Called (Southern Watch Book 1)

An interesting writing style and definitely not for the prudish, although the second book is even more raw. In spite of sections that made me uncomfortable, I purchased book two because the characters are interesting and I want to know how they develop as the series continues.

I really wanted to like this book because the premise looked interesting but it failed. According to my Kindle I actually managed to read 41% of the book... I kept waiting for it to get better but it never did.

I found the characters flat and uninteresting. The 'good' guys weren't all that heroic and the 'bad' guys weren't at all scary or truly nasty. The action wasn't exciting and, all too often, unbelievable.

I'm truly happy that I watched this book for a while and grabbed it when it was free... as it is it wasn't worth the time it took me to read less than half of it...

Robert Crane continues to turn out good reads. Demons are abounding within society, but most do not know of their existence. A demon hunter comes to town and although he seems not to be the most accomplished hunter, with considerable help from the local law enforcement manages to stay alive and keep things under control. I liked the story and also the second in the series. I am looking forward to the third.

Good read for a single sitting. Was a bit predictable, but liked the idea behind the plot. Characters seemed a bit plain and bland, but am hoping to be more detailed in the next couple books. Would recommend for adults due to some of the language/situations.

This story is mildly amusing and passably exciting. The characters were not entirely standard cast, which was nice. I especially enjoyed the main bad guy, who reminded me of Stanley Tucci in all his 'good help is so hard to find' glory. Unfortunately it lacked any real resolution. It's obviously setting up for a sequel or three.

The plot was a little thin. However I liked the characters though they could have been fleshed out more. Is there a book prior to "Southern Watch "! Having the story start with little background was uncomfortable.

Like always I love to read but to get a different story it is different I love laughing at the same time working to figure out the two and there is the slaughter which is there it makes a great book I can't wait for 2

I enjoyed this book. The author took pains to alter his writing style to match the protagonist/antagonist limited view per scene. I felt that the sex scenes were unnecessary. Not sure if I'll read the next book, but it sets up a fun premise for demon hunting. Pretty quick read for those of you looking for light fare. Enjoy

Here's one that shows real promise. I'm going to order his next book right away. The guy is a reluctant demon hunter and the black policeman who seems to be called to the same occupation REALLY doesn't want to be doing that; he just wants a peaceful life. If your town has demons, peace is not around.

Robert J Crane just amazes me with every book I read. It is no different with this one. Where does he come up with this stuff? I love this book and can't wait to read the next one in this series. Just so you know it isn't one of those that leave you hanging with no ending. This could be a stand alone book.

This story is mildly amusing and passably exciting. The characters were not entirely standard cast, which was nice. I especially enjoyed the main bad guy, who reminded me of Stanley Tucci in all his 'good help is so hard to find' glory. Unfortunately it lacked any real resolution. It's obviously setting up for a sequel or three.

I won't go into the detail other reviewers already have. I just want to say, this is a very solid start for a new series. It's not perfect, but I like the authors writing style. It's fun and easy to read. If you like the genre, you will enjoy the story. Good characters, well paced, unusual but interesting setting. Reminded me of Buffy with rednecks. I felt right at home.

This is the first book that I stopped reading just 3 chapters into. Between the overuse of bad language, the ridiculous characters and a storyline that doesn't make sense I just couldn't read any further. I was hoping to add another series to the ones I currently read but instead I deleted it from my Kindle.

The plot is in the alternate world vane. Good vs Evil who's on first of improbable events. If you like fantasy evil spirits, it might be for you, from my perspective is seamed rather juvenile. But it leads into a series.

The protagonists have character... they are appealing. The work is well edited and very well written which is rare and unique among the independently published. Loving supernatural fiction means loving the conflict of ancient struggles between good and evil. This book is full of good and evil for sure. It's a quick read~ I liked it!

Good, gritty contemporary fantasy. I haven't read too much in this genre, but I like this one enough to finish it. I can't say whether or not I'll continue with the series (I honestly prefer Crane's more mainstream fantasy "Sanctuary" Series) but I definitely enjoyed it, even if it was a bit short compared to my usual fare.

