"Let me be honest and fully transparent right up front. I read most of James Patterson’s books and have for several years. Some might ask why and that’s another whole discussion best saved for another day. I have really enjoyed some, liked some, and didn’t really care for others. For the most part, I treat them like mind candy and don’t consider them to be too memorable. However, once in a while I am pleasantly surprised with a gem that shines. James Patterson’s Rory Yates, Texas Ranger series co-written with Andrew Bourelle is one those golden nuggets.

2018’s “Texas Ranger� was one of those nice blessings that caught me off-guard and delivered a winning read, introducing Patterson’s rugged new westernized hero, Rory Yates.

2020’s follow-up mystery adventure, “Texas Outlaw�, was another solid outing for Texas Ranger, Rory Yates, including strong storytelling, and most of all, an elusive subjective quality - heart.

I have been waiting for the third book in the series for several years now, and finally in 2025 Rory Yates returns with new crimes to investigate and new partners to work with in “The Texas Murders�. And for me, this one is a winner that adds to what has become one of my favorite Patterson series.

This time, things start off with Rory meeting Ava Cruz, an officer from the Tigua Tribal Police, while being politically forced to compete (by his boss) in a shooting event at a Texas Law Enforcement Charity fundraising event. Rory’s biggest competition turns out to be Ryan Logan, an FBI agent in charge of a special task force investigating the epidemic of Native American women going missing each year in the United States.

After Rory finds himself not hitting it off well with either Ava or Logan, he tries to get himself on the task force along with another ranger, Carlos Castillo, and help with some recent disappearances of local of a couple of college age Native American girls. However, the problem is bigger than that. Logan’s task force team is investigating a large-scale human-trafficking operation in which the young women are kidnapped, hooked on drugs, and then sent off to various illegal brothels in the Southwest.

While helping the task force, Rory, Ava, and Carlos start to realize they may actually be dealing with two different situations. Four of the local girls gone missing had a particular eagle feather left at their homes or places where they disappeared from. Rory thinks they may be related to different kidnappers who is probably killing them for reasons of their own.

If two different investigations aren’t enough, Rory is also experiencing double in his personal life. Not only has his mother set-up him up with Megan Casewick, a PhD student and college instructor whose family own a nearby ranch, but his previous love and rising country western singer, Willow Dawes, has returned to Texas to record new songs and spend some time with him. Rory finds himself trying to spark a new relationship with one while fighting the urge to rekindle one with the other.

However, Rory may not get to enjoy any kind of personal relationships for long when he finds himself up against two opposing forces who have no problems killing to protect their illegal trafficking operations and need to abduct Native American women, even if it means killing Texas Rangers�

There are several different reasons to enjoy Rory Yates, his job and identity as a Texas Ranger, his family, co-workers, and friends. It’s a good recipe of strong characters, excellent plotting and mysteries, compelling relationships, and interesting locations. And then you add in the special sauce � fluid, smooth storytelling with lots of fast-paced action, twists and turns, and a whole lot of heart � to complete a winning recipe.

I am not saying that these three Rory Yates, Texas Ranger books, are classics, but they have a special ambience that is patriotic and led by a character who lives by an ethical code that we are drawn to as he tries his damnedest to live up to. He’s not too intellectual, pretentious, or complex. He’s peanut butter and jelly; what you see is what you get.

Sometimes less can be better when it comes to mystery series or ongoing lead characters, and this is one of those times. The same can be said for the mysteries. They aren’t necessarily new, but the storylines are related to recent headlines and involve serious problems taking place in our country. Those issues pull you in and make you more aware while focusing on trying to solve the mystery. For me, the delivery of the story makes this one of the better Patterson series.

I know that Patterson has teamed up with many different writers over the years, but this partnership with Andrew Bourelle is a winner. It provides a certain smooth rhythm that ebbs and flows like a classic country or rock song. Although Patterson novels are fast-paced, the tempo, flow of words, and transition from scene to scene just seem to work together in unison better in this particular book and series.

Overall, Patterson and Bourelle’s character of Rory Yates, his job as a Ranger, his family, and Texas settings pays off in a big way, at least for this reader. I don’t know why it and I don’t care. I just thoroughly enjoyed it. It had mystery, great storytelling, and most of all, an elusive subjective quality - heart. And now the authors have added girlfriend problems to Rory’s plate, which also help amplify his storylines on an emotional level. At the risk of upsetting hardcore Patterson fans, it truly felt like I was reading a David Baldacci thriller, and a really good one at that with those tension filled moments that reach out and grab your full attention... The plotting and writing style were so creative, crisp, and enjoyable that I thought I was reading one of Baldacci’s bestselling character driven series.

"The Texas Murders" was another enjoyable Rory Yates Patterson and Bourelle adventure, worthy of a four-star rating or higher. If you only read one or two books by James Patterson this year, please make sure this series is one of them. I promise you will be worth read. Like some of Patterson’s other esteemed characters, like Alex Cross, I cannot wait to experience another Rory Yates adventure.
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