James Anderson (27)Critiques

This might be a case of a book that I read to soon after the first one. I loved the first one but his book felt repetitive and I was not engaged with the story. Closer to a 2 1/2 stars for me. I was really disappointed. The first one was one of my favorite books of the last few years.

Easily my favorite book I have read this year. Sort of a mystery but mostly a character piece. Full of great writing and a poetry of words that captured me from the first page.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this wonderfully written novel by James Anderson. "Lullaby Road" really captures that feeling of long road trips through middle of nowhere America. The eccentricities of small town life are there n spades. Each character is revealed through their relationship with Ben, our protagonist and truck driver who knows the lonely stretches of desert far too well. He is handed over a few mysteries and other hurdles to deal with, and also Ben seems to be a character who becaude of his background, likes to insert himself into situations out of a need to belong somewhere.

This book was very slow paced, but beautifully rendered. The imagery was absolutely gorgeous.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author.

Please excuse typos. Entered on screen reader.

Ben Jones lives a quiet life, content as the delivery driver on Route 117, a remote highway in the middle of the Utah desert. There's not much to see or do on the route. Though there is an old diner, a place that used to be bustling with activity but now sits empty. Owned by Walt, a resident recluse, it provides the main landmark and only real character on Ben's route.

But everything changes when Ben stumbles across Claire, a beautiful woman who is squatting in a nearby home. She's different and she's intriguing. And it doesn't take long for Ben to start falling for the mysterious Claire, even when he knows he shouldn't.

A number of other strange things start happening not long after Claire's arrival. Ben is followed by a woman he's never seen before. He's asked to take part in a reality television show. And he's warned that the police might be looking into him. So much for Ben's uneventful life...

As Ben learns more about Claire and her history, things slowly start to fall into place. But there just might be more to the story than he could ever piece together on his own.

--

Every once in a while, I feel the need to change up what I read. And that's where this literary mystery comes in. It's not quite crime fiction--which is where the mysteries I read tend to live--but there is a crime involved. There's a strong narrative here, and a good arc for Ben and some of the other characters. It's not one where you'll feel compelled to keep guessing, but there are some twists and surprises that creep up along the way.

If you're a fan of literary fiction with a dash of mystery, then this one is probably right up your alley.

[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.]

Not what I expected

Great story telling with lots of unusual desert critters (human, mostly) and a twist ending that I never saw coming. Good read.

Thanks to Goodreads for this win.

I loved the Never-Open Desert Diner which I also won from GR. I was so happy that I won it because it was a sequel.

It got lost on my shelf since January 2018 when I won it. I finally decided read it and it was like a long and winding road and only got to page 10 or so. I skimmed through it and it was just him and 2 kids one of his neighbors and one he found at a gas station when he was fueling up his truck on his daily delivery. It looked like it was one boring trip and decided not to try to even finish it. It was such a disappointment after giving 4 stars to his first one.

Thanks to Goodreads for this win.

I loved the Never-Open Desert Diner and also won from GR. I was so happy that I won it because it was a sequel.

It got lost on my shelf since January 2018 when I won it. I finally decided read it and it was like a long and winding road and only got to page 10 or so. I skimmed through it and it was just him and 2 kids one of his neighbors and one he found at a gas station when he was fueling up his truck on his daily delivery. It looked like it was one boring trip and decided not to try to even finish it. It was such a disappointment after giving 4 stars to his first one.

We travel a lonely stretch of desolate highway…State Road 117…in northern Utah. The highway sees it’s share of loners…drifters…ranchers, and the few “natives” that live along this road and get almost all their life supplying supplies from Ben Jones. Jones is quiet a character in himself…a half-Indian, half-Jewish independent trucker with a dry sense of humor. Ben isn’t what you would call highly or even slightly, “observant” ...but he does notice a single building standing in what was to be housing development and the woman that appears to be occupying the “such as it is” dwelling. He diffidently notices her the second time he sees her as she is naked, sitting on the porch with a stringless cello and a gun which she is diffidently pointing at him. The cast of characters and the happening continue in this vein until the last page. Think of this as a somewhat “bent”... certainly different...mystery/romance. Of the many strange characters you will meet along the pages is the one I liked the most… and from whom the book takes it’s title… the widowed septuagenarian owner, operator of the diner…an empty but well-maintained relic much like its owner, who we find has many secrets… one of which is literally too awful to comptemplate.½

Satisfying book. Liked the people - weird and strange. Wish I had read his first book.

4.5 stars.

