Blue Man by John L. Moore Book Review

Ezra Riley is a hardened Montana cowboy who prefers the hills, cattle, and horses to cities, but his unique gift for dream interpretation has him secretly taken to the White House where the President is suffering from recurring nightmares. Riley's encounter with the President launches a series of attacks by the man behind the nightmares, William Anderson Hall, an elderly master spy and a pioneer in the CIA's experiments with psychic powers and hallucinogens. In his remote Virginia compound, Hall has invested 30 years and millions of dollars in creating Blue Man, the ultimate psychic warrior.

Riley's life is soon complicated by Davis Browne, a former agent with the Department of Homeland Security, and Hall's two nieces, Isabel Elizabeth Hall and Mary Margaret Hall. Riley's rough ride is balanced by his cowboy friend, the cartoonist Barney Wallace, whose loyalty follows Riley to the climactic end and the revelation of the content of the President's dream.

John L. Moore is an award-winning novelist and journalist. He's published seven novels, several non-fiction books, and over 2,000 articles, poems, short stories, columns, and reviews. A third-generation Montana rancher best known for his western classic, The Breaking of Ezra Riley, and a pioneer in the Christian fiction genre, he is the winner of numerous awards, including a 2015 Will Rogers Medallion Award for Western Fiction for his sixth novel, Looking for Lynne. Active in ministry for over a quarter-century, Moore has appeared in four documentaries due to his knowledge of the history of horses on the Northern Great Plains. He is a member of the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

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My Thoughts:

My first thought after reading this novel was wow! I read a lot of books and not many leave me speechless trying to dissect the book afterward. It hits you hard in many areas. This book left me amazed at the creativity and the plot. It wasn’t what I expected either. That is not a bad thing. At first, I had a hard time getting into it. It’s a unique read that grows on you quickly. What I didn’t know going into this novel is that there are other novels on one of the major characters Ezra Riley. I felt the story was developed enough for this to be a standalone novel. It left me craving to go back and read the other books about Ezra Riley.

It is a paranormal spy/suspense thriller that meets a modern-day western cowboy twist. Somehow it works and it was an incredibly good story.

Ezra is chasing down his favorite ornery cow and her calf before winter hits on his Montana ranch in the badlands. He knows that Wildebeest has lived her life to the fullness. Ezra knows that it's time he ends her life and not at an auction. Wildebeest has a knack for escaping when she has a calf and disappearing into the Badlands. She is a bit crazy and a favorite of Riley’s. She deserved to be laid to rest in the badlands. Ezra finds his hunt for her disrupted and she plays a major role in the end of the story.

Ezra Riley is a modern-day Joseph with the ability to interpret dreams and other unique gifts to discern spiritual things. He gets invited to the White House to interpret the dream that Ezra knew before he meets with the President. That secret trip that is kept under wraps changes many things for Ezra’s quiet life on the ranch. Very few individuals know about his secret visit to the White House. Only Riley and the President know the dream and the interpretation of it.

This is where you meet Blue Man, he is an experiment that is doesn’t know he is being held by his keeper and has never been outside of his home. All of his needs are met and he is told he can never leave the compound. He has some physic skills that his keeper uses as a weapon unknowing on the victims. They need to know what the President's dream was. The only way that they can find out is through Ezra. Blue Man meets his match with Ezra and his faith in Jesus.

The characters are well developed and you find yourself having a strong feeling for them. They are relatable and just down-to-earth. I enjoyed Barney aka Barn Wall which is Ezra’s best friend.

 The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger wondering what will become of Blue Man and if he will have another encounter with Ezra Riley.

I have been pleasantly surprised with Blue Man.

 I received a complimentary of this product in exchange for my honest review.