Heartwood by James Lee Burke

Billy Bob Holland is a former Texas Ranger turned lawyer. During his gun-slinging days on the border, he killed many men, most of them Mexican drug mules transporting narcotics into Texas. It was on one of those raids that he accidentally shot and killed his partner and best friend, LQ Navarro, whose witty ghost keeps haunting Billy Bob, offering advice in times of turmoil. Billy Bob speaks to him. Yes, Billy Bob is a man with issues.

Life in Deaf Smith, Texas is usually slow, as is normal for such a small town. But every now and then trouble pops up and when it does, it’s usually a douzy. For some reason Billy Bob is always stuck in the middle of it. It seems as if old habits die hard for our favourite Ranger. This time the problem comes alongside Wilbur Pickett, a hapless rodeo…