What follows is a fast-paced, well-told western adventure in the traditional mold. It’s a fun read with plenty of action, plot twists, femme fatales, and oddball characters. Sorting out just who are the good guys/gals and who isn’t is half the fun and watching Dillard figure the right path (while barely avoiding several murder attempts) is thoroughly enjoyable.
Author Chap O’Keefe (Keith Chapman) has been around for decades, as editor and prolific writer of western novels. Many of his books were first published as Black Horse westerns by Robert Hale but, happily, many of those books, like this one, are now being re-released as e-books.
Since the author is a British gentleman who has lived most of his life in New Zealand, I wondered how he would depict the frontier days of my home state of Colorado. He mentions in the afterward how much he depends on research, and I must say that effort has served him well. Facts and tidbits of life in those days are sprinkled throughout the novel, including some rather detailed depictions of locust and fly infestations in and around the town of Greely.
This was my first western by “Chap O’Keefe” but, based on this one, I foresee many more in the future.