Colorado Carnage

THE TRAILSMAN #392

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, June 2014

The Rocky Mountains, 1861 – two towns wage war and Fargo is caught in the middle.

Fargo can’t say no when the oddball citizens of the near-dead boomtown of Lodestone offer him a small fortune to guide them on a two-day trip to a new home over the mountains. But when there are two separate attempts to gun him down, the Trailsman realizes that somebody doesn’t want the people of Lodestone going anywhere – except six feet under.

This book has a superb cast, many of whom the author has given wonderful names that produced some excellent out-loud laughs when the Trailsman is told them. But it isn’t long before Fargo begins to doubt their reasons for hiring him and his questions only add to the mysterious elements of the story that prove to be gripping hooks that made it impossible for me to put this book down until that truth was revealed.

Fargo also finds himself with an unwanted ‘pard’, Chester, whose non-stop babbling adds some chuckles too. These lighter toned moments contrasting well with the darker, more brutal, action scenes.

The author, this time David Robbins writing behind the pseudonym of Jon Sharpe, also has one or two surprises waiting to cause even more problems for the Trailsman, problems that could well be the death of him if he doesn’t react fast enough.

If you’re a fan of The Trailsman series or just like fast-moving action-packed westerns then make sure you don’t miss this one.