Not that that is a bad thing. It was easy to get into the story and I found myself wondering what was going to happen next. The characters were like able but not overly developed.... However that is also a nice way for the author to bring his readers to get the next book in the series.

Good read for a single sitting. Was a bit predictable, but liked the idea behind the plot. Characters seemed a bit plain and bland, but am hoping to be more detailed in the next couple books. Would recommend for adults due to some of the language/situations.

Mmmm a little offbeat. Actually this book has its own drumbeat and it sets a great rhythm.

Who knew demon hunting could be humorous and entertaining?! It's not just that though, it's also well plotted, well written and the characters are great, even the demons who are not just vague monsters.

This book was great! A new twist on the demon hunter genre! I really enjoyed the storyline and the author's sense of humor. I especially enjoyed that that (spoiler alert) demon was summoned into the cow's body and the cow gets the last laugh! (Or Moo!) I'm excited to read the next book in the series.

Excellent written book. Amazing story line. Start of another great series from a great writer.

This series is set in rural Tennessee. It is centered around Hendricks (Demon Hunter) and Arch (local cop). Arch's world is turned upside down when he witnesses Hendricks kill a demon. Arch has to deal with finding out about demons and that his hometown is being over run by demons. Hendricks has to learn what it is like to not be alone,

I don't want to give to much away but once I started reading this book I could not put it down.

Over all it was very well written, I don't care to read the evil of a man that could do that to a child, but if you hear the news it goes on every day and I wish for a way for all the evil to be stopped.

OK - I persevered for 12% of this tale before giving up - I had NO idea WHAT was happening and it all just sounded like complete drivel!
** instead of * because the author CAN write, even if it's nonsense!

This is the first book that I stopped reading just 3 chapters into. Between the overuse of bad language, the ridiculous characters and a storyline that doesn't make sense I just couldn't read any further. I was hoping to add another series to the ones I currently read but instead I deleted it from my Kindle.

Great story line with a well defined and interesting lead character. Too many F-bombs dropped by all characters, unnecessarily. More like verbal punches to the face of the reader. I will try the next in the series to see if my second impression is different than the first.

Ridiculous . That's the only way to describe this book other than maybe, just silly. Weak from start to as far as I could stand to go into. I kept waiting for something of note to occur, and it never did.

First, I must point out that I am not a talented writer so any opinion can't be validated as a peer group. However, I am a talented reader.

The premise was interesting, supernatural forces congregating at a small American town opposed by a mysterious stranger and the local sheriff. However, the actual execution of the writing was a bit loose. There were a few plot questions unanswered or not thoroughly developed as one might want or expect.

An example would be the fact that the mysterious stranger, who has been fighting demons for five years and survived thus far, had little knowledge of them; their strength and weakness. He was very surprised that they actually took him prisoner while he was drunk i n a hotel with a local girl. Another was that they could be defeat by being impaled by a jagged wood wall stud, and a broken sink but not by a bullet AND was again surprised that it could be done. You would think caution and knowledge of the enemy would be perquisites for surviving.

There are other situations and/or tempos of writing that would have benefit from a rethinking but they are too small to mention but still manage to take away from the total experience of the story. I am not saying the writer does not have talent; he does but not as developed as such writings as Odd Thomas, The Dresden Files, Wheel of Time, Artful, the Hobbit Trilogy, and others too numerous to mention.

The question is: Would I recommend this book or consider purchasing subsequent stories by this author? Sadly, the answer is no.

I read this book as part of the Sinners and Sorcerers box set.
This book was full of the things that make the author's other series, The Girl in the Box, so good. It is full of great characters that ring true, lots of fast paced action, and generous doses of humor. However be warned this series is more mature than the Girl series. The action is filled with graphic violence, some of the characters use foul language and there are some sex scenes.
The main characters Hendricks and Arch make for a great buddy cop type duo and their supporting cast only add to the enjoyment. While the main villain Hollywood is hysterical he does give the heroes a good fight. This is the first book in a new series so there are some plot points left open at the end of this book but the majority of the story is wrapped up by the end so that you can enjoy this story by itself or you can look forward, like me, to future books. Either way I highly recommend this book.

