Glory Trail

 as by Brett Pasco

A Black Horse Western from Hale, 1992

Todd McStay is relishing his reunion with his old buddy, newspaper man Max Rydell. Then Jessica Reilly tells them about the army detachment bound for the Dakota Badlands in search of her brother Olly. It seems impossible that anyone escaped the Sioux massacre of over two hundred cavalrymen serving under General Custer. Knowing it’ll make a powerful story Rydell tags along. McStay follows him, suspicious that Max knows more about the murder of his mother ten years ago than he is letting on. Many men will die before McStay’s questions are answered and the mystery of the last survivor of Custer’s Last Stand is solved.

A book that, through memories, tells of a strong friendship between McStay and Rydell, that turns to mistrust and hate as suspicion of involvement in murder fuels emotions.

The above being one of the mysteries this book contains, the other being that of the survivor of Custer’s Last Stand.

So plenty to grip the reader’s attention, and mainly it did, although I felt the story wondered occasionally with the inclusion of a few too many tales from the past of McStay and Rydell.

The story contains loads of action, from wagon hold-ups, fistfights, kidnap and novice soldiers battling renegades.

Pasco throws in a couple of nice twists before the story in done and the identity of the survivor is revealed, and that of Rydell’s involvement in the death of McStay’s mother is explained.

Glory Trail is a very readable and entertaining book.