This eleventh book in the series opens with Blake in the small town of Simsville Colorado, breaking in a new case keeper by the name of Jim Higginson to assist him in running his faro games. But when they have an extraordinarily successful night against a gang leader named Joshua, the gang chooses to regain their losses by torturing both Blake and young Higginson for the location of the hidden cash. Higginson gives up the location but does not survive the torture. This launches Blake on a vendetta to regain his earnings and destroy the gang. He is aided by Higginson’s sister as Blake infiltrates the gang by assuming the guise of a notorious bank robber and safe cracker. Of course, things don’t go as planned, especially when the real bank robber shows up, but watching Blake get out of all the precarious predicaments is half the fun.
This book is packed full of western action, adventurous escapades, exciting gun play, and a fair amount of sexual shenanigans, fulfilling its mission as an “adult western.” The prose is lean and the plot moves along at a rapid pace, keeping me turning the pages. At times it feels like the author’s comic book experience shines through here as well. Faro Blake proves to be a welcome protagonist; easy to ride in his boots even if he makes different choices than I would.