UP FROM HELL

Echoes of the Past: Crimes in Central Texas, Book 1

By Joan Moran

Crime Thriller

Publisher: Next Chapter

Publication Date: April 7, 2026

Synopsis

Growing up in Las Vegas, Neil Dixon’s future looked bleak. The son of a drug-addicted mother, he didn’t have a lot of options until a police officer, Sergeant Finch, pulled him from danger and sent him to a new life in Texas.

Now, years later, Neil has become the police officer he always wanted to be—steady, principled, and unafraid to stand alone. But Jarrell, Texas, is not the clean slate he hoped for. Corruption in the department is rampant, and traffickers operate across the border.

When Neil’s mother dies, he returns to Las Vegas and meets the father he’s never known. He gets pulled into a deadly game with his father that stretches from Vegas to the police department in Jarrell, to cartel-scarred border towns. To survive, he must decide what kind of man he truly is – and how far he’s willing to go to stop the people who profit from chaos.

The first book in Joan Moran’s series of crime thrillers, UP FROM HELL, is a gripping, character-driven novel about the weight of the past and the cost of justice.

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Review

Sometimes a child has to grow up fast, and that is what happened with Neil. Born in the 1970s, this was a different time for kids that what we see today. Neil could be considered a latchkey child, and luckily he has a kind neighbor that watches out for him since his mother is not able to. However, circumstances lands him in Texas with his aunt and her boyfriend and his cousin. This is where the story really takes off.

The story spans approximately 15 years. The first ten reflect how quickly he had to grow up. The home life was not the best and his aunt’s boyfriend was abusive. Neil’s objective was to get out of the house and stay away as long as he could. Living in a small town in Central Texas, however, does not lend itself to many opportunities, so he ventures to a nearby small town and finds a job in a bicycle shop. Reading about his journey to this town reminded me of life in East Texas: compassionate residents and business owners who take an interest in young minds and people by working with them to encourage a better life. I definitely felt for Neil and everything he endured, because these incidents caused him to mature much faster than he should have.

One thing I admired about Neil is that he knew from early on that he wanted to be a police officer. This is largely due to a police officer named Finch in Las Vegas that took him in before he was sent to Texas. He joins the police force right out of high school, or at least he tries. Small towns aren’t known for their speed. It doesn’t help that the police in these small towns were corrupt and that was a hill he was going to have to climb – whether to be upstanding like Finch, or corrupt like these cops. Neil is smart and it is surprising the cases he solves at such a young age. He doesn’t do everything on his own, he has a few trustworthy friends who help him out. By this time, it is the early 1990s, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to conquer the drug industry and stopping cartels from bringing in drugs to these small towns. I am still surprised at the complexity of the situation, and how is able to piece things together.

Perseverance is the trait I would give to Neil. He never gives up no matter what is thrown at him. Even when his father appears and believes that Neil will help get him in bed with the cartel.

While the focus of the book is on Neil, the other characters add dimension and nuance to the story. I really enjoyed meeting these characters and wondering how their story would play out in the end.

I know that there will be two more books in this series, and I can’t wait to see what new adventures Neil will have.

We give this book 4 paws up.

About the Author

Joan holds two master’s degrees: in Theater and in Education. Her desire to teach in the theater department at UNLV led to her position there, where she taught acting and theater history. Five years later, Joan founded and was the artistic director of the Meadows Playhouse, Las Vegas’s first year-round theater. Her interest in film led to her admission to the American Film Institute in Los Angeles as a producing fellow. Joan wrote her first screenplay and continued to write for film in Hollywood for the next 15 years. She produced several films.

Joan also pursued a career as a motivational speaker and blogger. As a keynote speaker, Joan commanded the stage with her delightful humor, raw energy, and wealth of life experiences. She spread her knowledge and energy as she combined 15 years of theater experience, as well as over 13 years of experience as a yoga and meditation instructor at UCLA.

Joan began her writing journey with her memoir, 60, Sex & Tango: Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer. Other books followed: I’m the Boss of Me: Stay Sexy, Smart & Strong at Any Age, a compilation of her most popular blogs, and An Accidental Cuban, a thriller that takes place in modern-day Havana. The novel was developed into a streaming series. Her recently published book, Once A Homecoming Queen, is a darkly humorous take on senior alcoholism. Joan also adapted Once A Homecoming Queen into an award-winning screenplay. Her latest book is a historical memoir of her mother: Suddenly, I Was Jewish: The Life and Times of My Jewish Mother. Up From Hell is her seventh novel. She is developing Up From Hell into a trilogy: ECHOES OF THE PAST: CRIMES IN CENTRAL TEXAS.

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