Blood on the Trail by Terrence McCauley
Description: Deputy U.S. Marshal Jeremiah Halstead is taking the leader of the Hudson Gang for trial. But the gang is in pursuit. Surviving a shoot-out, Halstead holds up in Silver Cloud, Montana with his prisoner. The one-night stay stretches into several. And the Sheriff does not seem to be on the law’s side. For that matter, neither does the town? Why does his boss in Helena tell him to stay in Silver Cloud? Is he going to have to stand alone against the gang?
Review:
Gritty. That’s the one word that describes Blood on the Trail. This is not a ‘western romance’ — it’s a gritty Western with really bad guys and one known good guy. Some not so bad but none of them appear at first to be on Jeremiah Halstead’s side.
His job — find and bring in John Hudson, the leader of the notorious Hudson Gang. That job is Halstead’s first “official assignment as a deputy“. No pressure. Be aware, there is a lot more to learn about Jeremiah than being a Deputy U.S. Marshall.
This is a healthy-sized book as Jeremiah’s history is made known. But not all at once. Pieces are brought forth as the action moves. Even his pappy and grand-pappy are mentioned more than once.
When it says blood in the book title, be prepared as this wasn’t the days when rights were read. If you drew your gun, you better be faster than the other guy or be ready to meet your maker. Each member of the gang is met individually. The author, Terrence McCauley, does the same with all the characters. You find out more about them as the story moves along.
The pacing for this reviewer was a bit slow. However, the pace made it easy to keep the various characters straight.
I was hoping to REALLY like this author’s writing style but for this reviewer, there was just too much blood. It did fit the story. Just not right for me. If you like gritty Westerns, you will enjoy this well-developed book.
I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of Blood on the Trail via NetGalley from the publisher, Kensington Books, Pinnacle. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
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