It is supposed to be a festive occasion – the wedding of an old friend. And Clint Adams is supposed to be the best man – until the bride and groom are murdered on the night before their wedding.
Now, instead of attending a wedding, the Gunsmith is tracking down a chindi – the Navaho version of a werewolf. But this chindi is a man, cunning, savage, deadly, but still a man. Clint must find the chindi and destroy him – if the wolf witch doesn’t find him first . . .
It’s been a while since I read a Gunsmith book and the portrayal of Clint Adams shows him as a much more aggressive, no-nonsense type of man than I remember. Not that that’s a bad thing, it’s just different and this harder personality fits the brutality of this storyline perfectly.
Navaho legend, ancient elders, savage deaths, sensuous women and a determined Gunsmith make for an enthralling mix. Add in the mystery of the Chindi’s identity and questions about who is digging holes, and why, in the ground of the property owned by the newly dead bride and groom and you have a guaranteed page-turner.
Bigotry is also a strong theme throughout this tale. Twisted words adding their own blend of harshness and confrontations as Adams and the Navaho lawman clash on methods and beliefs.
There’s plenty of fast violent action as the Chindi tears its victims apart and Adams gets on the wrong end of the beasts claws a couple of times. There’s also a vicious surprise waiting that leads to betrayal and more deaths. The very end adds a touch of supernatural to the closing scene that is left to the reader to decide what the truth is.
The Gunsmith is an adult western series so this story does contain some explicit sex scenes but they don’t take up much book.
Like all the Gunsmith books I’ve read this one proved to be a fun read that kept me entertained throughout.
2 comments:
This book has been out for a while, but I've never read any of the series that I can recall. Will have to look into it.
Your comment on Clint Adam's being different makes me wonder if Randisi wrote this book....apparently there were some in the first 100 that he didn't write.
Post a Comment