This is something completely different for Crane.
A walk on the darker, more gruesome border of the worlds of Urban Fantasy.
I am not sure how I feel about this one. It lacked the distinctive style and Craneness I have come to enjoy about his books and yet it had a certain je ne sais quoi.
We have a trio of main characters, Hollywood the gentleman demon with the morals of an alley cat, Hendricks the nonchalant demon-hunter and Arch the cop with a conscience. Three strong men who couldn't be more different and yet each one interwoven into the hidden world of the supernatural.
The story seemed to overwhelm the characters though, which meant they left less of an overall imprint than they could and should have done.
The sense of evil is ripe and the feeling that worse is yet to come lingers like a overpowering sense of foreboding throughout the tale. Simultaneously Crane has managed to stamp his own special brand of wit on the story. The end-product is a mad mix of limb-chomping (literally) horror, quirky humour meets Urban Fantasy.
One thing I have to mention is the accent and general feeling of the setting. I swear whilst I read it I could hear a southern drawl throughout.
This book is part of Sinners & Sorcerers: Four Urban Fantasy Thrillersa box-set of four Urban Fantasy stories.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the author.

I don’t know. There are parts of this book I really liked. And it is odd how I came across it. On the Goodreads Urban Fantasy discussion group Dennis brought up the topic, “Dresden Files without the fairy dust” and I thought it was interesting, as did several others. We came up with several possibilities, Green, Del Franco, Henderson, Anderson, and others. Then, that same day, I came across an advertisement for a series by Robert J. Crane, an author I haven’t read before. "Called" is the first in the Southern Watch Series.

The beginning told me that this might be something that Dennis would find interesting. "A drifter, a broken-down hitchhiker blown through Midian (TN) on the prevailing winds. . . and Hendricks is carrying a sword." Of course, it excited me also, as I am a huge Dresden Files fan as well. I passed the info along, and then discovered that the story is part of the four book anthology, "Sinners & Sorcerers: Four Urban Fantasy Thrillers". I eagerly picked it up, as it has not only Crane, but also the amazing S.M. Reine, Daniel Arensen, Scott Nicholson, and the astounding J.R. Rain. And it is only 99 cents, so what a deal!

After reading "Called", I am, again, of two minds. The concept is good. Demon hunter Lafayette Jackson Hendricks strolls into town and immediately runs into his first demon. And things go downhill from there. Archibald “Arch” Stan, ex-football hero and now a deputy sheriff, lives a quiet, boring and ultimately unfulfilling, and yet goodhearted, life – until he runs across Hendricks slaughtering a demon on the town square. Arch’s life will never be the same. Things are different now, in more ways than having the blinders ripped off. For where once only a single flare might show up on the map around the world, there are currently fourteen flares, more than ever before, hot-spots which “pull in demons like the light on a bugzapper - but without the zapper. . .” which as often as not leave whole cities ghost towns, no bodies to be found. And where Hendricks would once have had multiple demon hunters to back him up, suddenly there is only him – well, and Arch.

This is all good. And yet, what drove me NUTS about the story is the pure stupidity that Hendricks shows. It is to be expected from Arch. He really doesn’t have any idea what is going on, if demons are real, or if Hendricks is just some whack-job running around with a sword and a 1911 revolver. I can’t give Hendricks the same grace. Knowing that things are bad, that demons are overrunning the tiny town, and things are really, really not right in the world, he still follows the head between his legs and not the one between his ears, more interested in getting drunk and getting into the pants of the police dispatcher than paying attention to business. And of course, said mindless horndoggedness (yes, I made up that word) nearly costs them everything . . . getting drunk and chasing tail doesn’t really make sense under the circumstances. Between that and unnecessary usage of trash language and sexual stupidity, I was disappointed. I am no prude about language, but I am much of Earnest Borgnine’s way of thinking “Writers used to make such wonderful pictures without all that swearing, all that cursing. And now it seems that you can't say three words without cursing. And I don't think that's right."

