Sam Baron Presents Desert Highway, New Small Town Mystery Thriller, Ruth Baker Thrillers Book 3 - Added to Personal Favorites 2026...

The server farm materialized from the desert haze like a mirage—a low, windowless concrete structure surrounded by a tall chain-link fence topped with barbed wire. The building’s blank facade was broken only by a small entrance and several industrial air conditioning units that hummed with constant effort against the relentless heat. No company name, no signage. Just a number stenciled above the door: 47.

Lynn watched the bloodless dissection of the morning’s carnage, remembering the deputy’s vehicle, the way his body had slumped forward after Vanessa’s shot. Not targets. People. The thought came unbidden, dangerous. She pushed it away.

“I understand what’s at stake. The planet is dying while politicians debate and corporations profit. Direct action is the only language they understand.” The sentiment aligned perfectly with their organizational doctrine—perhaps too perfectly, given Jessica’s earlier nuanced perspective on non-vegans in her family. Either her philosophical position was more malleable than initially assessed, or she was deliberately aligning her statements with what she believed Suzan wanted to hear. Either way, her technical skills made her too valuable to reject over ideological imperfections that could be corrected through proper indoctrination. “Welcome to QuantumCore’s operational team,” Suzan said, extending her hand across the table in a formal gesture rarely used within their organization. “The real one.”

The thought hovered, tantalizing and dangerous. A house. A real bed. Maybe even a partner who wasn’t part of her tactical unit. Someone who knew her as Kira the brilliant coder, not Kira the disciplined operative. Not Kira the killer.

Note: Audio Excerpts Available on YouTube (4)

He reached over and caught her hand, bringing it to his lips for a quick kiss. “That’s the hundredth time you’ve checked to make sure it’s real.” “And I’ll probably check it a thousand more times.” Rachel grinned, threading her fingers through his. The ring felt strange, wonderful, like a promise made solid. She still couldn’t believe how he’d managed to surprise her - gathering all their friends at Rosario’s, their favorite Mexican restaurant, under the pretense of celebrating his promotion. The mariachi band had been playing their song when he dropped to one knee, and Rachel remembered how the entire restaurant had gone silent, how time itself seemed to pause as he pulled out the ring.

That set the tone for the romantic side of this book by an author I'd not had a chance to read before; but, frankly, fell in love with his writing. The thing about it, though, was much more than that...He was spinning out multiple scenes, moving from character to character so fast that you had to ensure close attention or you just wouldn't catch all of what was happening... The chapters move from one plot to another, mostly, but is actually from the side of the law versus, what was taking place otherwise... And let me just say, prepare to be thrilled! As well as have many different emotional responses and questions as to what in the world was going on... 

Kinda like our federal government's activities that we may or may not learn about even though they affect each of our lives... daily and possibly forever... In thinking about this book I realize that I have assimilated much about politics during the past decade... Sometimes I wish I had not. I have lost my ability to see each book for its own merits... wondering if what I'm reading was designed to present what I see now as I read? Or, is it, just the fact that until 2015, I had not been exposed to so much corruption geared toward hate, retribution, and violence toward others? I don't know. What I do know is that my writing has evolved to include deep awareness of reality I'd never personally witnessed before...

Ruth had been married before and they'd had 5 years together, but as time passed, she realized that she might really be ready, even while a song would send her back to being with her first husband as he'd sung to her... And Ruth realized that they were both able to have found two partners and neither had to be ignored... There really was enough love in her heart to love again...

The book opens when our main character, Ruth Baker, a lead Texas Ranger, and her partner, have acknowledge that there is more than just a partner friendship that has already developed between the two. Indeed, Aaron had already started bringing his two sons to visit and meet a possible new sister, Ruth's young daughter, who is deaf and a joy to get to know... The boys were immediately receptive... If there just wasn't so many cases cutting into their personal lives! And what had just occurred was one of the worst that the Texas Rangers had ever dealt with!

