Up from Hell by Joan Moran

 

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. 

CLICK TO PURCHASE

AMAZON ◆ BARNES & NOBLE ◆ GOOGLE BOOKS

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.

WEBSITE  ◆  INSTAGRAM ◆ BOOKBUB ◆ THREADS

AMAZON ◆ GOODREADS ◆ FACEBOOK 

ENTER TO WIN!

REVIEW

Joan Moran's Up From Hell was an emotionally compelling read that quickly pulled me into Neil's story. His journey from a nine-year-old raised by an addict in Las Vegas to a good cop fighting corruption in small-town Texas showed how one kind, meaningful intervention can change the trajectory of someone's life.

Neil is an old soul who consistently shows up with wisdom and integrity. His cousin Jack's assessment of him resonated and captured Neil perfectly:

"You were raised in chaos, yet you move through life grounded in reality."

Moran keeps the action going as she covers large spans of time. We weave through Neil's dangerous childhood, threatened by the seedy reality of the Las Vegas drug and prostitution scene, his young adulthood protecting his aunt from an abusive boyfriend, and his days as a young cop trying to figure out a corrupt and sinister system. There were edge-of-my-seat moments when I feared for his life and relief when he once again survived the violence that seemed to follow him.

At times, the story almost read like a memoir, with asides that felt like real-life details. Sometimes Moran circled back and explained, other times not.

Regardless, Neil's sage observations and advice impressed me, and only occasionally wandered into didactic territory. His insight helped him prevail over difficult circumstances:

"It's better, I guess, to be aware of your own darkness. Then you don't feel better or worse than anybody else. You're just human. Like everyone else."

"Maybe that was love: deciding someone was worth fumbling for."

"What you do today is the future. Set an intention every morning to show up. Exceed yourself in small ways. Stop judging yourself like you're the jury and executioner."

Moran has given us a principled character with pure motivations and a drive for justice who will stop at nothing to clear out the drug syndicate taking over Texas. While some parts of the story were a bit choppy and a little heavy-handed, overall, the author's world of crime, bribery, and exploitation kept me engaged.

The ending was not fully satisfying; however, I think that was intentional. It leaves lots of room for a sequel, and I will be tuning in to see what happens next.

Up From Hell will appeal to readers who enjoy crime thrillers and glimpses of small-town Texas, and, at its heart, is a novel that questions whether someone raised in darkness can choose light and makes us care deeply about the answer.

To learn more about the book, look for #LSLLUpFromHell on your preferred social media platform.

 

CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE CAMPAIGN PAGE

FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH REVIEWER PARTICIPATING.