Featuring many of the same people from The Never-Open Desert Diner, Lullaby Road by James Anderson is an intriguing mystery starring independent trucker Ben Jones who once again finds himself caught up in the lives of the eccentric people along his delivery route.

Set against the backdrop of the Utah desert and lonely highway 117, Ben finds himself swept into drama of other people's making. Unable to refuse a virtual stranger's plea, he reluctantly takes young Juan into his care temporarily. His day gets even more complicated when Ginny, the teen mom he has been helping, asks him to take her baby Annabelle for the day since her sitter canceled. With an early winter snowstorm on its way, Ben sets about making the day's deliveries but every time he turns around, he is distracted by the problems that manage to find the people along his route.

Ben remains a complex man who has left his boozing and brawling days behind him. Despite his reluctance to take young Juan with him, the alternative is turning the young boy over to social services which is something Ben will only consider as a last resort. His admiration for how Ginny pretty much singlehandedly turning her life around also makes it impossible to tell her no when she finally asks for help. Ben's interactions with the various people along his route really showcase how kind-hearted and compassionate he is. He is respectful for his customers' desire for privacy but he does not hesitate to push them when he needs answers.

The novel is a little busy due to a number of secondary story arcs but the various storylines all play out rather neatly. Ben is quickly distracted from his quandary over Juan after itinerant preacher John is severely injured in a hit and run accident. Ben also faces the loss of someone dear to him but he also realizes that he must not interfere with their decision. He is also somewhat troubled by new information about diner owner Walt Butterfield but he avoids finding out what is going on with the elderly veteran. Then there is the stunning double homicide that takes the decision about what to do with Juan out of Ben's hands once and for all.

Lullaby Road is another intricately plotted character driven story that also features a perplexing mystery. Ben is a complex protagonist whose troubled past does not disguise the fact that he has a heart of gold. The desolate, beautiful and harsh desert is the perfect setting for the unfolding drama and James Anderson brings the novel to a somewhat hurried but satisfactory conclusion.

4.5 stars.

Set against the backdrop of the Utah desert, The Never-Open Desert Diner by James Anderson is an atmospheric novel that is part mystery and part character study. With its incredible setting and cast of eclectic but vastly appealing characters, this captivating debut will leave readers hopeful it is just the first of many installments starring truck driver Ben Jones.

Ben is an independent trucker whose route along the desolate 117 is much more than a job. Caring deeply for the diverse customers he delivers packages to, his compassion for the residents leaves him on the verge of losing his business. Fiercely protective of their desire for privacy, Ben shields them from the sudden scrutiny of strangers even when offered an opportunity that could potentially pull him from the brink of financial ruin. Bewitched by the mysterious, ephemeral beauty whom he meets in a rather unorthodox (yet humorous) encounter, Ben is unwittingly drawn into a puzzling mystery that puts him and those he cares for in danger.

An orphan who was abandoned by his mother when he was a baby, Ben is one of those characters that is impossible not to like. He is a bit of loner yet he cares deeply for the customers on his route. He respects their vehement need for privacy and he never pushes for more contact than they are willing to give him. He is pragmatic and accepting of his fate even in the face of losing the truck route that is more calling than job. Down to earth with a surprising amount of depth under his somewhat taciturn exterior, Ben is a champion of those he cares for and he will do just about anything to protect them from outsiders.

One of the many notable characters on his route, Walt Butterfield is the cranky and enigmatic owner of The Well-Known Desert Diner. While many people know of the events of his tragic past, few know the actual details of the tragedy that continues to haunt him decades after it occurred. Walt's diner is now closed for business yet he meticulously keeps the interior exactly as it was the day he shut the doors to the public. Hardened and irrefutably shaped by his misfortune, Walt has a surprising capacity for love when the prospect to right a wrong presents itself.

The unexpected appearance of Claire, a mysterious woman on the run from her past, provides Ben an unanticipated chance at love. Immediately smitten, he returns as often as possible with hopes of catching a glimpse of the beautiful stranger. Their encounters slowly evolve from slightly antagonistic to friendship then surprisingly, to romance. However, Claire's unresolved past soon collides with her present which leaves Ben uncertain about their future together.

The harsh Utah desert is as much a character in the story as it is the setting. The descriptions of the bleak landscape are tempered by Mr. Anderson's uncanny ability to find beauty in an arid region that is truly breathtaking. This wild and untamed location springs vibrantly to life and the reader experiences the vagaries of weather and the bleak isolation alongside Ben and the assorted cast of characters.

