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A review by bhowardnc
Big Red Tequila by Rick Riordan
5.0
I'm gonna call this a 'back to basics' mystery. Written in the 90s and set in 1995, it was very easy to appreciate this one as it took me back to the days in high school when I was just falling in love with reading. Nevermind the lack of computers, cell phones and social media, Tres Navarre solved this one the old fashioned way, blood, sweat and tears.
The only thing more complicated than Tres Navarre is his relationships. It doesn't matter who, the long ago murdered father he fled Texas to rid his memory of, the high school flame he left behind, the new flame he left behind in San Francisco or the endless parade of San Antonio whose who that are none to eager to welcome him back. Tres returns home after 10 years in San Francisco, where he has started a semi respectable private investigations career, at the urging of his old love Lillian. He hasn't been long on the streets where the sun never sets a shadow on The Alamo when trouble starts finding him. Old acquaintances and enemies of his deceased Sheriff father are none to thrilled to see he is back home and ready to unravel their last decade of cover ups. Barely two days into their long overdue reunion and Lillian goes missing. Tres knows something isn't as it should be and when he starts poking the bears in Bexar county he finds out things he never imagined were true in place of the dozens of things he thought he knew. With the help of a few colorful and loyal friends along the way Tres is finally able to rid himself of all that haunted him and make peace with San Antonio, his father, Lillian and a few folks he wasn't even expecting to find common ground with.
One thing that kept smacking me in the face as I read over and over these encounters Tres was having with people was how can a 28 year old guy have so many people unhappy to see him? So many people holding grudges? It almost seemed unrealistic to me that this main character was so unliked by almost everyone and I saw no legitimate reason. Well the answers became clear in the last hour of my reading as the narrative drew to a close. The worst thing about this series is that the author stopped at 7. He went on to fame with the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series and has not revisited the Tres Navarre series since. For that reason I am a little apprehensive to add the subsequent novels to my TBR list because nothing frustrates me more than a series abruptly ending with no clear closing point. I am sure that I will put my anxiety aside in time and continue with Tres' adventures.
The only thing more complicated than Tres Navarre is his relationships. It doesn't matter who, the long ago murdered father he fled Texas to rid his memory of, the high school flame he left behind, the new flame he left behind in San Francisco or the endless parade of San Antonio whose who that are none to eager to welcome him back. Tres returns home after 10 years in San Francisco, where he has started a semi respectable private investigations career, at the urging of his old love Lillian. He hasn't been long on the streets where the sun never sets a shadow on The Alamo when trouble starts finding him. Old acquaintances and enemies of his deceased Sheriff father are none to thrilled to see he is back home and ready to unravel their last decade of cover ups. Barely two days into their long overdue reunion and Lillian goes missing. Tres knows something isn't as it should be and when he starts poking the bears in Bexar county he finds out things he never imagined were true in place of the dozens of things he thought he knew. With the help of a few colorful and loyal friends along the way Tres is finally able to rid himself of all that haunted him and make peace with San Antonio, his father, Lillian and a few folks he wasn't even expecting to find common ground with.
One thing that kept smacking me in the face as I read over and over these encounters Tres was having with people was how can a 28 year old guy have so many people unhappy to see him? So many people holding grudges? It almost seemed unrealistic to me that this main character was so unliked by almost everyone and I saw no legitimate reason. Well the answers became clear in the last hour of my reading as the narrative drew to a close. The worst thing about this series is that the author stopped at 7. He went on to fame with the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series and has not revisited the Tres Navarre series since. For that reason I am a little apprehensive to add the subsequent novels to my TBR list because nothing frustrates me more than a series abruptly ending with no clear closing point. I am sure that I will put my anxiety aside in time and continue with Tres' adventures.