A Thousand Suns - Jim Haberkorn

Summary:  Every six months a different Russian agent arrives at the Rockin’ Rooster saloon in Twin Falls, Idaho to fight local cowboy and laid-off spy Rulon Hurt. To the locals it’s great fun and even to Rulon and his Swiss wife Yohaba, it’s not a bad way to spend a Wednesday night. But when Rulon saves Boris, the latest Russian, from a gang of local skinheads, a feud ignites that quickly escalates out of control. Eventually, the action moves to Zurich where a biological weapon sits in a train station locker and Nazi bitter-enders have everything under control - everything except Yohaba.  (Image and summary taken from goodreads.com.   A copy of the book was provided in exchange for an honest review.)

My Review:  A kind-hearted, ex-spy cowboy, a reformed European punk genius physicist (who happens to be Einstein's great-granddaughter), a surly tank of a Russian spy, and a couple groups of neo-Nazis.  Nothing could go wrong, right?

This was so much fun to read!  I loved Rulon's quirks. I fell in love with his dad, I have a (not-so) tiny crush on Boris, and I want to be Yohaba. Well, maybe without the nose ring.  Haberkorn has crafted a believable story with engaging characters that is extremely difficult to put down, and has me waiting anxiously for the next installment.  

A Thousand Suns is the second book in the series, but it is definitely a stand-alone novel. Ha.  As soon as I can, I'm hunting down the first book ... Haberkorn's characters are just too much fun for just one book!

My Rating: 4.5 stars.  There were a couple of little sections that I didn't quite understand their importance ... but I have a feeling that if I had read the first novel Einstein's Trunk, it'd be a little more clear.

Afterward:  You know how some books just stick with you after you're done?  This one did ... to the effect that I purchased Einstein's Trunk and devoured it in one day  (to the dismay of my kitchen).  Delightful!  Can't wait for more!

For the Sensitive Reader:  Rulon is clearly a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but it's very subtle.  An off-hand quote from the Book of Mormon here, a quick mention of a blessing there, I loved it.  As such, it's pretty clean, but this is the spy world.  There is violence.