The Never-Open Desert Diner by James Anderson is a fascinating peek into the lives of people who manage to thrive despite the hardship and heartbreak they experience while eking out a hard fought existence in an unforgiving stretch of isolated desert. Beautifully rendered with an ensemble of quirky but likable characters, this debut is an entertaining and thought-provoking story that I absolutely loved and highly recommend to anyone who enjoys character driven novels with a hint of mystery.

3 1/2 stars. An enjoyable neo-noir. I loved the setting. From the dangerous and empty hellscape of a desert to the empty shell of a diner. It all worked brilliantly towards that fatalist cynicism characteristic of the genre. Peaking through the dry crust of genre was an attitude very uncharacteristic of the genre. The novel is ultimately about a good man without an angle trying to help the world around him. Choosing noir with a character like this made for a lot of passive writing in reaction to external circumstances. Lots of exposition. For me, unconvincing character changes. It wasn't even a very convincing noir. It read like noir cosplay. The main character, too modest to describe his genitals directly, wasn't a hero I feared and as much as the he was described as an asshole by other characters, I never saw much evidence that was true. The story was engaging and fun to read through but didn't add very much to the conversation.

3 1/2 stars. An enjoyable neo-noir. I loved the setting. From the dangerous and empty hellscape of a desert to the empty shell of a diner. It all worked brilliantly towards that fatalist cynicism characteristic of the genre. Peaking through the dry crust of genre was an attitude very uncharacteristic of the genre. The novel is ultimately about a good man without an angle trying to help the world around him. Choosing noir with a character like this made for a lot of passive writing in reaction to external circumstances. Lots of exposition. For me, unconvincing character changes. It wasn't even a very convincing noir. It read like noir cosplay. The main character, too modest to describe his genitals directly, wasn't a hero I feared and as much as the he was described as an asshole by other characters, I never saw much evidence that was true. The story was engaging and fun to read through but didn't add very much to the conversation.

Such great writing!
Favorite quote "If I was going over a cliff I didn't need someone to show me the way. I prefer to do stupid alone. It's more efficient."

Driving truck on a deserted desert highway delivering to other isolated folks seems like the perfect job for Ben Jones. Having led a hard life himself, he understands and respects his customers, odd and anti-social as they are. His life takes another turn (following the story of Never Open Desert Diner) one day when his friend Ginny leaves her 5 month old baby in his reluctant care, and then on his first stop he finds a mysterious 5 year old has been left in the snow for him. During the next few days, Ben's experiences become more sinister and dangerous while he attempts to do the right thing for the people he cares about. Anderson's writing and character development make this a special and memorable novel.½

I was reasonably happy with Ben and his desert rat customers up through the first half of the book. The mystery was starting to kick into gear and the noirish atmosphere was laid on with just the right amount of thickness. But when the love story began, it all went downhill so fast for me that I had to jump off. Claire felt like a male fantasy stereotype - not even close to being a real woman (although points for making her short, at least). Likewise for her backstory. And the cringe-worthy sex scene. These negatives far outweighed my interest in the solving the mildly mysterious mystery.

truly one of a kind - the never open desert diner and its author present the reader with a genre defying story, a memorable setting & a cast of characters worthy of Chaucer . plus it is laugh out loud funny in parts too !

I really enjoyed The Never Open Desert Diner. You could say it was a surprise hit with me. The best kind of surprises. Thus I could not wait to check out this newest book from Mr. Anderson. First off, let me tell you that this book is kind of a follow up to the Never Open Desert Diner. I didn't put the connection together right away from the summary or the first couple of chapters. Once, I did, I was happy to see Ben again. So, if you have not read the prior novel, you must get a little lost reading this book.

Although, sadly the presence of Ben was not enough to really sustain this book for me and keep me interested. The story is good but there were a few potholes and the characters missed the mark for me. They were not as engaging and thus I found myself struggling some to connect with the overall storyline. Additionally, there were some unanswered questions left hanging in the story. So, I am one for one with Mr. Anderson regarding his books. I do hope the next one is as good as The Never Open Desert Diner, which I recommend readers try.

This well-written literary fiction is a rich novel of characters and setting that happens to revolve around a mystery. Peopled with quirky folks who live in isolation along a particular stretch of highway in Utah, this tells the tale of Ben, a delivery person to the far-flung inhabitants of a rural community. We meet his customer/friends and he reveals a good deal about himself through his first--person descriptions of his community. When he encounters a nude young woman playing a stringless cello in an isolated house, we share his intrigue and gladly accompany him on his road to discovery.

