The House of Wolfe is the third book in James Carlos Blake's border noir series, but I read it as a stand alone book, without having read the first two, and I really enjoyed it. The plot is interesting and enjoyable, and I definitely recommend.

The book is a fast-paced crime thriller focussing around young woman Jessica Juliet, member of the Wolfe family, a group with members in Mexico and Texas who deal in black market trading, particularly guns. Jessica is kidnapped along with the rest of the wedding party when she attends a wedding with her cousin Rayo. From there, it's action packed story of ransom, escape attempts and rescue efforts. Jessica, being a Wolfe, does not make it easy for her kidnappers, who are led by small time gangster El Galan who needs the ransom to pay his entrance fee into a large cartel.

The very first chapter of this book will pull you in and the rest of the story will hold you there on the edge of your seat. Not for the weak hearted.

The reason I have given this book 4/5 instead of 5/5 stars is because, although I loved the plot I wasn't a big fan of the writing style and found it a little heavy. There is A LOT of description and personally I like to get stuck straight into the action and dialogue, so I found it slow to read at certain parts. That being said, I really liked the book overall, so recommend it to any thriller and crime fans. ( )

‘The House of Wolfe’ is the third instalment from the Wolfe series by James Carlos Blake. I have previously read ‘Country of the Bad Wolfes’, an epic family saga showing how the Wolfe family became a powerful empire. Unlike ‘Country of the Bad Wolfes,’ this latest instalment contains fast paced action.

Set in the present day, the Wolfe family live in Texas as well as Mexico. Both families have successful legitimate businesses as well as dealing in what the Wolfes call the ‘shade trade.’ This is where the family smuggle guns as well as other illicit businesses, in despite of this, I still found the Wolfe family members likable.

An ambitious criminal, El Galán, plans to kidnap ten members of a wealthy wedding party and hold them ransom for five million US dollars in hope that this will be his big break into making his crew part of a major cartel. One of the hostages is Jessie Wolfe, a Texan, who’s in Mexico City as a bridesmaid for a friend’s wedding. As soon as the Wolfes hear of Jessie’s abduction, they set up a plan to get Jessie back, fearing the kidnappers may kill their hostages in spite of receiving their ransom. It is apparent how ruthless the bandits are early on, killing anyone who may be a threat to their plan. Meanwhile, the Wolfes use their power and influence to track down the bandits and get Jessie back.

I found the book a real page turner, and it didn’t take long for me to finish. At 248 pages, the novel is shorter than Blake’s previous book, but it did not leave me feeling disappointed. The book contains strong language and graphic violence. ‘The House of Wolfe,’ is a gritty hard knuckle crime novel and will appeal to thriller fans. ( )

The House of Wolfe – A Fitting Finale

James Carlos Blake returns with the final part of the Wolfe trilogy with The House of Wolfe and what a fitting end to this border noir trilogy. The more you read of the Wolfe family they are likable villains who will do anything to protect their family and what a shame to end this fine series of books, but as they say go out while you are on top.

Charlie ‘Fortune’ Wolfe’s former ward Jessica Juliet is attending a wedding in Mexico City with her cousin Rayo having the time of their lives. Jess is leaving with the wedding party when it is kidnapped and they are separated in to different groups. The parents are sent back home and are under instructions not to tell anyone of what has happened and that a $10 million ransom needs to be paid.

Rayo has heard what has happened to her cousin and informs her family in Mexico who in turn inform the Texas Wolfe family and the three Uncles send Charlie and his two nephews down to get her back. They realise that as the only captive not related to the kidnapped wedding party she is in the most danger of being killed.

Nobody knows who has kidnapped the wedding party as it has been set up by a small time gangster called El Galan, who is aiming to be part of a cartel but needs to prove his worth to them and bring in a ‘membership’ fee. He has set it up so that the party are separated and being held in the slums where nobody can help the victims or tell the police.

Jess being a Wolfe does not make life easy for her captors with two escape attempts and has to be punished. Things do not go the way they have been planned by El Galan especially once the Wolfes and their Mexican cousins are out on the streets looking for Jess and those holding her.

This is a good old fashioned chase and fight to the end, where the Police and the law are nothing but a minor sideshow, completely irrelevant. The Wolfes are a likable family that will do anything to protect that family whether it the Texan or Mexican family. They are not afraid to hurt or be hurt where failure is not an option and even willing to bend their own beliefs if it means finding Jess.

This is a wonderful and fitting finale to the Wolfe Trilogy and I for one will miss them and this border noir series. If I could have one request to make of the author James Carlos Blake would be to have at least another book about the Wolfes let us see how the two families develop and work together against others.

This is a wonderful and gritty thriller that gives an excellent ride through the wild side of Mexico City as a tour of the Shantytowns becomes a race to survive. ( )

The House of Wolfe - James Carlos Blake

On one level I found this book incredibly disappointing and on another it was a gripping, absorbing kidnapping tale.

Disappointing because I approached it having read Country of the Bad Wolfes which I loved for its substance and history and I suppose I was expecting more of the same Wolfe family saga which I didn't get.

Instead I got a thrilling, edge of the seat story where the Wolfe involvement was almost incidental and the story would have made a darn good read with or without the Wolfes for the most part.

And so, if I can divorce myself from the initial expectation then I would have to say that I did enjoy this book very much.

Blake is a bold writer, fearless in his depiction of violence and convincing in its brutality. Not a work for the faint hearted but plenty of ingenuity and guts from the characters. An impeccably constructed human heist plan is enthralling in its precision and attention to detail. The kidnappers seem to have thought of everything and left nothing to chance. There is no sentiment in this book, no remorse. It cascades on a wave of ruthless ambition. And in the capable hands of Mr. Blake it doesn't falter for a second.

Fortunately it isn't a long book, I’m not sure I could have stood the pace if it had matched the length of the Country of the Bad Wolfes!! Of its genre it works well. It’s an entertaining if draining read! ( )

Gritty, mean, dirty, fast-paced. There is no fluff here, just a great story about some really bad guys doing some really bad stuff. Now I want to catch up on the Wolfe books I haven't read yet. Very entertaining. ( )