Mysterious Ways

by Terry W. Burns

River Oak, 2005

When Amos Taylor steals a parson’s clothes, he thinks he’s found the ideal disguise to hide his life of crime - until an old blind man enters his life who has a little trick of his own up his sleeve. Before long the disguise is working too well: The local residents start expecting Amos to actually serve as a preacher!

Terry W. Burns has written a very easy to read book in Mysterious Ways. A very different book to the type of westerns I usually read. It does contain a lot of the elements I expect to turn up in western fiction: stagecoach robbery, bank fraud, confidence tricks, revenge, including the above mentioned identity theft, and love.

But this books offers a lot more for it carries strong Christian messages as Amos begins to study, and understand, the bible and God, as he attempts to hide behind his disguise in a town where faith and prayer play strong roles in the lives of the people.

There are quiet a few humourous moments too, such as Amos trying to work out how to make Judy Valentine fancy him instead of his alter ego; the masked outlaw, and the wonderful saddle scam.

My favourite part was the court case, I could feel and share the frustration of the judge as he struggled to gain an understanding of the events in Quiet Valley.

So all in all an entertaining and well written story, but, perhaps, a book that won’t appeal to all due to the many quotes from the bible and it’s strong Christian messages.