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

  • Movie Review: The Ring Two

      Directed By: Hideo Nakata Starring: Naomi Watts, Simon Baker, David Dorfman, Elizabeth Perkins, Gary Cole, Sissy Spacek, Ryan Merriman and Emily VanCamp. Release Date: March 18, 2005 Running Time: 117 minutes Language: English

  • Movie Review: Mama

    Directed by: Andrés Muschietti Starring: Jessica Chastain, Nikolag Costar-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nélisse, Daniel Kash, Javier Botet & Jane Moffat Release Date: 18 January 2013 Running Time: 100 minutes Language: English

  • Top Ten Book Covers I’d Frame As Pieces of Art

    Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by the awesome authors of The Broke and the Bookish. I am a sucker for amazing and cute book covers and I’ve always thought about putting them up in my…

  • Movie Review: Little Manhattan

    Directed by: Mark Levin & Jennifer Flackett Starring: Josh Hutcherson & Charlie Ray Release Date: September 30, 2005

  • Book Review: The Lost Symbol

    Author: Dan Brown Release Date: September 15, 2009 Series: Robert Langdon #3 Genre: Mystery, Fact fiction, Crime, Thriller Pages: 509                    ISBN NO.: 9780593054277 Publisher: Bantam Press Preceded By: The Da Vinci Code Followed By:…