Guns

Guns By Phil Bowie Medallion Press, Inc, 2006 ISBN-13: 978-1-932815-59-7 ISBN-10: 1-932815-59-7 Suspense The Cowboy is a man with a past. Known to the residents of Ocracoke island as Sam Bass, this pilot-for-hire lives a quiet, simple life until his heroic part in a dangerous sea rescue gains national attention. Unfortunately, Sam's old employer is one of the people who sees the newspaper story. A player in the shady world of light weapons trading, Louis Strake dispatches a hit team to the remote Northern Carolina island. Their orders? Put a permanent end to Strake's association with The Cowboy. Sam is a government witness who has gotten a little too comfortable. Too many people know his habits. And it's only quick thinking and a lot of luck that saves his life. His beautiful girlfriend, Valerie, isn't so lucky. She's killed by an explosive charge the hit team places in The Cowboy's jeep. Forced back into the witness protection program and unable to make any contact with Valerie's five-year-old son, The Cowboy decides to avenge Valerie's death in the way of her Cherokee ancestors. Enlisting the help of Valerie's grandfather, he prepares himself mentally and physically for what lies ahead. Then he goes hunting. Guns is Phil Bowie's commentary on the world of arms dealing. His protagonist is a morally ambivalent pilot who steps a little too far into that dark land and tries to escape by taking down the man who brought him in. When this effort fails, the feds give The Cowboy a new identity and encourage him to completely forget his old life. He's okay with this. But once that new life is shattered, Bowie's anti-hero coldly and methodically exacts the kind of revenge countless real-world victims only dream about. Bowie is a skilled writer. I wouldn't have guessed this was his first novel. Take away the lengthy monologues he blatantly uses to provide backstory and you've got a terrific book. copyright © 2006 Clayton Clifford Bye

GUNS is filled with interesting characters and a great plot. The writing is excellent and I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense. The plot takes twists and turns which makes for a real page turner. NY Times best selling author Lee Child called GUNS, "...fast and engaging". I couldn't agree more.

I enjoyed GUNS very much---the plot was fantastic, the characters interesting and "real"; an excellent read.

Off the North Carolina coast, Coast Guard Mate Ruben Dixon calls Sam Bass to ask him to search for the Osprey caught at sea by a storm. Though the weather is horrendous Sam flies into the storm and spots the ship giving the Coast Guard the coordinates. Ralph and Adele Stilley are rescued just before their vessel sinks. Raleigh Sentinel reporter Ira Cohn and TV news anchor Samantha Blackstone were sharing a tryst on the barrier island when they heard the story. They interview Sam, who becomes a national hero. However, instead of enjoying his fifteen minutes of fame, Sam finds his past has returned with a vengeance. Thugs arrive to kill "The Cowboy", but instead murder his beloved Valerie, a Cherokee widow and mother of a young boy. Vowing revenge, Sam travels to see Valerie's Cherokee grandfather to tell him what happened, but soon becomes a willing student to his mentor learning the old fashion Indian way of meting out justice. GUNS comes out of the gate on all cylinders as the mysterious Bass saves the lives of the Stilleys and keeps the fast pace going until the final avenging confrontation occurs even with sidebars involving aircraft, gun running and the Cherokee Nation. The cast is solid especially Sam, but when Phil Bowie dwells on his past, the story line loses some momentum though it also explains why he is a target. Still this is an interesting thriller starring a fascinating laconic protagonist who's obsessed with a bloodthirsty mission. Harriet Klausner