Outside the Law

By: Phillip Thompson

Narrated by: J. Rodney Turner

Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

There's a new badge in the land of crime fiction...and it's pinned on a man who can stand tall alongside lawmen like Raylan Givens, Walt Longmire, and Jesse Stone.

Sheriff Colt Harper lives by his own moral code. His relentless crusade against drug crimes in his rural Mississippi county infuriates a Memphis mobster who sends Hack, his cold-blooded assassin, to stop him. ATF Special Agent Molly McDonough, looking to save her troubled career, follows Hack's trail of corpses to Harper's turf. The fates of Harper, McDonough, and Hack collide in a bloody, brutal showdown for justice, redemption, and survival that can only be fought outside the law.

©2017 Phillip Thompson (P)2017 Brash Books LLC

Critic reviews

"Tough, fast-paced...Thompson's convincing characters race toward an inevitable and explosive showdown." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Sheriff Harper is an old-west gunfighter in the modern world. The action doesn't stop." (David Morrell, New York Times best-selling author of First Blood, the novel that introduced Rambo)

good story but had to listen at 1.10 speed

Narrator almost ruined the story talking so slowly and with what sounds like marbles in his mouth. upping the playback speed made it listenable

Good!

I enjoyed this thrilling story. Interesting characters and fantastic narration!

**I received a copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review**

What's next?

Really enjoyed the story. Narration was very good and I'm hoping there will be a sequel!

A combo of Longmire and Dirty Harry that works...

As the title suggests, Sheriff Colt Harper, takes tough and no nonsense approach to law enforcement in this fast-paced police thriller. Obviously the good guys versus the bad guys, but when revenge, remorse, and life-long relationships converge the lines between good and bad become a little blurred. Thompson characters (sheriffs, ATF agents, drug lords, hit-men, dealers, and rednecks) are well developed while taking several twists and turns along the way and come together in an explosive ending. The writing is descriptive and brings the listener right into the setting. This is complemented by the narration of J. Rodney Turner who brings the characters to life with his southern drawl in a steady paced tone. The only drawback to the narration is that I found that I was unable to lay down and listen at night as his smooth voice lulled me to sleep. I suppose that could actually be a plus in some cases. LoL

I would recommend this book to those that enjoy stories about small town lawmen. A review copy of this audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in return for this unbiased review. My hope is that this review helps in your decision to obtain this book.

Well crafted story. Outstanding narration.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook. Well written, coupled with an outstanding narrator, I could "See" the story unfold... The film running in my mind, and characters brought to life as I listened.

Not really interesting. Inconsistent characters.

I received a free copy of this book from the author / narrator / publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Almost halfway through the book, the story progressed without any set direction. I couldn't understand where the story was heading. When it did start moving in one direction, that wasn't still interesting and didn't excite me.

I'm quite bewildered by the actions taken by the main characters in this book. They are never consistent. And are pretty idiotic / unbelievable most of the time. They keep the story moving, but are otherwise glaring mistakes.

Even the climax of the book wasn't all that thrilling.

I love a great white hat/black hat story

There was no question who the good guys and the bad guys are in this story. There was an ultimate clash but the mini skirmishes leading up to that was full of special.

I loved the relationship between the sheriff and his staff. I loved how he problem-solved. I loved how he cared. His decision-making was a head scratcher but his take-no-prisoners attitude had to be admired.

This was a really good good-guy versus bad-guy listen. The narrator worked extremely well with the material and he really brought the emotion during the showdown. The main character. Sheriff Cole, was more of a slow-burn and the narrator portrayed him to perfection.

If you like Longmire on Netflix you will love this

There is a show produced by Netflix called Longmire. In it, a Sheriff, struggling with inner demons, tries to keep himself and his town under control. Although in my opinion a very good program to watch, Netflix has decided to cancel it after three seasons.

Outside the Law reminds me very much like Longmire. The sheriff in the book, Colt, is strikingly similar to Walt Longmire. So much that the book could easily be adapted to an episode of the show.

The book doesn’t break any new tropes. Bad guy enters town, causes mischief. It’s up to Sheriff Colt to figure out how to stop him. The journey though from cover to cover is what is entertaining. If you like episodic types of books, this is for you. I will be heartily surprised if another book doesn’t appear with these characters.

J. Rodney Turner should be a default phone call for any publisher wanting a narrator for a western. His bass voice is perfect for this genre: low, slow, and soothing. I have no doubt Mr. Turner used that voice to his advantage many times with the ladies in his life. He is without question the Barry White of audiobook narrators. I detected no technical mistakes at all. The performance was flawless. Kudos, Mr. Turner. You deserve more than you've received and I hope your narrator career goes far.

This audiobook was gifted to me by the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Great story!

Any additional comments?

This is a very interesting book, well written with a good story. J. Rodney Turner brought the story to life with his excellent narration.

Outside the Law

Outside the Law
: Phillip Thompson

Colt Harper has been compared to my favorite fictional lawman, Walt Longmire. The difference in setting is not a bad thing. The two lawmen have their own ways of dispencing justice. I think I need to go back and read other works by this author to see if there are more comparisons.


The narration was well done. The characters were well portrayed. J. Rodney Turner slow deep southern voice is pleasant to listen to.



I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.