The Judas Metal

by Gillian F. Taylor

A Black Horse Western from Hale, February 2010

There are things that friends should never have to say to one another. ‘Have you betrayed me?’ is one of those things.

Pat Williams and Robson Hyde were a successful partnership. Together they had gained control of the now flourishing silver mine down in southwest Texas, but when bandits began to ambush the loads of silver bullion, things started to change.

The bandits’ knowledge of the route was so precise they had to have inside information, and as Hyde struggled to discover who was behind the attacks, a resentful enemy started to sow the seeds of doubt in Williams’ mind. Did Hyde want all the silver for himself?

Unchecked, suspicion turns to fear and the pairs friendship is severely tested amid several violent deaths at the silver mine.

Even though Gillian F. Taylor reveals to the reader who is behind the attacks and why from the very beginning of the story, she keeps the reader guessing as to how the friendship of Williams and Hyde can possibly survive, and it’s this element of the plot that grabs the readers attention and doesn’t let go until everything is resolved.

There is plenty of action and devious twists to the tale and both Williams and Hyde begin to suspect each other as the plot develops at tremendous speed. But this isn’t the only storyline that the author includes, she also weaves in two threads of love – one begun in a previous book and one new to this tale – both of which play important parts to the outcome of the main storyline.

Gillian F. Taylor’s characters come across as very believable and her paces the story extremely well, each chapter ending defying you to not continue with the next right away. Her descriptions of horses, and the bond between them and owner, are excellent too.

This book definitely has me eager to find the previous books that feature Robson Hyde to see how he met Williams and became a partner in the mine, and also has me hoping he’ll return in a future book soon.

The Judas Metal was officially published at the end of February so should be available from all the usual sources now.