Rough Justice

by Jackson Davis

A Black Horse Western from Hale, March 2010

When four officers of the law are slaughtered in a bloody battle with two hillbilly rustlers, US Marshal Heck Thomas and his deputy, Zeke, head for Indian Territory on their trail.

At Fort Smith, Judge Parker is executing criminals, six at a time, and Heck decides that it is time to impose some rough justice of his own. Why, he wonders, does the notorious Belle Starr, with her clan of gun-crazy Cherokees, always escape the noose? Why does the Hanging Judge ride out to a lonesome cabin in the woods and what secret does he hide? Can the Marshal lure Belle and her boys into a trap? Carbines blaze and the body count spirals as Heck and Zeke put their lives on the line to find out.

Rough Justice is a fast moving tale that merges fact with fiction effortlessly. What could have come over as a history lesson doesn’t. Jackson Davis combines both his fictional characters with those that really lived perfectly and tells their story in an entertaining and informative way.

Heck Thomas, “Hanging Judge” Isaac Parker, George Maledon, Frank Dalton (and his brothers are mentioned briefly too), Belle Starr, and Sam Starr are just some of the real people that this story revolves around.

The book is mainly a chase story as Heck Thomas and Zeke attempt to track down a couple of horse thieves before attempting to trap Belle Starr and her gang. The book has plenty of action and humorous touches too, such as Zeke attempting to woo Pearl Starr.

The author also adds a note to explain what happened to the main characters after the events of his story.

For those who enjoy books that combine truth with fiction then this should definitely be on your reading list.

Rough Justice was officially released on March 31st.