I suppose it could be that this is a more “male-centric” story, which these days seems to include much more violent, sexual, and foul speaking lifestyle and expectations than I find acceptable. Who knows? I am a true proponent of kindness over what is considered “moral”, and the power of intellect over violence and ignorance. Whichever one prefers, there are things to recommend in Called, and others to abjure. Crane makes a point that I find most appropriate, though I am by no means religious. Arch says, “Side of the angels, huh? I haven’t seen any of them show up to help me yet.” Hollywood, the demon: “And they won’t. Because they don’t get involved, not anymore.” And I wonder whose fault that is?

But that is my opinion; yours may not be the same.

'Called' is a good paranormal thriller. I truly enjoyed the story line. It was very creative and kept me glued to the pages throughout. The way it played out had all the required thriller essentials. Action, suspense of sorts, the unknown and great characters. Hendricks is a walking conundrum of a man. He's a pretty good demon hunter. His reasoning and lifestyle are a bit cliche but it works for him. Arch is an interesting opposite to Hendricks. He's the all-American good boy. The banter between the two was entertains. I look forward to reading the next book. A great add to your tbr list.

If you have read Robert J Crane's "Out of The Box" series you are in for a treat of a different flavor, he does a fantastic job of hooking you early and making you instantly identify with and enjoy the characters. A walk on the darker side. It is completely different from his other work but it was a fresh welcome. Southern Watch will satisfy your urban fantasy fix. The main antagonist, might remind some readers of the character for a head demon of the Randall Flagg character in the movie version of Stephen King's "The Stand". Crane's characters show of mans ability to adapt. Again Crane's bad guy monologue always a make enjoy the back and forth can be is a great tool for fun. You will beg for more.

(Review backdated to February, 2014.)

BAM.

Took me long enough to get to this book, but well...I had a grad school application to finish, and I read Called yesterday to reward myself.

Awesome. Anyone who's read any RJC I've reviewed before knows I have a soft spot for the baddies (coughZollerscough) and Hollywood did not disappoint. "PLEASE JUST SO YOU KNOW, I'M NOT DOING THIS BECAUSE YOU'RE BLACK." I almost woke up my kid from laughing at that. And I loved the random cow perspective just chilling there, too.

In traditional RJC form, there are lots of alsfklalf WHAT DID YOU JUST DO TO ME at the end but ALSO in traditional RJC form, he writes swiftly like cheetah, so book two is already ready to sate my appetite (though yes, I secretly know nothing is going to be explained because that's how he rolls). But yes, don't expect to be satisfied with this as a standalone. You WILL be disappointed.

Anyway, this is a fun and exciting change from Girl in the Box and Sanctuary, which are a little bit more all-age appropriate (which basically means hey, this book has graphic violence, lots of bad words, and sexytimes, so be warned) and I always learn some awesomely snarky new phrase whenever I read something from RJC.

I'm looking forward to seeing how well I fare with Book Two, as I've heard it's nausea-inducing...BWAH, can't wait!

I really wanted to like this book. The genre; the setting; even the cowboy should have been perfect for me. Sadly, I found the characters not to be three-dimensional enough and too much left unsaid. Without more depth "the end of the world" is pretty meh. With more attention paid to characters and deeper world building this could have been a hell of a good book. As is I was bored.

