The Reading Bud

Book Blog by Heena Rathore-Pardeshi

Book Review: High Desert (PEOPLE MAKING DANGER) by Adam Fike

Book Details:

Author: Adam Fike
Release Date:
19 March, 2021
Series: PEOPLE MAKING DANGER
Genre: Crime Fiction, Western Fiction
Format: E-book 
Pages: 69 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
MUSCLE CAR WESTERN – Hanner only wants to tinker in his desert junk yard, fish for wrecks on the highway and forget his family legacy. A rotten Sheriff, fate and a vault full of organized crime loot have another idea.
Free samples at adamfike.com/books.
PEOPLE MAKING DANGER is a collection of quick, fun, three-act, feature-length stories, full of suspense, surprises and dark humor. All told in the present tense. Like reading a movie.

“What a HOOT… recommended to me by a friend… High Desert is a clean shot at life and crime in the mid-twentieth century… I haven’t laughed so much in years. I plan to start on The Quiet Ones and work my way through them all.”

– BookBub Review 

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

High Desert by Adam Fike is a gritty, cinematic slice of crime fiction that perfectly captures the raw, unpredictable energy of the American West. Adam Fike doesn’t just tell a story about a botched heist and the violent, eccentric characters surrounding it, he creates a living, breathing desert landscape where danger lurks behind every gas station, junkyard, and stretch of empty highway. The atmosphere is heavy with heat, dust, and tension, giving the story a visual quality that feels ready-made for the screen.

What makes this tale so compelling is the cast of flawed but unforgettable characters. From Hanner, the hardened junkyard owner with his own rules of survival, to small-time hustlers, con men, and corrupt lawmen, every interaction is laced with suspicion, wit, and the constant threat of betrayal. The dialogue is sharp and often darkly humorous, while the pacing keeps the narrative moving with the same relentlessness as a car engine roaring across desert roads.

Overall, High Desert is a meditation on survival, morality, and the blurred lines between law, outlaw, and everything in between. It’s grim, fast-paced, and at times unexpectedly funny, making it a standout entry in the People Making Danger collection.


You can also read this review at:

Goodreads


Amazon


I love reading your comments, so please go ahead…

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

I’m Heena

Welcome to The Reading Bud, my cosy corner of the internet dedicated to all things books and authors. Here, I invite you to join me on a journey of discovering under-represented books, independent and small press authors, and all things book with a touch of love and loud purrs. Let’s get Reading!

Book of the Month

Read this captivating story on the adventures and hardships of Frank Knightlite, a man who strives to illuminate darkness with his lantern in search of answers to life’s questions.
You can get it here.
October 2025
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  

Reading is like breathing to me.

Recent Posts

  • Author interview: Rich Marcello

    Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, I’d like to welcome author Rich Marcello for an author interview with The Reading Bud. About The Author Interview Welcome to TRB! Please give our readers a brief introduction about yourself before we begin.  I’ve…

  • Author interview: Deb McEwan

    Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, I’d like to welcome author Deb McEwan for an author interview with The Reading Bud. About The Author Deb McEwan Following a career of over thirty years in the British Army, Deb and her husband…

  • Book Review: Palm Lines by Jonathan Koven

    Book Details: Author: Jonathan KovenRelease Date: 12th December 2020Genre: Poetry CollectionSeries:Format: E-book Pages: 53 pagesPublisher: Toho PublishingBlurb:These heartfelt poems speak to a transformative journey “to rediscover love as both a question and an answer.” Seeking hope, honoring family, finding love, accepting time’s passage,…

  • ARC Review: Burly by Paul Drewitt

    Author: Paul DrewittRelease Date: Genre: Literary FictionSeries:Format: E-book Pages: 226 pagesPublisher: –Blurb: Book Review Burly by Paul Drewitt is a beautifully written book with honest prose and an excellent plot. I was hooked right from the stat and was thoroughly engrossed in the…

  • Book Review: The Greatest Game by Greg Rajaram

    Author: Greg Rajaram Release Date: 15th April 2021Genre: Philosophy, Drama, Literary Fiction, SurrealSeries:Format: E-book Pages: 242 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:Ever since humans became self-aware, we have struggled to find the meaning of life. The price we paid for becoming intelligent was to become painfully ignorant of…