak has everything I look for in a thriller big characters, big action, sharp dialogue, and the magic of place. Bart Paul brings the California mountains to life through Iraqi war sniper Tommy Smith, a tough soul who would like to forget that war and get on with his life in the great outdoors. This book is engaging as a firefight and haunting as a campfire story. T. Jefferson Parker, author of The Famous and the Dead and The Jaguar
A superb contemporary western thriller. Paul's Tommy Smith is right up there with James Lee Burke's Dave Robichaux. . . . Bart Paul knows his High Sierra country inside out. Under Tower Peak is a beautifully-written, searingly honest literary thriller by a first-rate storyteller and outdoorsman. Howard Frank Mosher, author of Walking to Gatlinburg
A great Western thriller. Bart Paul knows how to keep things interesting and his attention to detail is pitch-perfect from how to pack a horse to the relationship between two modern-day cowboys. In Tommy Smith, he has created a Western hero that is part John Wayne and part James Bond. Under Tower Peak is a hard book to put down. Dan O'Brien, author of Stolen Horses and Buffalo for the Broken Heart
Paul writes with spare, clean, hard-driving prose that skates along morality's knife-edge writing reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy and James Lee Burke all the while layered with lush, keenly observed descriptions of the natural world and man's place in it. Wild-country noir with gripping, compelling action. Kirkus Reviews
A superior blend of thriller and contemporary western, full of gun lore and with a fine appreciation of the Sierra Nevada wilderness. And Paul's spare, reflective style recalls Hemingway. Booklist, starred review
A scenic, suspenseful debut novel turns out to be one of the best of the season. . . . Bart Paul's debut novel displays some formidable influences Hemingway, for instance . . . Shadows of Cormac McCarthy and Jim Harrison also flutter across the pages of this swift-moving tale. . . . The nonstop action in Under Tower Peak is well-paced, the plot twists surprising (even shocking), and the occasional humor welcome. . . . A must-read. Wall Street Journal
