Death on the Devil's Highway

By Josh Lockwood

Hale, February 2012

Sentenced to hang for a murder he didn’t commit, mustang man Auggie Kellerman escapes from custody and heads back to the scene of the crime to clear his name.

As an escaped prisoner, he is fair game for every lawman, bounty hunter, and Indian tracker in the Arizona Territory. He is also a fast-moving target for Charlie Keogh, the so-called Copper King of Arizona, the one man who stands to lose everything if he makes it back alive.

The only thing for it is a dangerous ride across the harshest stretch of trail known to mankind – the Devil’s Highway. Often enough in the West, a man’s reputation is all he has and Kellerman’s is badly in need of some six-gun justice.

This is Josh Lockwood’s first western for Hale, and it proves to be a very entertaining read. His writing style is straightforward and easy to follow and he tells his story at a fast pace. His plot doesn’t deviate from that outlined above, and there is a mystery element as to just why Kellerman has been framed. 

There are plenty of gunfights packed into the story, which are described vividly as are details of the landscape the action takes place in. Characters are well thought out and each has his/her own voice. 

The story races along to the final showdown, which ties everything up neatly, and left me feeling satisfied with this book.

Death on the Devil’s Highway is officially released on February 29th but is available now from the usual Internet bookstores.