Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Deadwood gulch
Sidewinders, No 5
William W. Johnstone with J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle
June 2011/ ISBN 9780786023479
Western
Amazon

Reviewed by Bob Walch

As Thanksgiving rolls around, Scratch Morton and Bo Creel don’t have much to be thankful for. The two have been guarding gold shipments from the mining camps around Deadwood in the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory. A band of hell raisers, dubbed the Devils of Deadwood, have been hijacking some of the precious metal shipments and leaving pitchforks in the bodies of the victims of their raids.

When a detachment of the cavalry arrives to protect the gold shipments and run to earth the Devils, life gets even more complicated for Scratch and Bo. As the weather turns nasty, the troopers need as much watching over as the gold flowing out of the mines and then, to make matters worse, Scratch’s lady friend is kidnapped by the band of miscreants.

Flushing the varmints out of their high mountain hideout and saving the kidnapped woman will tax every ounce of expertise the two Texans possess, but, as always, they are up to the challenge. When the smoke clears away the Devils’ band will be greatly diminished and Scratch and Bo will be thinking about heading south where there’s less snow, more sun and friendlier folk!

The author of over 200 novels, William W. Johnstone just keeps cranking them out. Yes, this is formula writing but that doesn’t mean it is any less entertaining than the fiction that takes a couple of years to produce. If you hanker for a traditional western story with plenty of action and protagonists who let their fists and guns do the talking, you’ll find this a satisfying read.

Reviewer note: HOLIDAY: Thanksgiving

Reviewed 2011
© 2011 MyShelf.com