"A strong historical novel set in the Texas hill country. . .with a complex plot, fine characterization, and stylish writing. Bent Red Moon is a book to savor." Doris Meredith, Roundup magazine

"Bent Red Moon is a book that has it all: compelling characters, a non-stop-action can't-put-the-book-down plot, and enough adventure, suspense, and excitement to fill several novels. Author Russ Hall has nailed down one of the best westerns to come down the pike in many years." - W.C. Jameson, author of Billy the Kid: Beyond the Grave and Buried Treasures of Texas

Black Like Blood (2005)

When Esbeth takes a part-time job as a dispatcher at the Sheriff's Department she never dreamed she would become involved in a double murder investigation when their small town's Mayor is found murdered and his son finds another body at the bottom of the river. A body of a man missing for over forty years. New to the area, Esbeth soon learns of the family feuds, corruption, greed, and rumors of a lost diamond mine. It seems everyone in town has a secret they want to keep hidden. Can even the Texas Ranger Tillis Macrory be corrupt? He is overly friendly with a new female sheriff deputy and has been seen at a poker game given by one of the town's rich and shady characters. Tillis and his game warden friend, Logan Rainey have a lot at stake and are determined to solve the crimes. Their poking around soon turns up details of a buried story that no one ever expected. Grab a hold of your seat and enjoy the ride in this fast paced, action packed mystery of murder, greed, and family secrets. This tale grabs the reader's attention and never lets go. An incredibly well written "whodunit" This reviewer enjoyed the play between characters as Esbeth, the dead mayor's son Donnie and Tillis dig in areas that some wish to remain hidden. Some characters are downright rude and cranky, making this reviewer smile at the prose of author Russ Hall. This tale has a wide array of interesting characters to keep the reader enthralled. Esbeth isn't your normal sleuth. She is 70-something, a retired teacher and has an almost unhealthy habit of sticking her nose in where it doesn't belong. She is a delightful old lady that this reviewer fell in love with right from the beginning. Donnie is looking for answers to family secrets and the murderer of his father and uncle. His girlfriend partners in his detective work and also the daughter of Texas Ranger Tillis's best friend, who isn't happy about his daughters involvement, to say the least. Well written, smooth flowing and full of suspense, BLACK LIKE BLOOD will keep the reader guessing to the very end. Highly recommended, this reviewer is assured that any mystery lover will be totally satisfied after reading BLACK LIKE BLOOD. Reviewed by Penny October 2005 © Love Romances, 2001-2005. All Rights Reserved

"While diving in a storm at night, teenage lovers Donnie Spurlock and Karyn Rainey find a corpse at the bottom of the lake. The townsfolk of Kiowa County are already shaken with the recent unsolved murder of Donnie’s father, the mayor of Hoel’s Dam, Dennie. The corpse found in the lake is Dennie’s older brother Hugh, a WW II veteran missing for forty years whose father also went missing. Texas Ranger Tillis Macrory investigates the homicides linked by blood, but rumors also include lost diamonds. As the two youngsters refuse to back off and continue digging for the truth, new sheriff’s dispatcher septuagenarian retired schoolteacher Esbeth Walters mistrusts all law enforcement officials although she thinks Tillis is the cleanest except when he thinks with the wrong head involving the new deputy Gala. Esbeth, the star of NO MURDER BEFORE ITS TIME, actually gets involved about halfway into this enjoyable police procedural. Three teams of investigations compete. Tillis assisted by his long time friend and Karyn’s father game warden Logan make up the most professional inquiries; the sheriff’s office is officially in charge; finally the teen lovers provide an amateur sleuth look. Russ all brings these divergent competing investigations with Esbeth the retired teacher looking down from her big “desk” with a moral light as she trusts none of the players to learn the truth though her reasoning varies. BLACK LIKE BLOOD is a deep Texas who-done-it with a strong cast." - Harriet Klausner, Book Review Archives

No Murder Before Its Time (2003)

“Set in his native Hill Country, Hall's rollicking Texas mystery focuses not on oil barons but on grape tycoons. The wealthy Castle family runs a 21,000-acre cattle ranch that also happens to house a successful vineyard. Patriarch Win Castle, whose heart is failing, pits his adult sons against each other in a ridiculous macho battle for control of the estate. Younger Chaz is more aggressive and triumphs--until he's found dead in the fermentation room. Older brother Kyle is immediately a suspect, but when his mother is also killed, the field broadens. In fact, the Castles' deplorable treatment of their employees gives almost everyone a motive. Helping Ranger Tillis MacCrory solve the case is 72-year-old Esbeth Waters, a tough-yet-tender Texas dame who gives tours at the winery and doesn't suffer fools gladly. Hall's vivid portrait of the dysfunctional Castles and their disgruntled staff is peppered with interesting tidbits about wine making and Texas lore. Gorgeous scenery, memorable characters, and plenty of suspense--as spicy as a Texas merlot.” - Jenny McLarin Booklist. American Library Association.

"This is my kind of mystery. Tricky, wry, and packed with surprises and people you'd like to meet. A fine job." - Ed Gorman, author of Everybody's Somebody's Fool

"Russ Hall produces an excellent vintage. Great scenery, a fascinating look at the Texas wine industry, and a 72-year-old sleuth who's got more kick than most characters half her age. No Murder Before Its Time will agree with the most discriminating palate." - Rick Riordan, winner of the Edgar, Anthony, and Shamus awards, and author of Cold Springs

"An interesting, fast-paced tale that keeps you turning the pages. Hall brings his own unique twist to a cast of colorful Texas characters." - Ben Rehder, author of Buck Fever and Bone Dry

"You don't have to own a sophisticated palate to know that money, greed, and ambition too often ferment into serious trouble. Experience Shakespearean-class family dysfunction with a Texas Hill Country vineyard twist in Russ Hall's newest mystery." - David Marion Wilkinson, author of Oblivion's Altar

Island (2001)

“The narrator, his business friend Chancy, and Rolf, a weathered fisherman acquaintance, embark on a Bahamian fishing trip. Nearly capsized after a trophy barracuda injures Rolf, the trio wind up stranded back on shore. Meanwhile, rival Jamaican drug traffickers have invaded Elbow Cay, seizing hostages amid a spree of violence and pillaging. After a run-in with smugglers of exotic animals, the guys (along with a waitress and a female veterinarian) search for Chancy's wife, whom they fear has been kidnapped by the drug gangs. Lots of action and memorable characters, but the narrator's existential wonderings are the real draw. Hall is the author of The Blue-Eyed Indian and Wildcat Did Growl.” - Library Journal. Reed Business Information, Inc.

Wildcat Did Growl (2000)

"From the first page Russ Hall makes you smell the saltwater and hear palm-fronds scratching. His characters are vivid and real. He writes with clarity and lightness. . .the eerie kind -- like being in the eye of a hurricane. . .A first rate adventure novel." Michael Largo, author of Lies Within

"A must read." Mystery Scene Magazine

The Blue-Eyed Indian (1997)

"A Mickey Spillane for the 90s -- hard-edged and thoroughly enjoyable." Susan Rogers Cooper, author of Home Again, Home Again