I bought one of those 4 books in one for .99 figured what the heck if one of the stories was good it was worth it.The first book was good and I felt like it was a steal for the price.Next one up was Called by Mr.Crane. Well I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it.Just a excellent read.I don't know if it's one of his first books or a later one.But I do know I'm going to get more of his books.Mr.Crane great effort and thanks. Keep up the good work

Read this book, while I was desperately waiting for the same authors Girl in the Box book 10 to come out. Wasn't disappointed. It is completely different from his other work but it was a fresh welcome. Being from Tennessee myself, Robert really nailed the small town life and I felt like he was talking about my very own town which was really great... until I realized I was reading about demons then I thought Holy sweet mother of Jesus! What if there were demons in my town!?!?! Does this author know something I don't??? I don't think I will ever be able to look at cow pastures, cows, or cowboy hats again the same way. I must know how this ends!!! Can't wait for the next ones!!!!

is something of a different genre than the previous series i have read from him. Nevertheless, as with all his work, I found this to be well written, engaging, humorous with a kick ass hero and a great cliff hanger ending. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes their demon fiction....cant wait for the next one... (hint hint!).

This book got off to a slow start, but it very quickly brings you in with interesting characters and an intriguing plot line.

I don't usually read fantasy books where the protagonist doesn't have any overt magical powers. That doesn't mean that the lack thereof is a bad thing, just that I was caught off guard at first.

The only bad thing I can say about the book is I wish that there was a little more explanation of the magical setting. There were many assumptions I was forced to make about certain concepts when it came to the setting as a result. This was such a minor thing though that I quickly got over it.

This book is good, so if you're looking for some urban fantasy fun, look no further. You'll be glad that you did.

After reading The Girl In The Box series I was hoping he would continue his great writing. I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed the lightness of this book and it left me wanting to read more, but alas there is no more. Perhaps in the near future???

This is a solid first book for a series. You get to know two significant characters, see one of them introduce the other to the world as it really is, and they have a little adventure. Good ground-setting with a hook for the rest of the series, to see how things play out.

Fun and exciting. Hendricks and Arch are great characters. Humorous action. Did anyone ever doubt that demons would be attracted to the entertainment world?
I would like more back story and expect/hope that it comes in the future books.

Excellent written book. Amazing story line. Start of another great series from a great writer.

This series is set in rural Tennessee. It is centered around Hendricks (Demon Hunter) and Arch (local cop). Arch's world is turned upside down when he witnesses Hendricks kill a demon. Arch has to deal with finding out about demons and that his hometown is being over run by demons. Hendricks has to learn what it is like to not be alone,

I don't want to give to much away but once I started reading this book I could not put it down.

It took me a little while to get into this story, new characters, new story line. Once I got into it the story moved along swiftly. I liked the characters. Lots of action. I'd recommend and look fwd to more from this series.

This is the first book I've read by Robert J Crane, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The action kicks off right away and continues throughout the entire story. This author has started a great series and I'm off to read the second book, which I went to the store to get, halfway through this one! That's a first, for me. Enjoy!

The book started a little slow. After the first chapter or so the story started to take off. My only complaint was the language. DEFINITELY GRAPHIC (if you don't like swearing do not read this book) Although to be fair, there is a warning about the language. All in all I would recommend this book.

I bought this book in a bundle and wasn't sure about it. However, it really surprised me. It was entertaining and read pretty fast. Would recommend it for anyone needing some good fluff to take your mind off the stress of life. I will be checking out other titles of Robert J. Crane.

I thought this book had a good story about something unbelievable yet who knows, could be going on. Really enjoyed the characters and look forward to future books to continue the hi t a d destruction of the demons.

I loved Robert's "Girl in box" series, and started the "Girl out of box". but called was free. No warning, it has some very vivid sexual scenes, but figured it was just character set up, OK. But bought 2, Depths of the series, and it goes into a kind of sick twist that has put me off badly! Yes 2 has a warning, for mature audience, good, but it should say base, horror, that I wonder what has happened in your life to make you think of such vile, evilness? Book 2 I was looking foreword to story, the characters, but man not the horror that is between these pages. Would be a triple X if made into a movie. :(

interesting mix of Dresdin Files and tv show Supernatural, with some originality thrown in. Liked the touch of humor also. I am looking foward to continuing this series and learning more about the characters, especially "righteous man" Arch.