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| A Tale Out of Luck: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Authors: Willie Nelson, Mike Blakely
Publisher: Center Street
Category: Book
List Price: $21.99
Buy New: $10.99
You Save: $11.00 (50%)
New (41) Used (14) from $6.37
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 21755
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1
ISBN: 1599957329
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9781599957326
ASIN: 1599957329
Publication Date: September 3, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Item is brand new.
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Product Description
Retired Texas Ranger Captain Hank Tomlinson intends to spend the rest of his days raising cattle on his Broken Arrow Ranch, and nurturing his frontier town of Luck, Texas. But when the brutal murder and scalping of a mysterious drifter leads to a clash between cavalry soldiers and a band of Comanche Indians suspected of the killing, a full-scale Indian uprising seems likely. Worse yet, the murder of the drifter bears a disturbing resemblance to a string of killings Hank remembers from his distant and violent past as a Texas Ranger.
Meanwhile, Hank's twenty-year-old son, Jay Blue, and his adoptive brother, Skeeter, find themselves on the trail of a valuable Kentucky mare who vanished under their watch. The trail leads them into the dangerous haunts of outlaws and vengeful Comanche warriors. Now Hank must attempt to keep his sons safe while trying to catch a murderer who he knows will soon strike again. His ace-in-the-hole is beautiful Flora Barlow, the tavern owner with a knack for detective work.
Though rival lawman, Matt Kenyon, and competing rancher, Jack Brennan, complicate Hank's investigation, he and Flora slowly begin to uncover a crooked web of crime, deception, and murder. Dark secrets emerge, and everyone must choose sides as lawmen, outlaws, soldiers, and Indian warriors converge for a final, bloody confrontation. (2008)
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| Customer Reviews:
A Good Tale, A Good Review November 20, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
First off, I will say I thoroughly enjoyed this book by both Willie Nelson AND Mike Blakely. This exciting page-turner doesn't trot, it rages at high speed. You will NOT get bored with the story Willie came up with and Mike penned. While there are a few plot twists in this one it was not difficult to keep up with. If all of Blakely's stories are this good, I would like to read them, and we know just how well Willie can spin his web of storytelling (Red Headed Stranger, and his gigantic song catalog, etc.), so in my honest opinion, it would be worth your while. The only negative I have about this tale is I would have liked to have had more background information on some of the characters. True, there are bits, but I feel it would have only added to the tale more. It is almost like having mashed potatoes without the gravy. Sure, it is good the way it is and satisfying at the same time, but man that gravy would have made it lip-licking good. So I will end on that note, I'm getting hungry. Hey Beto, fix me some of that fried chicken to go with those potatoes! (After you've read the tale you'll know what I'm speaking of.)
A Tale Out of Luck November 15, 2008
A Tale Out of Luck
by Willie Nelson with Mike Blakely
Most of us know Willie Nelson as a legendary country singer, and not so much as a writer of novels. But let me tell you, the imagination and creativity he brought to his songwriting, he has brought to his first novel. What a tale he has spun in this book!
This book is a western, set in Nelson's invented town of Luck, Texas, in the late 1800's. Just outside of town lies the Broken Arrow Ranch, where retired ranger captain Hank Tomlinson lives with his son, Jay Blue, and his adopted son, Skeeter Rodriguez. Hank has just bought a Thoroughbred racehorse mare from Kentucky, and Jay Blue is supposed to be on night watch. Instead, he gets Skeeter to watch, while he heads into town to try and woo one of the barmaids, Jane Catlett. At some point during the night, Skeeter goes to sleep and the mare disappears.
Convinced that the mare was stolen, Jay Blue and Skeeter set off to find her on their own. During this crazy adventure, they meet up with an albino names Jubal Hayes, that is known as a "mustang whisperer." They convince him to help, and in the process end up catching an uncatchable wild stallion.
While the boys are gone looking for the mare, an unknown man turns up dead, and Hank thinks a ghost Indian has come back from his past to kill him. While he is busy trying to find out who killed the man, an out of town reporter shows up and starts pointing to Hank as the killer. And while this is going on, the neighboring rancher sets off and Indian attack by killing a hunting party that was just passing through.
The twists and turns in this book are really capable of keeping you reading, wondering what crazy thing is going to happen next. And the ending does not disappoint. You will constantly be guessing who did what, only to find some other clue to make you think it's someone else. And when you finally get to know who did it, you will shake your head, as it won't be who you think it is.
This was a really good book, especially for his first novel. I am usually not into westerns, but this was a good one. If you are looking for a good story, Willie Nelson has delivered.
Very Nice Gift November 2, 2008
I bought this book to give as a gift. I haven't read the book but the cover, binding, and dust jacket are very nice.
 Willie does writing October 6, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Not bad... not bad at all. Willie Nelson and Mike Blakely give more than a tip of their hats to Larry McMurtry here -- but that's all right. The world could use a few more "Lonesome Dove" caliber books, in my opinion. This book isn't perfect. But it's fun and it draws you in. The main sticking point I feel is character development... several of the heroes in the book seem interchangable at times. The plot moves along nicely, even if it ties up rather neatly at the end and we need to suspend disbelief a bit on the way there. But all in all a fine, fun first effort.
Endearing characters make "A Tale Out of Luck" a good read September 2, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Nelson and Blakely deliver an action-packed page-turner with far more substance than the average Western novel. While the mix of intrigue and suspense will keep readers on the trail, the enduring qualities of the characters are what set this novel apart.
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