“In a 21st-century twist on a midlife crisis road trip, Denmon (Lords of an Empty Land) sets out on a journey that promises to be more foolhardy than adventurous. When he reads of the first coast-to-coast road trip in an electric car, he persuades his friend Dean to accompany him from Louisiana to Panama in a Tesla Model S. Under perfect conditions, the vehicle has a range of 265 miles. Battling rough roads, desert, and jungle terrain, the author asks: Will the car reach the next charging station before the travelers are attacked by bandits or kidnappers? Their holy grail is finding an outlet with enough amps to charge at the end of each day. The seven Central American countries, including one known as the “murder capital of the world,” have unpredictable cell phone service and corrupt law enforcement. This isn’t a road test—the author doesn’t include technical details—but a journey of self-reflection and challenges, told with humor. VERDICT This tale of two guys in a futuristic car traveling across a low-tech landscape will appeal to fans of humorous travel ¬writers, such as Bill Bryson and Tim Cahill.”

“What does a fortysomething president of a busy engineering firm do when he’s tired of meetings, invoices, reports, e-mails, and drudgery? “I was a dull workaholic,” Denmon writes, and so he decided to do something truly exciting (not to mention intimidating): climb into a Tesla electric car and drive from Louisiana, through Latin America, to Panama. For companionship, he took along his friend Dean, who, like the author, is a Gulf War veteran. Denmon describes himself as a “Louisiana redneck,” and sometimes the writing reflects that—for example, he describes a television broadcaster as a “sexy Mexican weather gal”—but we get the impression he’s throwing some rednecky prose in there to emphasize the self deprecating person. Denmon is actually a very good writer, with some well-received western novels under his belt, and he strikes a nice balance here between adventure and misadventure (the road to Panama was not always a smooth one), with some moments of comedy and danger thrown into the mix. It’s an entertaining tour of Latin America, but one that might make readers glad to experience it from the comfort of their own armchairs.”

“The Savage Breed unfolds with a rush in a time and place rarely visited by the average Western writer. Randy Denmon takes the reader down a suspenseful trail to a near forgotten period in this rousing story of war, love and revenge.”

“An impressive debut–a colorful, action-filled novel.”