Another fine job from Mavin H. Albert, with more plot in the first 25 pages that most novels have in 400. That makes it pretty hard to summarize the book, but here's the gist of it is right there on the cover: "The hunted man was not as guilty as the lawmen who were hunting him down." Okay, that's not true. It's a great blurb, but there's not a single real lawman in the posse, and one of them is Keliher, the protagonist. Also, the guy they're chasing is quite guilty of a number of things. However, he has the loot from a bank robbery, and most of the posse members think killing him and taking the money for themselves is a great idea.
Keliher has to stop them, for a lot of reasons, including the fact that the bank robber was formerly his best friend. Furthermore, Keliher is married to the bank robber's ex-wife and is raising his son. Add to that mixture a lot of well-written scenes: the bank robbery itself, an epic gunfight against hostile Indians, a fist fight, a number of escapes and pursuits, and in interesting dynamic between the outlaw and his ex. It's all great stuff, and it's all pulled of as smoothly as usual by Albert. I've long been a fan of his crime novels, but I'm only now catching up on the westerns. I'm sorry I waited so long.
4 comments:
I've enjoyed all the Marvin H. Albert books I've read (over a dozen). He could write excellent suspense novels and western novels. Very talented!
He doesn't get the credit he deserves these days.
I've never really read westerns, but since I've been rediscovering western films, I feel I should remedy that. You've covered several that I think might suit me.
Westerns are often fine entertainment. Albert always does a good job.
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