The Outlaw's Daughter

By C.J. Sommers

Hale, July 2012

Matt Holiday was riding a dangerous trail. He had a kidnapped boy and a woman to worry about, a quartet of robbers behind him, $20,000 in missing gold to find and an unwelcoming outlaw town ahead of him. With the gunfighter, Frank Waverly, searching for him it would be a lucky day if the gold was ever returned to the Butterfield Stage Company.

And the most dangerous gun on the range belonged to the beautiful Serenity Waverly, Frank’s daughter. She rode with Matt, but he suspected that would last only as long as it took them to recover the stolen gold. She had outlaw blood in her and knew only outlaw ways.

This is C.J. Sommers third Black Horse Western and the first I’ve read, other than that I know nothing else about this writer.

Matt Holiday is an able hero who, at times, puts helping others ahead of his mission to recover the stolen gold. He’s not opposed to getting into a gunfight if needed (and of course it is) but it’s Serenity who comes across as the more devil may care type of person, often acting without thinking, and is ready to gun down those she sees as needing to be killed without a blink of an eye. 

The story moves forwards at an ever increasing pace and you have to wonder how all the problems Holiday faces will be resolved by the end, especially after Frank Waverly arrives on the scene. Holiday has a good idea as to Serenity’s motives, but can he believe Frank’s?

The plot is fairly straightforward but does offer a surprise killing at the end which I didn’t see coming.

The Outlaw’s Daughter proved to be a well-written and entertaining read.