In this, as in Anderson’s admirable debut novel, The Never Open Desert Diner, you share the adventures of short-haul truck driver Ben Jones, who drives a hundred-mile stretch between two small towns in the high Utah desert. If the town of Price is next-to-nothing, Rockmuse, at the other end of his route, amounts to even less.
These are literary novels, yet they encompass mysteries and crimes of many kinds, including crimes of the spirit. Anderson sets you down, unmistakably, in the high desert—with its sunrises and sunsets, the brilliance of its stars at night, its smells, the amazing quiet, and its deadly hazards, human and otherwise.
In his new book, half-Jewish, half-Indian Ben and his cast of oddball desert dwellers are as reclusive and tetchy as ever. They live far from ordinary conceptions of civilization for a reason, generally. Ben delivers their groceries, water, auto parts, horse feed—whatever they need. In hot weather, it can be a brutal job. In winter, it may be worse. Blinding snowstorms barrel over the mountains, scouring the land and hitting the mesa to the east, only to ricochet back for another strike on the inhabitants.
Ben is in a tricky situation. On a not very good morning, winter weather-wise, he fuels up at the Stop ‘n’ Gone before starting a run to Rockmuse, and finds a Mexican child and a suspicious dog, sitting by one of the pumps. A child not dressed for the freezing temperatures. The station owner has locked up and won’t respond to Ben’s pounding. Ben has “no choice”—a phrase he particularly loathes—but to take the child inside the warm truck cab and sort things out later. The child doesn’t talk. Eventually, Ben finds out why.
This is bad enough, but his neighbor stops him before he can drive away and hands over her infant daughter. She has “no choice” but to deposit her baby with him for the day. Like it or not, and he definitely does not, he’s left holding the diaper bag. So now you understand the book’s title.
The child, the protective dog, and the infant Belle turn out to be good travelers. That’s lucky, because the day turns dangerous and requires all Ben’s concentration. With the road margins indistinct in the blinding snow, it’s like driving into oblivion. And that’s just the weather.
Author Anderson does a great job describing the difficulties Ben runs up against trying to help the people living in such a remote place—their scant resources and limited access to communications, helicopter airlifts, and other take-for-granted trappings of modern life. Much as Ben hates it, “no choice” often is the choice, and everything cannot turn out well. The book is generous in acknowledging that good people can make bad decisions, it is sincere in grieving for the innocent, and it leaves open the expectation that bad people may yet get what’s coming to them.

Lullaby Road is a lyrical story about a man, a small girl and the journey they take through terror, and mystery all on a road I myself have driven, HWY 117. A road of desolation.

This book, Lullaby Road is a novel that shows the depths of relationships someone can make even between so many strangers. This book will break your heart, scare you and make you think about the interactions you have on a daily basis. I thoroughly enjoyed James Anderson’s writing style. I definitely will be picking up another one of his stories if they are as wonderfully intriguing as this book. I had a hard time putting down Lullaby Road.

*I found out after reading there is a prequel to Lullaby Road is The Never-Open Diner. As I read Lullaby Road I got this vibe that there were a few things I didn’t quite understand. Now I know why. I want to thank Blogging for Books for the ability to read this book in lieu of my honest review. I am really sad they are no longer in business. :(

**As a writer, if you ever wonder what a single setting can inspire, you should read this book. The story HWY 117 tells is a yarn spun so well, that I almost believed that the town, the diner and the people were part of a non-fiction novel and not fictional. Incredibly well written. This is a great way to learn the trade.

How can anyone resist a novel with a title like The Never-Open Desert Diner? I couldn’t and for the readers who pick it up, they are in for a wonderful trip through the Utah desert. I’m not one much for series, but I hope that author James Anderson is contemplating writing more stories featuring his protagonist, Ben Jones.
Ben is a self-employed delivery driver. It’s amazing that he hasn’t been put out of business by FedEx, DHL, or UPS. He almost is, as the bills are piling up faster than the noonday desert heat. He doesn’t think he’s going to make it to the end of the month.
He’s a quiet sort of guy, self-deprecating almost to a fault. He runs his truck up and down Utah’s Route 117, delivering all sorts of packages to some quirky characters. Three stand out.
First is Walt Butterfield who owns the Well-Known Desert Diner, famous for being in a number of movies.Walt keeps the place spotless and in tip-top shape. However, the diner has been closed since 1987. Walt fixes Ben a meal once in a while, but mostly his tinkers with his extensive collection of rare motorcycles. Second, is John, but most call him Preach. He runs a church in an abandoned hardware store and spends the majority of his time carrying a solid oak cross up and down the shoulder of Route 117. Last, and certainly not least, is Ginny, a very pregnant seventeen-year old Ben befriends one middle of the night in a Wal-Mart. She’s not alone and expecting, she is homeless, often living in her car. As we learn about the lies of these characters, it reminds of me of lives lived in quiet desperation.
One day as Ben is cruising down 117, he notices a glimmer in the desert that blinks and winks at him. Intrigued and having to take a piss like there is no tomorrow, he pulls onto the shoulder and walks up a small incline. On the other side, is an abandoned housing development. He heads down to check out the one house, and as looks in the window, he sees a naked woman sitting on a green chair playing the cello. Relieving himself against the side of the house, the woman come out to investigate. Her name is Claire.
As Ben and Claire begin to fall in love, some rather unsavory people show up along Route 117. Don’t want to say anything more that will spoil the amazing adventures Ben has, falling in love, trying to help Claire, trying to save his rig and his business. It’s a wonderful story.
I was surprised to learn that author Anderson grew up in the Pacific Northwest, but he must have spent some time in Utah to understand the desert as he does.

