Author: Mark Guillerman

Publisher: Outskirts Press Inc

ISBN: 978-1-9772-0593-3

Revenge is the driving force that dominates Mark Guillerman's stirring debut novel, Flow Like a River, set in 1923 in the town of Gary, Texas.

The novel features the town sheriff, Bud Thomas, who is much more cunning then he lets on. The beautiful redhead Brenna Cross, who has traveled from Ireland to Gary seeking work in the town's general store owned by Pat Bingham. Brenna is accompanied by her eight-year-old son, Billy, who befriends Johnny Jenkins, eldest son of the town doctor. And not to be left out are Billy's grandfather, Chief Running Wolf, and William Laveaux IV together with his band of  treacherous criminals.  Laveaux  is also known as The Prince.   

The narrative takes off with a short prologue where we learn about the Chanas tribe and the legend of “The Four Brothers.” Hereafter, we become familiar with Brenna and the letter she had received the previous year from Bingham. Bingham was deeply moved when he learned about Brenna's husband, Joseph, an American Indian who was a war hero and who was killed during World War I. Joseph had been a member of the Chanas tribe that once populated the Texas Hill Country and was the son of Billy's grandfather, Running Wolf, who everyone had been presumed dead.

Taking us back to 1868, Guillerman fills us in on an important event that transpired and which forms the basis of his novel when we find out about Silent Wolf, the fourth son of the great chief Grey Wolf, who led the Chanas tribe out of the land of the Sacred River. Before his departure, one of the warriors, who made the journey with him, was Tall Bear, the cousin and closest friend of Grey Wolf. In 1868 Tall Bear's daughters were kidnapped by William Laveaux, the patriarch of a New Orleans Crime family with the help of eight of his men. Tall Bear's wife was also severely injured during the fray and was forced to flee leaving her daughters with Laveaux, who ordered his men to burn down the homes of the Chanas.

When Tall Bear and other members of his tribe got wind as to what had happened, they engaged Laveaux and his cohorts in crime in battle, which eventually led to Laveaux's death at the hands of Silent Wolf. Unfortunately, Silent Wolf did not survive the wounds he had suffered during the battle and died a day later. Tall Bear led many of his tribe out of the delta to Mexico, where they merged with Silent Wolf's brother's clan.

Fast forward to the early 1920's when the great-grandson of Laveaux, The Prince, learns of the whereabouts of Billy and his grandfather Running Wolfe, descendants of Silent Wolf. For many years The Prince had been filled with rage that consumed him after remembering the story that his grandmother recounted to him that it was the Chanas who murdered his grandfather and without cause. As a result, this brought much shame and suffering to the Laveaux family. The Prince had made a blood oath that one day he would avenge the murder of his great grandfather to restore his family name to its rightful place among the hierarchy of the New Orleans crime families. Consequently, he travels to Gary with his team of bandits to the once land of the Chanas tribe where he would he is determined to exact vengeance on the last of the bloodline that robbed him of his family legacy.

Make no mistake about it, Guillerman has done his homework in recreating the historical setting of this novel and much of its richness is the authenticity of the voices of the various characters. His skill in revealing human nature in little gestures and poignant actions adds to their authenticity. Trust me, by the time you are done reading this fictional story, the realism and emotions will make you believe that the story happened. Guillerman is a great storyteller who knows how to craft a good narrative with a great deal of adventure and intense suspense that will keep you awake at night. What's more, and as mentioned on the back cover of the book, “it's a novel about the spirituality of the people and of the native American culture that pre-dated their time in the land of the Sacred River.”

Follow Here To Read Norm's Interview With Mark Guillerman