Desert Blood 10pm/9c [Paperback]

Ronald Cree (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 28, 2006

When Gus González is adopted by TV star Nicholas Hernandez, he's swept into a glamorous world of fast cars, expensive toys, and hot celebrities. With Nick playing the real-life role of his new dad, Gus has got it made.

But life in the limelight is hard -- the tabloids harass Nick and Gus, questioning their relationship, and the two start to receive threats. When Gus narrowly escapes an attacker and people start disappearing, the race is on to figure out who has it in for Nick and Gus. And why.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up-When Gus Gonzalez was 12, he was adopted by television star Nick Hernandez, age 26 and single. Now Gus is 14, Nick's cop character is wildly popular, and it seems that everyone in rural Palmdale, CA, and in the media feels free to cast aspersions on Nick and Gus's relationship. This novel is so littered with coincidences and mean and nasty people that it becomes difficult to care about any of the characters. Someone is sending threatening messages written on photos from tabloid newspapers to Nick, who doesn't tell Gus. The teen comes home from school one day to find a knife-wielding intruder. Gus and Nick, along with a couple of teenage boys, are nearly run off the road en route to a casting call in the desert. There, Nick's agent makes rude remarks about Gus right to his face. Then, numerous boys are bloodied and another disappears. Gus jumps aboard a slow-moving freight train to track down the missing boy but he winds up bound and held captive in a motel. Eventually, Nick reveals his motivation for adopting Gus in the first place and it's no more credible than the previous list of misadventures.-Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 8-11. Fourteen-year-old orphan Gus Gonzales isn't sure why the young, handsome television star Nick Hernandez adopted him. Despite rumors in the tabloids, there's nothing unsavory about their relationship: Nick is a firm but fair father. The mystery and action heat up after someone breaks into their house, followed by the kidnapping of Gus' friend and the death of a high-school bully. In an attempt to rescue his friend, Gus puts his own life in danger, which ultimately exposes the secrets at the heart of his adoption. Readers may wish for a tidier plot; it takes several long paragraphs of explanation by the villain (while he holds a knife to the hero's throat) to tie up loose ends. Yet the snazzy jacket, picturing a handsome yet stern-looking young cop and two sexy young women, evokes the glitzy backdrop perfectly, and readers will want to plunge into the book to see what the blood spatters on the cover are all about. Todd Morning
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 309 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse; First Simon Pulse Edition edition (February 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416911561
• ISBN-13: 978-1416911562
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,401,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Author of the Gus Gonzalez mystery series for young adults, including "Desert Blood 10pm / 9c"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars REAL PAGE TURNER, February 28, 2006

By 

Judith A. Raykovich "Avid Fiction Reader" (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Desert Blood 10pm/9c (Paperback)

Fast read for an adult. Page turner for young adults. Ron makes you ask all the who/what/where/why/how questions and then brings you all the answers. No details unaddressed. Will recommend to the at-risk teens I mentor. Eagerly waiting for next book in the series.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Genuine page turner, February 11, 2006

By 

C. M. Bale (Silicon Valley CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Desert Blood 10pm/9c (Paperback)

The author was extremely kind to send me a copy of his book before publication. It is an absolutely gripping page turner. The action is compelling and there was no telling what was coming next. The action just keeps on coming. I am a fifty-year-old mother of a twelve-year-old boy and we both enjoyed this book thoroughly. I loaned the book to a 62-year-old male co-worker who also had the experience of not being able to put the book down. This is a book that can be enjoyed by everyone.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Next Teen Mystery Series?, June 8, 2006

By 

C. D. Hamrick (Castro Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Desert Blood 10pm/9c (Paperback)

Growning up I owned the entire Nancy Drew series and could hardly wait until the next one was released. Ron Cree's first book makes me think this could be the next exciting series to those of us who love mysteries. This updated, trendy plot and characters gave me the excitement and thrill I haven't experienced in a teen mystery since the days of Nancy, Bess and George. I've given a copy to both my nieces and nephews and they are new fans as well! It's nice to see a book that can be enjoyed by boys that didn't have the Nancy Drew advantage growing up!