Deadly Pursuit: Five Star Westerns

by Theodore V. Olsen

Silas Pine rides into Grafton to make a last attempt to reconcile with his estranged son, Noah, who is town marshal. A bank robbery takes place and Pine agrees to track the thieves with a posse under Noah's leadership. When Noah is killed, presumably by fugitive Ben Massingale, Silas sets out after him. In this desperate pursuit, Pine finds himself up against Shawn Massingale, Ben's attractive Scot-Irish wife, as well as the real culprits of not only the robbery but all the deaths that follow.The principal characters from T.V. Olsen's The Golden Chance, Gage Cameron and Opal Bedoe, appear in Deadly Pursuit. They help Silas Pine combat the evil men that were all too common and all too powerful in the old west — Opal aids in the protection of a baby girl left orphaned by ruthless men and Gage accompanies Silas to his confrontation with destiny at the terrifying Twin Falls.

Genres: Westerns

238 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Theodore Victor Olsen (April 25, 1932 in Rhinelander, Wisconsin – July 13, 1993 in Rhinelander) was an American western fiction author.

Olsen's family immigrated from Norway in 1901. Theodore Olsen was born on April 25, 1932 in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. He went to school in Rhinelander and began to write in high school. He began a western novel at that time. Olsen went to college in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. He finally finished his novel, Haven of the Hunted, and it was published in 1956. Olsen also began to sell western stories to pulp magazines at this time. Though Olsen would occasionally travel west, he lived his whole life in Rhinelander and would use exhaustive research to help accurately portray scenes of the west in his stories.

Olsen was married to fellow western fiction author Beverly Butler.

Olsen died in Rhinelander on July 13, 1993, and several works were published posthumously.

Much of T.V. Olsen's family still lives in the Rhinelander region. They own a 300-acre (1.2 sq km) ranch with a century old farm house and dairy barn.

Reviews

[Sid Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

Olsen has a nice specificity to his prose, using/choosing words in a way that feels both logical and creative. I enjoyed that. The story itself became a little messy with subplots and gratuitous characters. I will gladly read him again, though.

[Will G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many side stories and underdeveloped characters. Also, a lot of loose ends left associated with the robbery and the motivations behind those characters who had an interest in the robbery. The protagonist appeared early and then spent the bulk of the book laid up recovering from a she-bear attack. I’ve read several of Olsen’s books that were easily 5 star westerns. However, this one falls short of the author’s capabilities.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good western. 50-year old Silas Pine tries one last time to heal the wounds between himself and his son. As they get to know each other his son is murdered and Silas is determined to find who did it. He meets many memorable characters and there are several good plot twists. Recommended to all western fans.