The Storm Family Saga #2

HARD TEXAS TRAIL

By Matt Chisholm

Panther, 1971

Eight young men rode homewards, home to Texas, across the rolling Kansas plains – right through the heart of Indian country. It didn’t worry them. Then they rescued a beautiful girl from the Indians. And that meant they also had to take on the ruthless killers who’d trailed her from the East.

But Clay Storm wanted this woman. Wanted her bad enough to face a vicious shoot-out with the killers. The showdown came in a grim contest of guns, wits and courage where Death was the only judge…

This is the second of a nine book series written by English author Peter Watts under the pseudonym of Matt Chisholm, an author perhaps better known for his McAllister series.

Hard Texas Trail is a well written, fast moving, traditional western that is all action from the opening page to the last. It is a well told story that holds the readers attention with ease. This book once more shows that one of Peter Watts greatest strengths is his ability to create believable characters. People who are flawed, make mistakes, that see them finding themselves in very dangerous situations from which very few – including the heroes – come out in one piece, if indeed they do manage to escape death. They are tough men and women who don’t back down even if the odds are against them.

The Storm series sees a different member of the family being the focus of each book, each tale being a self-contained story that links with previous books. For instance this tale was set up at the end of the first in the series, and takes place shortly after that book.

Perhaps not the best book I’ve read carrying the Matt Chisholm name, but certainly not the worst. Hard Texas Trail should appeal to all who like tough tales about hard men, where you know good will win over evil, yet you are never quite sure as to who will be left alive, on either side, at the end.