Ride Away

The Corrigan Brothers #1

By Cotton Smith

Pinnacle, January 2016

Deed Corrigan earned a reputation as a gunfighter – the hard way. But now, after forging cattle trails and fighting off the Comanche, he’s setting his sights on a brighter future. With the help of his older brother Blue, a Civil War veteran who lost his arm in battle, Deed turns the homestead into a successful, working cattle ranch. 

But when a land-grabbing banker tries to wipe out the competition – slaughtering ranchers, robbing farmers, and building an army of hired killers – Deed and Blue have no choice but to fight back with everything they’ve got. That means bringing in the big guns. Settling old scores. And taking a chance on a dangerous outlaw named Holt Corrigan – their long-lost brother…

With many publishers ceasing their western lines it’s great to see Pinnacle still publishing new paperback westerns such as this, the first in a brand new series by Cotton Smith. Although a few of Mr. Smith’s books can be found in my collection I believe this is the first one I have read.

The books starts with a lengthy and exciting stagecoach attack by Comanche warriors that spills over into another desperate fight at the waystation. These two confrontations introduce the reader to a number of the main characters, one, who just might find himself on the opposite side to his new friend Deed Corrigan as events unfold.

Deed will also find a reason to stay away from his ranch but is it one he’s ready for?

Cotton Smith weaves his tale together superbly, presenting the reader with a gripping story that offers plenty of action, a couple of surprising twists, and characters you can believe in. Of course being the first in a series there are a couple of storylines that finish in such a way they can be further developed in coming novels, books that I for one am looking forward to reading, it’s just a shame that I’ve got to wait until October to read the next Corrigan Brothers story; Kill Town.