So many books, so little time... I'd love to get to know Ruth Baker better and see her in action. Ruth made a decision to join the Texas Rangers--still a male dominated group, is my guess. 

Yet, her strength, her dedication and most of all, her desire to help those affected when criminals come into their lives, is extraordinary. She is seen as one of the best Rangers by her boss and has earned the respect of all other rangers... even as a woman...It apparently takes a certain type of man to be willing to work and respect women in their chosen field... Hegseth is not that kind of man. Indeed, readers will learn that, using only what is used in the book description provided for this book, there is a death squad with multiple sniper shooters. It is quite easy as we read to realize that these individuals have military special ops training and superlative skills that are kept sharp with daily drills even though they are no longer in the military. But why and what is the motivation?

I found I had to know more about the setting, since it plays such a major part in the storyline--you can decide whether you want to listen to this strangely interesting video because, it seems that the single mission behind what was happening perhaps was justified. That is, that we as humans (through our government leaders) are not taking seriously the very real environmental and climate issues that continue to affect Planet Earth... Much of the action takes place in the desert or other mountainous areas. Site is a major issue in the acts that occur... Human response to the heat and danger of locations are dramatically used to create the thrilling scenes where death is either close or actual...

And yet, the writer throws in psychological suspense especially for the leader--an authoritative fanatic who forces extreme loyalty to the supposed cause, while mandating actual physical changes to each recruit placing sexuality directly into the mix of a need for total obedience. Added to this mix is a final call for retribution against the governments,, corporations--anyone who should be taking action to present further damage to the planet.... With the ultimate mandate for annihilation. Through violence... Soundds strangely familiar doesn't it?

And last but not least, a major activity as part of this war is the creation and maintenance of facilities housing computer servers in support of maintaining billions and billions of pieces of data...

