The second book in the
John Q Texas Ranger series, this bears no relation to “Walker” on TV. I stress
that because some people have asked me about it and I never watched the series
back in the day. That’s not to be disparaging, just to say there is no
comparison. John Quarrie was born out of a desire to write a character with old
west values (such as they were) that embody the honesty, toughness and integrity
you still find in small town Americans today. Having spent an inordinate amount
of time in such locations all across the west, I’ve always found people with a
spirit of adventure and lack of cynicism, that echoes the pioneering spirit of
yesterday.
So many fictional
heroes are beset with demons and issues (my own previous characters included)
that I decided I would try to write someone who knew exactly who he was and
what his role in life was. That had to be both as regards work and his
relationships, and when people read John Q novels they’re as keen on his home
life with his son as they are his work as a Texas Ranger. Living on a ranch in
the Texas panhandle, he’s surrounded by friends he’s known since he was
fourteen. A widower, he promised his wife he would always take care of their
son. He does that whilst answering calls to various crime scenes large and
small. In the first book THE LONG COUNT, John Q deals with a tragic family
situation and its grisly repercussions, whereas in THE CONTRACT he's out of state
and perhaps a little out of his depth, in the murky world of 1960’s New
Orleans.
I’ve spent a lot of
time in The Big Easy, more so than in Texas actually, so far, and always found
myself in difficult and often dangerous situations. The people I know down
there are largely either cops or criminals. There’s a whole sub-culture
surrounding the French Quarter that regular tourists never get to see. I’m
lucky enough to have been out and about with the FBI and the Department of
Corrections, as well as a private detective who doubled as a rock n roll
singer.
Back in the late
1960’s a real-life Ranger called Joachin Jackson was in New Orleans
investigating a link to a crime at a country club in Texas. He had no
jurisdiction down there, but when you kill a man in Texas (as John Q says) you
have to pay. I knew about Jackson and used his experience as the original
inspiration for this book, though the plot couldn’t be any more different.
Recently I watched a Robert Duval movie called “Wild Horses” where Jackson had
a cameo as himself, he died in 2016.
There’s something
about Rangers that just appeals, their no nonsense, “The law is the law”
approach has gotten under my skin. Although John Q is fictional, I gave him a
veracity that John “DELIVERANCE” Boorman recognised, by making him godson to
the most famous Texas Ranger of them all. Brought out of retirement to take
down Bonnie & Clyde, Captain Frank Hamer wrote King George VI at the
beginning of World War II. Long since retired but still tough as old boots,
Hamer offered the king a personal bodyguard of retired Texas Rangers in case
the Nazi’s rolled into London. Some people might think that was a bit naff, but
I’ve always found it cool. A personal letter from John Q’s godfather to the
King of England, he meant every word and - would have been as good as it - if he’d
been called.
Now I think about it,
perhaps that’s the reason an Englishman is writing about a Texas Ranger!
The Contract by JM
Gulvin is published by Faber & Faber in April (£12.99)
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