ANAHUAC
A Texas Story (Volume 2)
by
WILLIAM D. DARLING
Genre: Historical Fiction / Thriller
Publisher: Canned Peas Productions
Date of Publication: October 3, 2017
Number of Pages: 244
Scroll down for the giveaway!
The Anahuac of 1972 is more than just an isolated outpost on Texas’s Trinity Bay – it’s a place where greed and justice uncomfortably intermingle, where the evangelical fervor of charismatic preachers resonate, where blacks and whites navigate a fragile co-existence, and where a murder leads to even darker mysteries than murder.
Jim Ward, introduced in Morgan’s Point as a young, idealistic Houston prosecutor, returns in Anahuac as an older, more conflicted, more complicated man, coming to Anahuac to defend a man who appears guilty of a horrible crime. His discoveries lead to entanglements in the very nature of good and evil, in a town that is at once of its time and timeless, steeped in a history that is unexpectedly but definitively drawing Ward in its narrative web.
PRAISE FOR ANAHUAC:
“Austin writer William D. Darling’s second novel, Anahuac, is an entertaining, engrossing legal thriller that offers both darkly humorous and good-natured thrusts at life, love, and law . . . first-rate reading, especially for readers who enjoy legal thrillers, lawyer procedurals, suspense, Texas settings, and characters who live large.” – Lone Star Literary Life
“Darling draws vivid portraits of his setting while also bringing in historical currents like women’s liberation, the growth of container shipping, and the rise of the prosperity gospel, adding interest to what’s otherwise a fairly simple courtroom drama.” – Kirkus Reviews
I’m a Texan originally from the east coast who’s had occasion to meet some of these characters from another planet. Darling weaves us through the minds of lawyers with jealousies, insecurities, questions of faith, honor, and guilt as they tackle the case of a horrible crime that has the potential to put a man of God away forever. I held on tight as we went through the engrossing trial, which did not disappoint! If you love history, crime, passion, religion, and suspense, this is a must read! – Kristy Recker (an Amazon reviewer)
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“When you make your living with words it is hard to find moments to be silent.”
Thriller is definitely an apt description for Anahuac. The entire story is a fast train ride through the Texas legal system in the 1970s. What could be more thrilling than that?
Jim Ward is not a new character. You will find him among the pages of Book One in the A Texas Story series: Morgan’s Point. In Anahuac (pronounced Anna-whack), Jim finds himself on the defense team for a charismatic spiritual leader from Arkansas charged with the murder of someone who apparently willed an entire estate to his radio ministry. All the characters are incredibly dynamic and memorable, with nary an underdeveloped one in the bunch. Even the minor characters jump off the page!
Word of caution: the story does take place almost 50 years ago, so be prepared for a hefty dose of misogyny and some racism. Strong, successful women are treated as oddities, and a professional woman in a pantsuit is considered a disgrace; however, Anahuac has three such strong women who set the story on fire with their audacity to succeed in a “man’s world.” Welcome to Texas in the 1970s. I will say that Anahuac is unfortunately timely and timeless in its portrayal of the treatment of women in the workforce.
The story is told through Jim Ward who struggles to find his voice and purpose apart from his wife’s family’s wealth and prestige. Becoming a trial lawyer on such a high-profile case could be just what Jim needs to put his name on the map, instead of simply being referred to as Taylor Faircloth’s son-in-law.
The actual crime takes a backseat to the the events leading up to the trial and the trial itself of the Reverend Randall Clay for alleged murder. Clay is a piece of work and a thoroughly interesting character; I found myself vacillating between liking him and finding him completely frustrating. I can’t seem to make up my mind about this guy, which is a testament to William Darling’s ability to write a character that makes you laugh one minute and grit your teeth the next. And then there is Maurice Marrow, Clay’s manager. I did say the characters are dynamic!
As an added bonus, Anahuac is filled with greed, inflated egos, religious fervor, entitled attitudes, legalese, and a fair amount of humorous yet thought-provoking prose. The ending chapters, with the trial and the aftermath, are explosive, entertaining, and open for another Texas Story, I hope.
Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win an Amazon gift card and a signed copy of Anahuac by William D. Darling.
William D. Darling is a lifelong storyteller and very nearly a native Texan, arriving in his beloved state as an infant in 1942. His first novel, Morgan’s Point, introduced readers to both the mid-‘60s rough-and-tumble world of the Houston courts where Darling came of age, and the Galveston Bay region that has long fascinated him. His latest novel Anahuac, serves as a sequel to Morgan’s Point as well as its own fascinating tale.
Darling, who has lived within the legislative bustle of Washington, D.C. and in the beauty of a Central Texas ranch, currently resides in Austin, where he and his wife have built a longstanding law practice.
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UPCOMING AUTHOR APPEARANCES:
January 12, 2018, 7:00PM
Anahuac Reading & Signing
Deep Vellum Books, 3000 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX, US
January 20, 2018, 10:00AM
Anahuac Reading in Anahuac
William D. Darling brings it on home! He’ll read from Anahuac in the city where the new novel is set for the first time ever.
Chambers County Library, 202 Cummings Street, Anahuac, TX, US
February 17, 2018, 4:30PM
Anahuac Houston Release Event
William D. Darling will sign and read from Anahuac, celebrating the release of the book with friends and well-wishers in the city he once called home, as part of a multi-author event.
Murder by the Books, 2342 Bissonnet, Houston, TX, US
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
THREE WINNERS EACH WIN A COPY OF ANAHUAC + $10 Amazon Gift Card
January 5-January 14, 2018
(U.S. Only)
VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
| 1/5/18 | Notable Quotable | Syd Savvy |
| 1/5/18 | Author Interview | Texan Girl Reads |
| 1/6/18 | Review | Missus Gonzo |
| 1/7/18 | Notable Quotable | A Novel Reality |
| 1/8/18 | Review | Forgotten Winds |
| 1/9/18 | Excerpt | StoreyBook Reviews |
| 1/10/18 | Notable Quotable | Tangled in Text |
| 1/11/18 | Review | Reading by Moonlight |
| 1/12/18 | Author Interview | Texas Book Lover |
| 1/13/18 | Scrapbook Page | The Clueless Gent |
| 1/14/18 | Review | Hall Ways Blog |
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