I give The Never-Open Desert Diner 6 out of 5 stars.
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.

When this title came up on Goodreads as a give-away I put my name in because I really liked Anderson's first book (The Never-Open Desert Diner). I was happy to win a copy though I usually avoid sequels and/or series books.

This turns out to be further adventures of Ben Jones who delivers goods to various quirky characters in a remote section of Utah desert. I was not disappointed, the story seems fresh and the writing crisp. This bunch of loners trying to escape the past and "mind their own business" keep running up against the reality that, like it or not, they are part of a community. This aspect reminds me a little of the Monty Python hermit sketch, but while the book has some lighter moments it's not a comedy--there is serious crime and a tragic body count.

Although there are many returning players and references to things that happened in the first book, each book can be read as a stand alone. This one leaves some unanswered questions and certainly hints that there will be a #3. If so, I'll want to read it.

I received a free advance review copy of Lullaby Road. I read the earlier book on loan from a public library.

Ben Jones drives the truck delivery route on deserted route 117 through the Utah desert. He is trying to cope with another unpredictable winter of hazardous driving conditions, when a man he hardly knows, leaves his Hispanic child for him to care for. Reluctantly, he takes the child with him on the road. As he struggles to make his deliveries on the treacherous winter road, he tries to figure out the mystery of why the man left his child behind for him to care for. He is also unsettled by the dangerous mystery of a phantom truck that drives too fast and recklessly on route 117.

I did not read the book leading up to this one, and I wonder if it would have helped me to like this book more. Sadly, I was often bored with this story. I do like the main character, Ben, a lot, though. He is a kind and generous man, humble and unaware of his goodness. He was always there if someone needed him. He seemed very real to me.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Title: Lullaby Road: A Novel
Author: James Anderson
Publisher: Crown
Series: Ben Jones # 2
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"Lullaby Road" by James Anderson

My Thoughts...

Now, this was quite a interesting read about Ben Jones who runs a tractor trailer delivery service [truck driver] that traveled on Highway 117 that was a desolate Utah desert making deliveries to people in isolated areas. Ben was known to deliver packages to 'desert rats, hardscrabble ranchers and other assorted exiles who chose to live off 117." Now, this route that Ben took I found it interesting to know that Fed Ex and UPS would not drive on this snow-blinding road.

What Ben finds while on his journeys will definitely keep your interest as it seems he kept getting himself involved in bad situations like finding a note that leads him to take charge of a small child [mute] and a large protective dog and also ending up when a friend and neighbor who leaves their young [bawling] infant with him so she could go to work. Now, I really found this rather strange when Ben piles them all in his truck and takes off to work going his normal route however, he ends up in a snow storm.

This story will continue on as this author gives the readers one intriguing and entertaining story ...from hit & run, bad weather [snow drifts], interactions with gun toting customers, abandoned child, child smuggling ring, preacher who carries a cross along the highway, accidents, three witches, Mexican women with food truck, and even some murders that happen along route 117. As every truck stop was made this author gives us a complete unfolded story with there being a lots going on with there being just a small group of people that are involved.To fully understand this entire story you will have to pick up "Lullaby Road" to see just how this author brings it out to the reader.

Be ready for a story will some laughable, scary and sad twist and turn parts of the read that will definitely keep you turning the pages to see what was coming next in this good read where in the end you will also find it 'engrossing, heartwarming and heartbreaking.'

I received a copy of Lullaby Road from the publisher through Blogging for Books.