THE SALTY IGUANA

Texas Ranger Doc Gunther becomes the target of a secessionist in King’s political thriller sequel.

As this novel begins, it’s the six-month anniversary of the establishment of the Revolutionary Republic of Yucatec del Norte, formerly known as White Oak County, Texas, on the Mexico–U.S. border, which has seceded from both the state and the country. The leader of this project is Gloria Luna, who’s rebranded herself as “Chimalmat,” a Mayan name that means “Mother of Giants”—and, as it turns out, she’s one bad mother, indeed. She and her minions have displaced hundreds of people from their homes, and she’s arranged multiple kidnappings and assassinations. She also has it in for Doc, whom she believes is out to destroy her, and she brings the fight right up to the Texas Ranger’s doorstep in Laredo. However, even megalomaniacs should know better than to mess with Texas—and Doc is a laconic, old-school lawman in the grand Western tradition. Another standout character is local landowner Charlie Barcelona, who may appear to simply be a retired financier from New York, but Doc knows better. Barcelona is, in fact, the source of the money behind an organization on a mission to push back against Chimalmat’s reign of terror. King’s story is certainly a timely one in a political climate in which talk of secession is not unheard of. Overall, it’s a densely populated book with a lot of characters and job titles to keep straight, and there’s some distracting repetition on occasion. Readers learn multiple times, for instance, that Doc has an estranged sibling named Jeremiah, whose law firm has ties to the Mother of Giants; intriguingly, the siblings can only communicate by using their own mother as an intermediary. Still, King writes taut, tense action scenes, as in the book’s opener, which details a botched kidnapping, and the sudden, shocking bursts of violence will keep readers on edge throughout.

An often-lively actioner that presents a portrait of a modern-day West that will appeal to fans of Yellowstone.