Welcome to Texas Reads Mysteries, where I get to share my love of books. 

Politics and the law! A combination that, more often than not, is fraught with intrigue, treachery, blind ambition, or a ruthless pursuit for justice. A combat veteran and an intern for a law firm are about to learn the hard realities of proving justice isn’t blind. As an avid fan of crime thrillers, I was intrigued by Foxholes and Crude Ambition and had to add both to my TBR list.  

FOXHOLES 

by Travis Tougaw 

Suspicious deaths and political ambition collide in Foxholes. 

Follow Vince Marcotte and Hadley Collins as they join forces to solve a pair of murders before they become the next victims. 

Combat veteran Vince Marcotte has hung up his uniform in favor of a quiet, comfortable life. But ghosts from his past are raised when Nick Batson announces his Senate campaign. Vince is convinced Nick got away with murder 15 years ago when they were both deployed to Afghanistan. When another person close to Nick dies under mysterious circumstances, Vince enlists the help of amateur detective Hadley Collins to prove Nick’s guilt. As they grow closer to the truth, they become Nick’s targets and soon learn that he’ll stop at nothing to achieve his political goals. As Nick barrels toward a campaign victory, Vince races to discover what really happened in Afghanistan. Will he survive long enough to bring Nick to justice? 

About the Author 

Travis Tougaw is a writer and editor. He earned degrees in English from Angelo State University in Texas and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. An Air Force veteran, Travis has worked in a variety of roles, including English teacher, employee educator, and health care administrator. He is the author of the Marcotte/Collins Investigative Thrillers series, set in Colorado. In his free time, Travis enjoys reading, playing musical instruments, trivia, and spending time with his family. He lives in Colorado with his wife and children. 

CRUDE AMBITION 

by Patricia Hunt Holmes 

2022 IPPY Book Awards Bronze Medalist in Suspense & Thriller 

A Texas Reckoning 

In the early morning hours after a law firm recruiting party at a beachside house on Galveston Island, a female summer intern is found lying on the floor, bruised, bleeding, and unconscious. Something terrible has happened. She is taken to a hospital by the only other woman there, but the next day the intern is gone without a trace. Those involved decide to keep silent about the incident in order to further their own career ambitions, but the two women are haunted by what happened. Time passes. Ten years later, crime and hubris bring the former intern back into the lives of those that hurt her. Only this time, she has the power, and the truth is finally brought to light. From the power centers of Houston law and oil to the fracking fields of South Texas to the Jersey Shore and Washington, D.C., this story chronicles the struggles of two ambitious young women in their quest for legal success and justice. 

About the Author 

Patricia Hunt Holmes spent 30 years as a public finance attorney with a large international law firm, specializing in nonprofit healthcare finance and rural electric cooperative finance.  

Consistently listed in Best Lawyers in America, Texas Super Lawyers, and Top Lawyers in Houston, she has been a frequent speaker at national public finance and health care conferences. Patricia has also served on the faculty of the University of Missouri-Columbia, University of Tennessee, and University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She has written and published in the fields of intellectual history and law.  

Patricia grew up in Egg Harbor City, New Jersey but has lived in Houston for over 40 years. She has two daughters, Hillary and Ashley, who have successful careers as an attorney and a geologist, and three adorable grandsons. She is an avid golfer and traveler.  

My kind of books!