The Magnificent Mendozas

By Ross Morton

Hale, July 2014

When the Mexican circus ships out of the gringo town of Conejos Blancos, Hart and his ruthless desperadoes are quick off the mark to take over the town, and the adjacent silver mine.

With the sheriff slaughtered, and many of the citizens held hostage, two local boys escape, and recruit seven Mexican circus performers to help penetrate the cordon of sentries and free the townspeople. Only the ‘Magnificent Mendozas’ – a family of weapons experts, escapologists and gymnasts – stand a chance against the Hart gang, on both sides of the divide before the day is through.

With a large cast of characters Ross Morton regularly switches between them which builds up the tension of everything having to run like clockwork if the small group of circus performers has any chance of freeing the captives from the superior number of outlaws. This also allows Morton to finish some of his scenes with cliff-hangers that ensures the reader will find the book difficult to put down.

Each of the Mendozas has a different skill and all of them will be put to the test before the battle is won. And what a terrific battle it is. This final showdown covers most of the second half of the story thus making this a must read for those who like plenty of action in their westerns.

With a strong mix of male, female, and child roles, and the dramatic rescue methods used, all told in Ross Morton’s very readable style, this book proved to be a very entertaining read.

The Magnificent Mendozas at Amazon.com

The Magnificent Mendozas (Black Horse Western) at Amazon.co.uk