The Carnival, The Cross, and the Burning Desert

A Smoke Tree Series Novel

Things are getting complicated in Smoke Tree, the dusty Mojave Desert town hard by Highway 66 and the Santa Fe Rail Line on the banks of the Colorado River. In June of 1964, three men descend on the town: one puts down roots, one finds the light, and one descends into deeply twisted evil. Captain Carlos Caballo, commander of the Smoke Tree Substation of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, is responsible for policing an area larger than many states. He has to deal simultaneously with a joint Army-Air Force exercise that has flung 100,000 military personnel across his area, a carnival with a borderline-obscene girlie show, the sudden appearance of an itinerant revival preacher, and two guys who are planning to cut a car out of a moving train and steal the cargo. Added to that, the Mafia has shown up. Life is getting complicated and very dangerous for the man everyone in the Lower Colorado River Basin knows simply as ‘Horse.’

interesting listening

I really like the many characters that have recurring roles and always like when Native Americans are part of the story .

Good Story

The virtual voice was terrible! Robotic, emotionless and mispronounced words, fo one example bourbon is pronounced bo ur ban.

Ridiculous story.

The seemingly main character throughout the first two thirds of the book disappears after that and is never mentioned again. He was the one character I had interest in. Many, many characters were introduced who had little to do with anything. The last third suddenly hinged on a gun theft scheme. Totally disjointed. Most of the book consisted of the author displaying his knowledge of weapons, carnival procedures, and some of religion. Don’t waste your time or money.

Story characters and place

Hate voice technology narration. It can’t people end pronounce mispronounced word the same. Screws word pronunciation but it is better than nothing I guess.

The Carnival...

These books are so entertaining and filled with interesting characters. Always want the next one!!