Heartland: A Novel (Billy Tree Mysteries)

He's done it again. I just love this author, he's so much better than all of the more famous thriller writers. Why isn't he better known? Why doesn't he write more books? Something is askew here if such a treasure lies undiscovered. This one is about a new character, Billy Tree, not John Becker who featured in many of his earlier, excellent works. Billy Tree is an even more complicated, more interesting, maybe more human creation that Becker, whom I love...Boy, do I like Wiltse. Unlike so many of the famous guys, he can really write. It's like reading a literary novel but with a thriller plot.

Finally, David Wiltse is back after all these--has it been years and years, or does it just seem that way? This book is a bit of a departure from the Becker books with more characterization (not that it was lacking in the others) and fascinating ambience that made it a unique reading experience. The plot concerns a wounded Secret Service agent returning to his hometown and his efforts to deal with a web of murder and conspiracy that awaits him there. As usual with Wiltse, the plot is a lively one, with twists and turns impossible to anticipate. Bravo! Just don't go away for so long again, please, please.

This is my first book by David Wiltse, but it certainly won't be my last. It is a fascinating story of a Secret Service agent, wounded in body and psyche who returns to Falls City, Nebraska, his home town on the prairie, to recuperate and find his spirit again. Terrified of guns after being nearly killed (and possibly killing his own partner)Billy Tree becomes embroiled in what appears to be a shooting of school teachers by a deranged student. I don't want to give away the plot,but it is a gripping story with far more characterization and psychological insight than in most such tales, and the writing is on a higher level altogether. I'm hooked and can't wait for the next Wiltse book.

After a hiatus that lasted much longer than any of us thought we could endure, David Wiltse has finally brought us a new book. While Heartland does not feature John Becker, it has a protagonist that will seem familiar in many ways. After enduring a terrifying standoff in which his partner was killed, Secret Service agent Billy Tree retreats to his boyhood town of Falls City, Nebraska to re-evaluate his life. An Irish-American who often reverts to a thick Irish brogue, Billy Tree is viewed as something of an outsider, even though the townspeople of this middle American, Small Town USA grew up with him. The Heartland of America, with it's silos and pick-up trucks is a far cry from the sophisticated flavor we tend to associate with Wiltse's works. It is the perfect setting, however, for Billy Tree, who seems to be existing throughout this story as a man with one foot in each world. The simplicity of life in Falls City Nebraska paints a jarring contrast to the complexity of the internal war Billy Tree is fighting. When he is called upon to aid the Sheriff in a murder investigation, Billy is forced to face demons he has been fighting to suppress. Readers of Wiltse, who will find this a familiar theme, will not be disappointed in the ease with which the author reintroduces this trait in the form of a new character. If you liked John Becker, you will love Billy Tree. And for those who are wondering if Wiltse has maintained his talent for that torridly sexual encounter his protagonist is capable of bringing to the fore, the answer is a resounding, "Yes!".Heartland is a book written with the intensity and intelligence we have come to associate with David Wiltse. The plot is tight, the characters are vivid, the protagonist will win you over, and you will not put the book down until the last page. I read all night. Don't put this one off!!

I can think of no book that I've looked more forward to than Heartland by David Wiltse. I must admit at first I was let down that this wasn't a John Becker book. That disappointment lasted about five breathtaking pages before I was quickly sucked into the story of Billy Tree, and I found him to be as compelling, if not more so, than John Becker. Both Billy Tree and John Becker are complex characters, but that is where the similarity ends. Billy is still grounded by his family, particularly his sister. He even takes on the brogue of his Irish ancestors as he takes over the book and the reader's imagination.After being wounded in a shootout, Billy returns to his home in the heartland of America. His memories of small town USA are slowly replaced by those of a town that is not isolated from the woes of the big city. Before he has time to lick his wounds, he is helping the man he most admired, the town sheriff, solve a murder.I've learned to expect excellence in books by David Wiltse and consider Heartland to be his best book. The plotting is superb, the characters well drawn and intriguing, and his depiction of the heartland is unblinkingly honest. I absolutely could not put this book down, and I did something I seldom do. I read it again immediately cover to cover. If you are looking for a book with intense and exciting action filled characters you can't seem to leave, I recommend you read Heartland immediately. It is the best book I've read this year, and I sincerely doubt anything will be able to top it. I'm on tenterhooks awaiting information on the next book by Wiltse.