What is The Lease about?
The Lease is a Texas oil thriller by Alan Ray Winkley set in Brazoria County. At 2:17 a.m., Jack Mercer finds his friend dead beside an abandoned oil well. A 1987 oil-and-gas lease, an old survey map and a photograph tied to a powerful energy family pull Jack and his wife Kate into mineral rights, vanished records and a Gulf Coast secret.
Who wrote The Lease?
Alan Ray Winkley, a Texas author. The Lease is his debut novel. His Amazon author page is amazon.com/author/alanraywinkley.
Where can I buy The Lease?
On Amazon in three formats: Kindle (ASIN B0HK2864TJ, $9.99), paperback (ASIN B0HK2L51LQ, ISBN 979-8174257122, $24.99) and hardcover (ASIN B0HKCSWLL8, ISBN 979-8175218979).
Is The Lease on Kindle Unlimited?
Yes. The Kindle edition is available to read with Kindle Unlimited.
How long is The Lease?
About 262 pages in paperback and 264 pages on Kindle.
When was The Lease published?
September 2026. The paperback was released September 14, the Kindle edition September 16 and the hardcover September 18, 2026.
What genre is The Lease?
A thriller: specifically a Texas oil and landman thriller, with mystery and suspense elements.
Where is The Lease set?
Brazoria County on the Texas Gulf Coast, south of Houston: oilfields, lease roads, abandoned wells and old family land.
Is The Lease like Landman or Yellowstone?
It's written for the same audience. It's pitched for fans of Landman, Yellowstone, Bloodline and The Pelican Brief because it centers on land, oil, powerful families and buried secrets.
Do I need to know about the oil industry to enjoy it?
No. Lease and mineral-rights detail is atmosphere and motive, not homework. The site also has a plain-English oil and gas lease glossary.
Is The Lease part of a series?
Yes. The Lease is Book One of a planned series, and Book 2 is planned. Updates are posted on The Lease Facebook page.
Is The Lease based on a true story?
No. It's fiction. The characters and events are invented, but the Brazoria County setting and the oil-and-gas details are grounded in the real Texas Gulf Coast.
Is there a book club guide?
Yes. A free guide with ten discussion questions and a meeting plan is at theleasetexas.com/book-club-guide.
Is there a trailer for The Lease?
Yes. The official trailer is on YouTube at youtu.be/vA86gr0kUJg.
How do I contact Alan Ray Winkley?
Message The Lease Facebook page at facebook.com/TheLeaseTexas for interviews, book club visits or events.
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