Big Red Tequila

Written by Rick Riordan

Narrated by Tom Stechschulte

Edgar Award winner Rick Riordan captures San Antonio at its grittiest with his mysteries featuring Jackson "Tres" Navarre--unlicensed P.I., Tai Chi master, and imbiber of Big Red cream soda laced with tequila. It's been a decade since his father was murdered, and Tres left town. But he's got an itch that can only be scratched by looking for answers. Returning to San Antonio with his enchilada-eating cat, he uncovers a conspiracy involving the Mafia and dirty politicians. It isn't long before Tres stirs up more trouble than he can handle and finds himself the target of ill-willed bullets. Riordan paints a memorable portrait of Texas in its many unique hues, while narrator Tom Stechschulte captures the characteristic flavor of the Lone Star state.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456124335

Reviews for Big Red Tequila

[Charlie Stokes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting read, I look forward to the rest of the series. As a Texan, I find the stereotypical Texans in the novel as numerous but not 100% accurate. Also, San Antonio isn’t real Texas. Fun and enjoyable, I listened to the end within a week.

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I must admit that towards the end I lost track of the plot and was confused as to how the bad guys fit in to the beginning part of the book. But it was an enjoyable ride with Mr. Navarre as company and enough Texan accents to sink a ship. San Antonio was aptly portrayed warts and all. Also I must commend the narrator for making the novel come alive.

[jeffv_19 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've spemt a ;lot of time in Texas, including San Antonio where thos book takes place. I'm glad I never encountered the kind of people that were characters in this book. While the plot of the book attempts to be sohpisticated, the chacters moist certanly are notl And that makes the whole thing rather inplausible. The only reason I rate the book as high as I do is the terrific job reading the audio book, and Riordan does a good job with character development. A few less F-bombs would have gione a long way towards liking this more. I've always viewed excessive vulgarity to be a weakness in any writer.

[antao-3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Overall the book is average, but at times it gets confusing with their being a lot of entangled plot lines. Rick Riordan is a good writer, though, and it really comes together with all the random plot lines making sense as necessary pieces in the end. For the most part the book is engaging and definitely hard to put down as everything starts to unravel and wrap up in the last quarter of the book. I think I'll give the rest of Tres Navarre series a miss.

[jfe16 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Returning to San Antonio ten years after his father’s death, Jackson "Tres" Navarre is determined to find the truth of his father’s death. But his investigation uncovers a conspiracy and reveals secrets causing him to wonder about people that he has known his entire life. And when his used-to-be girlfriend disappears, he finds himself in the middle of a kidnapping . . . and more.Filled with lighthearted moments, delightful characters, and the clever antics of a cat that answers to the name of Robert Johnson, readers will find themselves drawn into this story with its strong sense of place, its humor, and its complex plot of big business and political machinations. Recommended.

[debavp · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Any tamer and this would be classed as a cozy. While a decent start to a series, there needs to be some pickup to future installments. And please, Robert Johnson needs more quality page time!

[dene2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dry humor and self depreciation by lead character very refreshing. Rick Riordan can definately write for adults as well as the elementary school crowd. A bit too much unnecessary swearing for my taste, otherwise a good read.

[squeex_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

was listening to THE LIGHTNING THIEF: Percy Jackson and the Olympians (my review) at the same time as part of this one. It's so amazing how talented an author can be to write two completely different genres and both of them be so highly enjoyable. Tres Navarre is a well written character and, gosh, do I want to be his buddy. He's got a nice dry sense of humor, takes a hit and keeps on quippin', and has human foibles. And has an enchilada eating cat named Robert Johnson. He comes back to town after ten years away in San Francisco after the shooting death of his father in their driveway. Ostensibly, he feels the need to solve the murder of his father, but he's there, also, to help his ex-girlfriend solve some problems with her business partner. There are some possible ties to the Mafia and corrupt politicians. The possibility of all of this being tied with the murder of his father sucks Tres (and the reader...) in. Five big ol' Texas beans....and maybe some bottles of Herradura...Tres' tequila of choice...

[wvlibrarydude · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Decent plot and a central character who's sarcasm was a little humorous. Heavy on the cussing, and lack of any morality was a downer that I couldn't quite get over. The central theme of messed up family relationships between children and parents was interesting... but only slightly.Lightning Thief series is much better.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tres is the kind of Noir hero I enjoy. His remarks to others make you cringe, but you enjoy him saying them. Sassy isn't the word for it, more like self-destruction, but somehow he comes out the other side of a beating. I've never been to San Antonio, but I felt as though I was there in the middle of the heat through Riordan's descriptions. I enjoyed this mystery right through to the end, and I didn't see it coming until the appropriate moment, but didn't feel cheated of clues at the end, either. Though not to be kept on the shelves forever, like Sayers or Stout, I will certainly look for more of Rick Riordan's mysteries. This was a fun read, more foul language than I enjoy, probably less than most people are used to these days. I also appreciated the way he described his hero's more intimate moments. Enough that I knew they were there, but I didn't feel like a voyeur after reading about it.

[debnance_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I certainly can’t share this with all the many fans of Riordan’s The Lightning Thief at my elementary school, but I can share it with all the adult readers who love silly mysteries. An added incentive to reading this book was its setting in San Antonio; what fun, I thought, to release this book at the Texas Library Association Conference to be held in San Antonio in April. It’s been a while for me since I’ve finished anything close to literary fiction. Oh well. Nothing wrong with some just-for-fun reads now and then.