This Side of Night

By: J. Todd Scott

Narrated by: T. Ryder Smith

The vicious Mexican cartel war boils over into the Big Bend in the explosive new novel from the author of The Far Empty and High White Sun.

In the Mexican borderlands, a busload of student protesters is gunned down in broad daylight, a violent act blamed on the Nemesio cartel. But its aging leader, Fox Uno, sees the attack for what it is: another salvo in the long-running battle for control of Nemesio itself; perhaps by a rival cartel, or maybe someone closer to home...

Across the Rio Grande, Sheriff Chris Cherry and his deputies America Reynosa and Danny Ford find themselves caught in Fox Uno's escalating war with the recent discovery of five dead men at the river's edge. But when El Paso DEA agent Joe Garrison's own Nemesio investigation leads him into the heart of the Big Bend, he's not ready to accept the cartel leader's retreat or defeat. Not only does he suspect a high-profile drug task force in a neighboring county is corrupt, he can't shake lingering doubts about the loyalty and motives of the young deputy, Ame Reynosa. And he won't let Sheriff Cherry ignore them either.

In this pitiless land it's kill or be killed, where everyone will make one final bloody stand to decide the fate of Nemesio, the law in the Big Bend, and most of all, the future of America Reynosa.

Critic reviews

“Mr. Scott, as it happens, has been a federal agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration for more than 20 years, which surely contributes to the authenticity of this convincing saga… In This Side of Night, [Scott] demonstrates the Texas-size writing talents to which his protagonist aspires.”—The Wall Street Journal

"Scott’s 20-year career as a DEA agent infuses his work with realism, and his writing chops will make readers wonder why he waited so long to launch his literary career....Better yet, his descriptions of dry, stark Big Bend country are so vivid and poetic they approach the beauty of James Lee Burke’s passages about Louisiana bayou country. The result is a fine novel that is suspenseful, action-packed, literary, and thought-provoking."—Associated Press

“The author exploits his decades of experience as a federal agent to create a powerful, realistic picture of crime along the southern border. Thriller fans will enjoy this absorbing and disturbing book.”—Kirkus Reviews

“The stellar third volume in Scott’s epic Texas border series (after 2018’s High White Sun) draws its inspiration from a real-life tragedy...Scott, a veteran federal agent, writes with authority and gravitas about complex border issues. Fans of Don Winslow and Cormac McCarthy won’t want to miss this one.”—Publishers Weekly

“Scott writes beautifully, dreaming up intriguing action scenes, which those who are focused only on thrills will wish kept going and going. But patient readers will recognize and appreciate Scott's end game: showing us a world where thieves, murderers, and sadists are everyday folk.”—Booklist

“J. Todd Scott’s series reads like equal parts Don Winslow and Ace Atkins. Having spent twenty years working with the DEA, Scott knows his stuff, adding instant credibility to his stories, which are well-written and hopelessly addictive.”—New York Journal of Books

Why?

If you can get past the why, the book is very good. I get there was some history between the characters that I wasn't aware of, but still the situation that the sheriff put them in just couldn't be justified. There were a few characters that seemed added as an afterthought. Great performance (besides Pee-cos).

Riveting

Fantastic and thrilling story line which kept my interest, therefore
I binge listened till the end…..

modern westerns are few and far between for good stories

very good set of books .good loveable characters are relatable. story is captivating. eloquent western for modern day .should be a movie.

Another Good One

The 3rd book about Sheriff Cherry and the Big Bend from J. Todd Scott. Another one where you get to work and find you have made yourself late by wanting to hear 'just one more chapter'. T. Ryder Smith's narration is perfect

Where Has J. Todd Scott Been All My Life?

I've read so many detective/crime/thriller books that I'm pretty numb to many of them. So many books are formulaic that you start to give up hope and then one day, your doing a 10 mile hike with your dog in the rain and something new opens your eyes. Boom! Thank you for this book and it's narrator. J. Todd Scott is a former cop writing about the difficulties of a fictional Texas border town and it's amazing. His use of the language is perfect. He describes the hard-scrabble life and the people that live it in such a way that you can feel the heat and the grit of the dust in your teeth. Texas is one of the stars of this universe and there are many. Crime, punishment, love, loss, murder and mayhem in the isolation of West Texas. Just an intelligent, well written series.

I loved it, finished it in a weekend and by the following Sunday I'd finished all three books in the series... They're all awesome (although book 3 got a little disjointed in parts.) Kind of a bummer to be done with these books, really. I actually mowed my lawn 2 times so could keep listening... I couldn't imagine another voice other than T. Ryder Smith narrating this series. Just spot on in every way.. Freaking Well Done!!!