Friday 30 January 2009

Rogue Lawman #4

BULLETS OVER BEDLAM
by Peter Brandvold
Berkley, April 2008

This is the fourth book about Gideon Hawk: Rogue Lawman.

Flanked by six other copper stars and armed with a death warrant, U.S. Marshal Flagg is not about to let Gideon Hawk slip through his fingers. He follows Hawk to the sleepy border town of Bedlam, where Hawk is hiding out. Hawk is considering giving up bounty hunting and starting a new life, but Flagg, who’s not about to be made a fool of in front of his posse, might force Hawk’s hand. Luckily for Hawk, he’s got an old nemesis on his side, a woman who knows her way around him – and around a gun…

Once again Peter Brandvold turns out a savagely brutal – and at times sadistic – book, where the line between good and bad doesn’t exist. Marshal Flagg and his deputies being just as ruthless and cruel as the outlaws they – and Hawk – track down.

The book moves quickly from one violent confrontation to another so to say the book is action packed is almost an understatement.

Great to see Peter bring back Saradee, who first appeared in the previous Rogue Lawman book Cold Corpse, Hot Trail. A woman quick with a gun and soon seeking her own savage form of revenge.

And for Hawk this book doesn't have a happy ending, and leaves me eagerly looking forward to the next in the series.

5 comments:

Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin said...

This sounds excellent - just my thing. I'm currently reading Elmore Leonard's LAST STAND AT SABRE RIVER and I'm enjoying it but I'll be looking for something else soon. One of the Rogue Lawman titles sounds just the thing.

Is it best to read them in order? I assume the titular Rogue Lawman is explained in the first book.

Steve M said...

Hi Gary, yes the explanation of why Gideon Hawk becomes known is explained in the first title. I'd say you'd enjoy them more if you read them in order as a couple of characters appear in more than one book and at least one storyline carries over from book to book.

The titles in order are:
Rogue Lawman
Deadly Prey
Cold Corpse, Hot Trail
Bullets over Bedlam
and the yet to be published Trinity Ridge

I believe I've reviewed all of them on this blog.

Matthew P. Mayo said...

Hi Gary,
You can't go wrong with Brandvold. He's a fine storyteller. I've never been disappointed by his novels and I've read a decent pile of them.

Have fun!

Cheers,
Matt

Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin said...

Guys - I'm gonna' scour Ebay and Amazon. Thanks

Ray said...

Gary - if you want to borrow my copy of Bullets Over Bedlam - just give me a shout.

I like Brandvold - thanks to Steve and a guy called Ray (Hanksblues) on another site.