Suzan typed efficiently at her workstation, her attention divided between the primary monitor and two secondary screens displaying diagnostic data. The server room hummed around her—rows of black cabinets stretching into the distance, their synchronized blinking creating patterns of blue light in the climate-controlled environment. “Cache bottleneck on node 47,” she called out, eyes fixed on the diagnostic tool she’d written herself. It had flagged the issue before the farm’s native monitoring system could detect it. “Kira, can you confirm?” Across the room, Kira nodded, her short-cropped hair catching the light from her own monitors. “Confirmed. Memory allocation error in the primary controller. Transitioning to backup while I isolate the fault.” Kira’s fingers moved over her keyboard without conscious thought. She’d been with Suzan the longest—almost six years now—recruited from a climate activist group in Seattle after her arrest at a pipeline protest. What had started as technical solidarity—Suzan offering pro bono IT support to environmental organizations—had evolved into something far more focused. More purposeful. “Backup controller online,” Kira reported. “System performance stabilized at ninety-four percent capacity.” “Acceptable for maintenance mode,” Suzan acknowledged, making a note in her tracking system. “I’ll alert the client that we’re addressing a potential memory issue in cluster forty-seven.” Vanessa’s voice came through their communication channel from three rows over. “Annual maintenance complete on clusters twelve through fifteen. Bringing systems back online now. Throughput at ninety-eight percent and climbing.” “Good,” Suzan replied, already moving on to the next task on her meticulous checklist. “Begin replacement of the cooling system filters in sector six. The monitoring logs show a two-degree temperature variance over the past week.” This was their legitimate work—the foundation upon which their entire operation was built. QuantumCore Technologies provided elite server maintenance and optimization services to data centers across the southwest. Their small team of specialized technicians commanded premium rates for their expertise, moving from facility to facility on rotating contracts. The perfect cover for women who needed to disappear for days at a time without raising suspicions. Few questioned the comings and goings of IT specialists whose work required irregular hours and geographic flexibility. Fewer still bothered to verify the backgrounds of contractors whose performance metrics consistently outpaced their competitors. This arrangement provided both the perfect operational cover and a steady flow of potential recruits with the technical skills and psychological profiles she required. Suzan checked her watch—a functional black timepiece with no unnecessary embellishments. 10:30 AM. The new hire would arrive in two and a half hours. Jessica Miller. Twenty-nine years old. Computer science degree from MIT. Four years at Amazon Web Services... Excellent technical credentials, but more importantly, the right background for potential recruitment. “Taking node 47 offline for component replacement,” Kira announced, her voice carrying the focused calm that characterized all their technical work. Nothing wasted, nothing excessive. “Estimated completion time: forty-five minutes.” “Noted,” Suzan replied, updating her maintenance log. “I’ll reroute traffic to compensate for the temporary capacity reduction.” The morning continued in this methodical rhythm—identifying issues, implementing solutions, documenting results. Each woman had a specialized role within their technical ecosystem. Kira handled architecture and memory subsystems. Vanessa managed security and physical infrastructure. Suzan oversaw it all, coordinating their efforts while maintaining communication with their corporate clients. What had once been Lynn’s responsibility—network optimization and data throughput—now fell to Suzan as well. The absence created inefficiency, a problem that needed solving. Hence Jessica Miller’s imminent arrival. At noon, Suzan stood from her workstation, stretching muscles that had been stationary for hours. “Lunch break. Twenty minutes. Then we continue with the capacity upgrade on the eastern cluster.” Kira and Vanessa acknowledged with minimal responses—a nod, a brief “understood.” After years together, they functioned with almost telepathic efficiency, each understanding her role within their carefully structured hierarchy. The break room was starkly functional—white walls, stainless steel tables, minimalist chairs. Suzan prepared a protein shake from carefully measured ingredients while Kira brewed coffee for herself and Vanessa. They ate in near silence, reviewing maintenance logs on their tablets as they consumed the necessary calories to maintain optimal function. “The new technician arrives at 1300,” Suzan noted, finishing her shake and rinsing the container in a few brisk movements. “Initial evaluation only. Technical competence first, then personal compatibility with our team dynamics.” “Personnel file?” Kira asked, setting down her coffee. Suzan handed her tablet to Kira, who studied the information with analytical precision. “MIT credentials are solid. AWS experience gives her practical knowledge of large-scale implementations.” She passed the tablet to Vanessa. “Familiar pattern in the personal history.” Vanessa scanned the file, her expression revealing nothing as she absorbed Jessica Miller’s background.... Relocated to Austin six months ago. Environmental activism increasing  She looked up, meeting Suzan’s eyes. “Standard candidate profile.”

~~~~~~

This novel is complex, tense, exciting, yet moves so fast, I have chosen not to get into exactly what happens on either side of the evens. Other than to verify that the first act by the death squad was discovered by local police and the Rangers--Ruth Baker--was lead on the case. I enjoyed and appreciated the thriller, noting that the Rangers, the good guys, do win in the end... But... I would be remiss to myself, my commitment to speak truth about what I read, and to contribute to the daily efforts to ensure that information is recognized and truthfully discussed. For me, so many separate issues were woven into this fantastic novel, I feel compelled to identify the real-life attempts that are concurrently being attempted by our federal government. Because there is no way around it, criminal acts must be recognized and individuals held accountable, no matter who and who many are involved. We have seen just how many attempts are constantly being made on the release of the Epstein files... We have also seen that even the corporation owners are trying to prevent the race for moving ahead with AI at this time, as is being incited by the president... We have watched as this president began a war for absolutely no reason and has caused major problems not only for the United States, but for the entire world...

