Monday 18 August 2008

The Trailsman #154

 AMBUSH AT SKULL PASS
as by Jon Sharpe
Signet, October 1994

Skye Fargo finds himself caught in the middle of a Colorado valley war. On one side was a tribe of enraged Utes, stung to fury by white betrayal and looking for bloody payback. On the other side was a town turned kill-crazy with gold lust, run by a man who fed prospector’s greed with lethal lies and cut down anyone who raised a voice or gun against him. Complicating the Trailsman’s troubles even more was the Indian girl who claimed him as her husband. Now Fargo would have to use all his quick wits and fast hands to keep his bones from whitening in a hellhole called Skull Pass.

This book has been credited to J.B. Keller so I was expecting – and got – a great read. The book has very long chapters, six in all, most of which end on cliff-hangers making it very difficult to put the book down.

Blake Griffin makes for a terrific bad guy, making him a dwarf somehow gave him a more evil presence than had he been of regular height.

How Fargo finds himself with an unwanted Indian wife allows Keller to add some welcome moments of humour, although you can’t help but feel sorry for Waiting Cloud knowing that her happiness will be taken away from her as Fargo isn’t the marrying kind.

As the story progresses Fargo finds himself struggling to understand what is really going on and just who he can trust as questions pile upon questions. Mysteries which he struggles to find answers to.

Another entertaining entry into the Trailsman series.

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