cover image Sierra Skullduggery

Sierra Skullduggery

Jerry S. Drake. Avalon Books, $0 (248pp) ISBN 978-0-8034-9900-3

A gripping plot, knuckle-biting adventure, and sharp delineation between good and evil distinguish this sequel to The Gunfighter's Apprentice. Skilled gunman Tom Patterson, now in his early 40s and the owner of a small freight business near 1880s Placerville, Calif., is approached in town by a slick to be a hired shooter. When he refuses, a plot to ransom him into the job-via their kidnapping wife Betty-is revealed. Tom is immediately enraged, and getting to the bottom of the encounter leads him to murder, framing and land grabbing, all of which point in one direction: the powerful, corrupt railroad. The plot adds up, and Drake puts Tom-and Betty-in fine form.