!!! 

Obsession and psychological-based memories are presented to readers in an unrelenting terrorism of violence which is strangely connected to the front-page issues that have been spotlighted as necessities for retribution, personal wealth, or simply egotism... Laws are being ignored... Consider the parallels as the Texas Rangers fight a death squad also based on similar issues that should be handled much differently...

• With, to a great extent, religious issues becoming part of the political, yet, daily immersion, we are being forced as "readers" of our very lives to see a religious-political group which has evolved to be promoted as a right to use violence against those who don't believe as they do... Whether religion or some other issue, there is no way that personal emotions should be part of a political environment unless fully based upon the law and the constitution.
• 
  
• Selected people, such as those who have made a personal decision about their own body to become transgender--or to obtain an abortion based upon medical and personal needs, are being spotlighted because of making that decision, often just as a discriminatory act such as is also done on the basis of skin color.
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• Time and time again, the elected representatives we have voted for have failed to confront and deal with major, important, as well as deadly crises of climate control and concern for the environment in which we all live. People are being affected by this refusal to take steps to respond to these major needs is totally unacceptable... But should not result in violence as the solution. If our representatives cannot do the job, they need to be removed...ASAP...
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• Corporations have been pampered and used for political gain by our representatives, while they do little, if anything, to ensure the safety for the people who suffer from the effects of their decisions to place bottom-line profit as their primary business model. 
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• The psychological impact of parental control of children, leading them to become bullies, often based upon prejudice, religion, or other types of discriminations based upon, often, false or disinformation are known to cause violent actions by those children at some point in their lives. Do we really want this type of individual elected into government and/or legal positions at any level?
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• The potential role of women in assumed to be traditional jobs held by men has been proven to be wrong, but still, for some, may cause friction dependent upon the leader of any given corporation or other institution established for profit or non-profit. Women in roles are being fired for no legal basis, as well as also being accepted if allowed to bypass a leader's discriminatory demands. This same issue is comparable to any type of discrimination by white male supremacists now working to ensure an overthrow...
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• Lack of truthful and critical exchange of information and involvement in decision has a major impact on how people at all levels are able to survive, while watching many use illegal actions, they are not permitted to use, to gain personal wealth. Continued unfair subordination of individuals creates an unsustainable environment when laws and normal control is allowed to succeed without those responsible actually acting to solve problems most needed... In other words--doing their jobs!
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• Recognizing the gifts, skills, and training of an individual is to be used as factors in evaluation of an individual for a job. At the same time, no leader/boss has the right to mandate personal offensive actions as a basis for keeping a job or voting, or feeling no loyalty to the boss, can be fired, without just cause...
•  
• All of these issues are already covered by law--if we had not a group of individuals who choose not to abide by that law and are getting away with it... We The People Are Equal under the eyes of Law...and... God...

This book, which was published in 2025, somehow pulled together so many key issues that are being attacked right now in our daily lives by our supposed representatives, duly elected. It can be seen by all. The majority can indeed see what is happening, especially when we lose contact with a close neighbor, Canada, in light of these leaders' actions... 

I ran through a couple of the 1 rankings for this book, where readers didn't want to be confronted with the reality of these issues--perhaps only one or the violence or the language... I don't consider these rankings a valid statement, There is too much a willingness to complain and express a strong personal opinion, often when the book itself is not completely read. I admit my personal opinions have become stronger since 2015. I acknowledge that willingly. Because what I write is based upon that truth is actually based on our reality. The only thing I don't know is just how long certain politicians have acted criminally and unresponsive to their job requirements in order to, instead, take the money and run...

I was actually amazed at the skill of the writer in molding an action-packed, but comprehensive set of thrilling events, which were also pointing out the basic human issues that affect our interpersonal relationships with our, supposed, neighbors across the world. I find I'd like to talk with him to find out how he chose to present so many variables, and was able to do it so skillfully... Kudos and more for a book I selected as one of the most important selections of my personal favorites... 

Confronting and dealing with Truth has been lost in the United States, it seems... We need to work together to bring truth, especially in news agencies, back to our nation... The Death Squad might not have succeeded; but we have seen the actual casualties of ICE, the war initiated for no reason in Iran, the use of Tariffs without acknowledging exactly who would be financially affected. The loss of livelihoods based upon nothing but prejudice, DEI, personal retribution for those who actually do their jobs...and so much more... We cannot afford to allow open death squads to act as this book clearly presents. 

Fiction should never actually be fictionalized non-fiction. Just my personal opinion, of course...

Gabby