Chief U.S. Marshal John Brockman returns in Deadlock. This is a story about four brothers: Stan, Chice, Todd and Lee Zarbo. They were outlaws, thieves and killers. They were especially bloodthirsty whenever it came to killing. They were cruel, did not have any respect for human life at all. During an attempt to rob a stagecoach, the driver and the man who rode shotgun refused to give them the payroll money they were carrying. Both men were shot, but they survived. The two men that were passengers pulled their guns and one of them shot one of the brothers, Stan, killing him instantly. Both passengers died, but the driver and his shotgun both survived.

This had all happened in Wyoming, while Brockman was in Riverton, Wyoming preaching in a church where he had spoken before. The wounded men managed to make it to the church, where they told the local marshal, Dub Hawson, what had happened. Hawson and his deputies went after the Zarbo gang. Two of the deputies were killed and Hawson was wounded. However, they did find Stan’s body. The other three members of the gang got away. It wasn’t long before Brockman found out that the gang was headed for Colorado.

Deadlock is another western by Al and Joanna Lacy. It is superbly written, with a plot that changes every five minutes. A lot goes on, and there’s never a dull moment. After a while, at least before the end of the story, they tie all these little plots together into one big one. The characters are believable, and some are good Christian people, while others are not. Set around Denver in the 1880s, the scenery delights the mind as well. Because of the nature of the story, it contains violence; those were violent times. Read all the books about the Stranger. You’ll be glad you did.