Devil's Deal

By Lee Walker

Hale, March 2013

After barely surviving the Civil War, all Confederate sharp-shooter Ethan van Kirk wants is a quiet life on his homestead with his eight-year-old daughter, Lucy. Then a shadow from his past appears. Suddenly he is forced to use his deadly shooting skills again in a deal with the Devil. Ethan must kill an innocent man to save his daughter’s life.

And the clock is ticking….

This is Lee Walker’s third Black Horse Western and having read the previous two I was eager to read this.

The majority of the tale takes place during one morning, and Lee Walker creates an air of menace and tension superbly ensuring the reader will find this a very difficult book to put down before the end is reached. Ethan’s frantic struggle to save his daughter and not kill an innocent man seems destined to fail as he discovers those he thought were friends cannot be trusted and time is running out fast. Unknown to Ethan there are a couple a people trying to help but are they strong enough to do so? And even if they are can they act before the time Ethan has to squeeze the trigger?

I can’t really say more about the story without spoiling it for those who intend to read this book. What I will add is I’d highly recommend it to all who enjoy edge-of-the-seat plotlines that will have you guessing as to the books’ outcome. 

Lee Walker is a pseudonym used by Ed Ferguson and on the strength of this book and the two before it, this author has joined the top ranks of my favourite western writers.

Devil’s Deal is officially released tomorrow but is available now from the usual bookstores.