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Pitchfork Justice
Ness Havelock rode the Outlaw Trail, partly because he was a loner and partly because he was running away from Rita Pilar. But now an old friend called for help, and Havelock could not refuse. When he got to Saint Johns, the Pitchfork Outfit was getting ready to take over the town, the county, and the state – if Judge Harlow Wilson got his way.
Wilson courted Rita Pilar. He bragged about 50,000 head of cattle on the way up from Texas. He bilked immigrants. And he dealt out his own brand of justice ... with a quirt and a bullwhip. He was unstoppable, until Ness Havelock rode in to Saint Johns.
Ruel Gatlin wanted Havelock dead for killing his brothers, never mind it was three against one. He followed Havelock out of Colorado, across the bridge at Mexican Hat, through Canyon de Chelly, and into the high country of the Great Colorado Plateau.
Then Harlow Wilson offered to pay for what Gatlin wanted anyway: Kill Ness Havelock.
Wilson courted Rita Pilar. He bragged about 50,000 head of cattle on the way up from Texas. He bilked immigrants. And he dealt out his own brand of justice ... with a quirt and a bullwhip. He was unstoppable, until Ness Havelock rode in to Saint Johns.
Ruel Gatlin wanted Havelock dead for killing his brothers, never mind it was three against one. He followed Havelock out of Colorado, across the bridge at Mexican Hat, through Canyon de Chelly, and into the high country of the Great Colorado Plateau.
Then Harlow Wilson offered to pay for what Gatlin wanted anyway: Kill Ness Havelock.
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First published October 14, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 20, 2013
Loner Ness Havelock doesn’t go looking for trouble, but trouble dogs his every step. So do shady characters with grudges. A clandestine message about a friend in mortal danger sends Havelock rushing to repay an old debt, even though stepping into the fray will put him much too close to a woman he’s trying to forget. Someone tries to kill him, then a dying boy stumbles into his camp…and then all hell breaks loose.
Pitchfork Justice is a sterling example of how a talented author can craft something fresh and exciting from the most well-worn of plots and character types. Larger-than-life hero with a code of honor engraved on his soul despite his unsavory past? Check. Old friend in dire straits? Check. Beautiful woman in need of rescue? Check. Bad guys complete with black hats and fast guns? Check. In Tyrell’s hands, though, none of those things seems stale or clichéd. The plot twists and turns toward a conclusion that seems both preordained and anything except guaranteed.
Chuck Tyrell does so many things right in this story that it would be impossible to list them all. The writing voice is confident and quirky, never sounding forced. Tyrell, who was raised on a U.S. ranch before expatriating to Japan, obviously knows ranch life and the territory of the Southwest. Dialogue and narration are jam-packed with color and authenticity. The narrative alternates between the hero’s first-person point of view and close third-person points of view offered by a couple of minor characters. Tyrell wields the risky technique like a surgeon wields a scalpel.
Another thing Tyrell does extremely well is hold the reader’s attention. Just as Havelock and his assortment of associates extricate themselves from one scrape, an even bigger threat arises. Putting down the story is like eating one potato chip: No amount of resolve to indulge in moderation will save readers from the lure of guilty pleasure. “Just one more chapter, then I’ve got to close the book.” Yeah, right.
Most impressive, though, is the way Tyrell plays with established notions about good and evil. Havelock and Judge Harlow Wilson obviously play hero and villain, respectively. Everybody else is up for grabs. One character in particular stands out: A grudge-bearing gunman with a fondness for Arthurian chivalry is nothing short of riveting. The kid is a cold-blooded killer, yet readers can’t help liking the guy.
Gritty, romantic in the classical sense, familiar and yet never predictable, Pitchfork Justice is a winner.
Pitchfork Justice is a sterling example of how a talented author can craft something fresh and exciting from the most well-worn of plots and character types. Larger-than-life hero with a code of honor engraved on his soul despite his unsavory past? Check. Old friend in dire straits? Check. Beautiful woman in need of rescue? Check. Bad guys complete with black hats and fast guns? Check. In Tyrell’s hands, though, none of those things seems stale or clichéd. The plot twists and turns toward a conclusion that seems both preordained and anything except guaranteed.
Chuck Tyrell does so many things right in this story that it would be impossible to list them all. The writing voice is confident and quirky, never sounding forced. Tyrell, who was raised on a U.S. ranch before expatriating to Japan, obviously knows ranch life and the territory of the Southwest. Dialogue and narration are jam-packed with color and authenticity. The narrative alternates between the hero’s first-person point of view and close third-person points of view offered by a couple of minor characters. Tyrell wields the risky technique like a surgeon wields a scalpel.
Another thing Tyrell does extremely well is hold the reader’s attention. Just as Havelock and his assortment of associates extricate themselves from one scrape, an even bigger threat arises. Putting down the story is like eating one potato chip: No amount of resolve to indulge in moderation will save readers from the lure of guilty pleasure. “Just one more chapter, then I’ve got to close the book.” Yeah, right.
Most impressive, though, is the way Tyrell plays with established notions about good and evil. Havelock and Judge Harlow Wilson obviously play hero and villain, respectively. Everybody else is up for grabs. One character in particular stands out: A grudge-bearing gunman with a fondness for Arthurian chivalry is nothing short of riveting. The kid is a cold-blooded killer, yet readers can’t help liking the guy.
Gritty, romantic in the classical sense, familiar and yet never predictable, Pitchfork Justice is a winner.
December 8, 2012
I enjoy a western program or two... Since Dad watches them. I love reading, so thought I would try a different genre from my normal. I am enjoying it, it has mystery, a love connection and is set in a land area I use to know well. Just the time period is over 100 years back.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews