The Scattergun Gang

By Hank J. Kirby

A Black Horse Western from Hale, May 2011

The Scattergun Gang were the worst bunch of killers that Texas had ever seen and they had Josh McCall’s wife as a hostage.

There were no definite clues, only a relentless trail through Indian Territory, a place infested with outlaws on the run – all with an eye for a fast buck and all willing to put a bullet in your back if that was what in took.

But McCall was ready to take them all on, even if he had to use his bare hands….

Nothing would stop him getting Rosa back. Nothing.

Hank J. Kirby starts the book with a bank raid that can only be described as explosive. The violence of this mellowed a little by the humorous touches that Kirby includes in this opening sequence – some of which had me laughing out loud.

From then on the book takes a slightly darker tone, as McCall hits the trail in search of his wife. His actions at times almost as savage as the gang he is chasing down.

The action comes thick and fast as McCall encounters the army, another band of outlaws, a man who isn’t whom he seems, another who isn’t all he’s said to be, other men who see his hunt as a way to get some easy money…. All this leads to a dramatic final shootout where the identity of an assassin known only as The Spider is revealed.

This story provides the reader with a very fast moving tale, filled with action, touches of mystery, and a few twists to the plot. All of these combine to make for a difficult to put down read. Then again I wouldn’t expect anything less from this author, as he’s been a successful western writer for a long time, with hundreds of books to his credit. Hank J. Kirby being one of Keith Hetherington’s pseudonyms, and once more I’m left looking forward to his next book.