Strong from the Heart

Strong from the Heart is the 11th installment in the Caitlin Strong series. Jon Land again demonstrates his amazing talent at being a master storyteller.

In this story, Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong goes head-to-head with the opium epidemic in Texas. She relentlessly follows the investigation, wherever it may lead, and regardless of how big the organization is that she needs to bring down. A consummate professional in all of her duties, the personal element in this investigation just drives her harder.

Although this is my first read from this series, I did not encounter any problems at getting up to speed. In the beginning, there are some relationships from a prior story that need to be explained, but that was all. The author provided just enough backstory to keep the reader from being confused, without piling on needless paragraphs that had no relevance to the current story. For example, when a new character is introduced, if that character’s relationship with the protagonist is not plainly evident, the author will include just enough backstory to fill in the hole.

I can easily compare this series to the Sigma Force series by James Rollins—one of my favorites. This story has the same level of complexity, intrigue and satisfaction as Sigma Force. Further, the dynamics of the character relationships are also similar.

Jon Land creates a wonderful puzzle. One of the things I love is how he can include a number of seemingly unrelated subplots, yet tie them together flawlessly. One of those subplots has to do with Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa and his relationship with one of Caitlin’s ancestors. I don’t think anyone could have blended that into the main storyline better than Jon Land.

The author begins each chapter with a little blurb about a famous or otherwise notable Texas Ranger. The author’s respect for this very unique branch of law enforcement is evident throughout the story. Did you know that one Texas Ranger had a significant role in ending the crime spree of Bonnie and Clyde? (You’ll have to read the story to find out which one.)

The pacing was well done. It’s a difficult thing to keep the pace of the story steady when there are branches to subplots. However, including those subplots enhances the final build to the climax. When I finished the story, I was completely satiated—content that I had ingested a wonderful story.

If you enjoy thrillers, you’ll love this one! I highly recommend it.