Utopia Texas has suspense, drama, deceit, action, romance, adventure, wealth, poverty, tragedy, success, and more. It contains characters that are larger than life and those that just barely exist.

The story is set in Texas in the mid 1900's. The patriarch of the family is Cole Harrison. Cole is an oil man – he owns oil fields. Cole gets calls from the president in the middle of the night asking for advice. He wears a Stetson and hunts from the backseat of his chauffer driven limousine. For one of his daughter’s birthday parties, he borrowed animals from the zoo to create a safari theme.

With all the money and power that he has, there are still family problems and secrets that should never revealed. Because of the status of his family, these problems must remain hidden from the public and dealt with quietly. How he and his wife, Byra, deal with these issues is the story of Utopia Texas.

The author, Betty Byrd, does an excellent job of capturing and conveying the atmosphere of life in the south. Her descriptions are vivid and colorful. Being from the south, I could almost smell some of the scenes in the book.

There are some adult scenes and themes in the book that are not suitable for younger readers. There is also some sprinkling of vulgar language. Unlike some books that I have reviewed contained similar things, these items were an integral part of the story and did not seem out of place.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was given a copy of this book by the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tags: 5 STARS, action, adventure, language warning, southern culture, texas