The Trailsman #153

 SAGUARO SHOWDOWN

as by Jon Sharpe

Signet, September 1994

Skye Fargo is sent into the Arizona heartland by President James Buchanan. Seems the U.S. government is worried that a war with Mexico could be on the agenda. Fargo’s job is to learn if a maverick Mexican was building an army to plunge south of the border, and if so, where exactly was he hiding his army. And once discovered The Trailsman was to call in the U.S. Army before the Mexican managed to ignite a new war between America and Mexico. But how do you find, never mind stop, a lethal legion that killed like devils and vanished like ghosts? Looks like Fargo is on a Mexican slayride that can only lead to his own desert grave…

A book that combines political intrigue with the usual elements that make up a Trailsman book. There’s action galore and plenty of mystery. Then there’s the women – a daughter who wants Fargo to free her kidnapped mother from the Mexican building his own army - but things aren’t always as they seem.

The author has written an easy to read book that throws up lots of challenges for Fargo, his characters are memorable and he builds his story well to its rousing final showdown.

This book also has a superb cover, you can almost hear the clattering of the horses hooves as they race over the rocky ground.