Blog

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A man on the run finds himself and a ragtag group of people the only line of defense in a plot of revenge between a local cattle baron and a local judge in the Old West town of Mimosa in author Linda Thackeray’s “The Hanging (#1) – A Mimosa Tales Adventure”. 

The Synopsis

Welcome to Mimosa.

Struggling to survive in the savage land of the Territory, Mimosa is beset by dangers common to the harsh realities of the Old West.

When former gunslinger turned marshal, Kris Jensen arrives in town with his band of misfits, it is up to them to defend Mimosa from greedy land barons, outlaws and Indians angered by broken treaties.

It is an unlikely place to find salvation, but that is precisely what Kris and his men discover in Mimosa.

When local cattle baron William Cahill swears revenge on Judge Evan Davis for the execution of his nephew, it sets off a deadly plan of vengeance against the judge and those he loves.

It is up to Kris and his misfits to keep Holly Davis, the beautiful editor of the Mimosa Mirror, from harm before Cahill can put a noose around her neck.

The Review

An adventurous, gripping western tale, author Linda Thackeray has perfectly captured the setting and tone of the Old West and the fight for survival that came to those who ventured out into those territories. The complex nature of protagonist Kris Jensen makes for a compelling story, as his instinct to flee from an impossible situation with no hope of escape conflicts with his sense of duty to lead the band of misfits he finds himself paired with and the choice to save innocent lives, including Holly Davis. 

The author demonstrates a perfect understanding of the narrative and genre by creating a setting that becomes just as much of a central character to the story as Kris Jensen or any of the other characters. The gripping story really shone through in this book, making for a gripping Western that didn’t waste time in capturing the reader’s attention.

The Verdict

A fast-paced, action-packed, and driven narrative, author Linda Thackeray’s “The Hanging”, the first book in the Mimosa Tales Adventure series, is a must-read novel. Filled with great world-building, a great cast of characters and a firm handle on the genre overall, this is a great read for anyone who loves a good Western adventure. Be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Born in a village in Malaysia and delivered by underpaid midwife, and Ann, an irritable new mother (who wouldn’t be after 48 hours in labour?), X was named by a deranged grandmother with too much creativity for her own good. Once out of her pain-induced stupor, Ann decided to give her new daughter a proper middle name to avoid the risk of being put into a home later in life.

And so, she was called Linda.

Linda was an unremarkable child, save a few notable incidents, the discovery that a pot lid is not a substitute for Wonder Woman’s tiara (five stitches), four-year old don’t need to shave (no stitches but lots of toilet paper) and utility truck drivers are not necessarily qualified operators of their vehicles (seventy stitches).

At eight, Linda received religious enlightenment when she saw Star Wars at the Odeon Theatre and hence began her writing career.

For many years, the cages of various pets in the Thackeray household were littered with pages from Linda’s scribblings. Subjects usually ranged from whatever science fiction show was on television or at the movies. There was lots of Star Wars.

At 17, Linda moved to Sydney, Australia and was disappointed it was not occupied by Paul Hogan types with big knives and croc skin jackets but pot-bellied blokes with zinc cream and terry towel hats. Linda’s father (also known as that bloke who buys me stuff to piss mum off when she’s mad at him) settled in the town of Young, a community of 6000 people with no movie theatre.

Linda survived this period in the wilderness by raising kangaroos and writing original works but eventually got saddled down with the necessities of life and though she continued to write, work came first. Work, HBO, comic books and rent. It’s a kaleidoscope.

Even the kangaroos left out of boredom.

In 2014, Linda decided to start writing seriously again. Mostly because Australia’s strict gun laws make it very difficult to ‘go postal’ in the workplace. Moving to Woy Woy, which is Aboriginal for ‘Big Water’, she’s dipped her toes into the Indie pool and found she needs a pedicure. Her books are labours of love and championed by her friends on Facebook.

Eventually Creativia Publishers, appalled by Linda’s inability to conduct any marketing, offered to publish her books out of sheer exasperation.

Supported by two cats named Newt and Humphrey, she spends her days trying to write novels while having unclean thoughts about Michael Fassbender and Jason Statham, sometimes together.

Paperback: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Linda_Thackeray
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00NE63G76
Author Site: https://lindathackeray.wixsite.com/authorsite

Smashbooks: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1014398