Cutter #1

PANHANDLE PAYBACK

as by Duff McCoy

Pinnacle July 1990

‘Introducing Cutter, a new violent western series in the best-selling tradition of EDGE!’ So screams the bold print on the back of the book, but does it live up to this claim?

Jeb Cutter was an angry man. At sixteen he watched his pa get backshot by a hardcase gang set on stealing his circle C Ranch. The same scum hog-tied Jeb like a dumb bronc and hot-branded him on the chest, then left him to rot under the broiling Texas sun. But hate kept him alive, and he swore he’d get even. It took Jeb twelve years to get a lead on the bushwhackers who’d killed his pa and burned his flesh. Now Cutter was ready to ride the bloody vengeance trail.

This book is filled with graphic violence in all it’s blood spraying, bone shattering glory. There are gunfights, fistfights, torture and rape. Evil men abound. Men who get sadistic pleasure from maiming and killing.

And what of Cutter? Unfortunately he just blends right on in with the rest. Characterization almost none existent. I didn’t care if he succeeded in his quest for revenge or died. The story was very straight forward, an easy read that moved along at pace.

So did Cutter match up to Edge. Nope, no way, the lack of depth to the character being the main reason.

Will I read the next book? Probably.

Duff McCoy is a pseudonym used by Charley W. Perlberg.