James Patterson teams up with Andrew Bourelle for the third installment of their Texas Ranger series.

The Prologue of THE TEXAS MURDERS features a young Native American who undergoes a painful ordeal. Isabella escaped someone who had taken her and, in getting away, broke her leg and ravaged her hands as she crawled through the desert. She is then confronted by a rattlesnake, which she overcomes and beheads, just as she had been taught at an early age. Unfortunately, Isabella forgot that rattlesnakes can still bite even after they are deceased. Bit by the venomous head, she is rescued by a police officer but vows never to forget what she has endured and how it has changed her.

"THE TEXAS MURDERS features some enjoyable time spent in an area that still feels like the Old West, which helps make this series so unique."

Four years later, Texas Ranger Rory Yates is battling his FBI adversary, Ryan Logan, in an annual shooting contest. Rory barely bests Ryan, but it becomes obvious that this is more than just a professional rivalry. Shortly thereafter, Rory is assigned to a case involving missing Native American women that may be the work of a serial killer. He is invited to join a task force with another Texas Ranger, as well as a Native American officer. Ironically, the team falls under the purview of none other than Ryan and the FBI.

The latest woman to go missing is a college student, and the task force begins to track her last-known whereabouts, as well as work with the FBI to develop a profile of the killer. They get a lead on a possible abductor and are desperate to find him before he takes another life. Meanwhile, we get to experience Rory’s complicated love life as he starts a new relationship with a barkeep while trying to put behind him the memory of his ex, who is now a country music singing sensation.

The case isn’t going well, and Ryan is forced to take action. He fires Rory, who doesn’t agree with the decision and feels that his rival set him up. Rory continues to investigate as the missing women are from his state, and he hopes that he can get in front of the case before Ryan and the Feds can. But when the task force becomes the victim of a deadly setup, Rory talks his way back into the game to stop the killer and avenge the death of a fallen comrade.

The prime suspect ends up being more difficult to catch than anyone had anticipated, and the cat-and-mouse events that follow make for some decent suspenseful moments. Of course, we know that a Texas Ranger always gets his man, but this case will push Rory to the limits of his expertise, and his skills will be tested before the dust settles. THE TEXAS MURDERS features some enjoyable time spent in an area that still feels like the Old West, which helps make this series so unique.