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Book Summary and Reviews of The Renegades by T. Jefferson Parker

The Renegades by T. Jefferson Parker

The Renegades

by T. Jefferson Parker

  • Critics' Consensus (4):
  • Published:
  • Feb 2009, 352 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Some say that outlaws no longer exist, that the true spirit of the American West died with the legendary bandits of pulp novels and bedtime stories. Charlie Hood knows that nothing could be further from the truth. These days he patrols vast stretches of the new American West, not on horseback but in his cruiser. The outlaws may not carry six-shooters, but they’re strapped all the same.

Along the desolate and dusty roads of this new frontier, Hood prefers to ride alone, and he prefers to ride at night. At night, his headlights illuminate only the patch of pavement ahead of him: all the better to hide from the demons—and the dead outlaws—receding in his rearview mirror.

But he doesn’t always get what he wants— certainly not when he’s assigned a partner named Terry Laws, a county veteran who everyone calls “Mr. Wonderful.” And not when Laws is shot dead in the passenger seat and Hood is left to bear witness by someone who knew that Mr. Wonderful didn’t always live up to his nickname. As he sets out to find the gunman, Hood knows one thing for sure: The West is a state of mind, one where the bad guys sometimes wear white hats—and the good guys seek justice in whatever shade of gray they can find it.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. In this crackling follow-up ...Parker creates a desert no-man's-land unique in its corruption, but no less dangerous than the roughest of South Central street corner." - Publishers Weekly.

"Starred Review. [An] engrossing tale of justice and redemption. Highly recommended." - Library Journal.

"The pace is leisurely and the plot a bit obvious, but Parker...at three-quarters effectiveness still beats most others at their best." - Kirkus Reviews.

"Starred Review. Readers will likely find themselves rattled—and riveted—too." - Booklist.

This information about The Renegades was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

T. Jefferson Parker Author Biography

Photo: Marion Ettlinger

T. Jefferson Parker is the author of numerous novels and short stories, the winner of three Edgar Awards (for Silent Joe, California Girl, and the short story "Skinhead Central"), and the recipient of a Los Angeles Times Book Prize for best mystery (Silent Joe). Before becoming a full-time novelist, he was an award-winning reporter. He lives in Fallbrook, California.

Author Interview
Link to T. Jefferson Parker's Website

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