Saturday 23 January 2021

CROSSFIRE


THE LONER
Number 11 of 15
By J.A. Johnstone
Pinnacle, October 2011

Conrad Browning is The Loner, a man on a mission, crossing the country – and crossing a lot of bad men – to rescue his kidnapped young twins. The trail has led him all the way to San Francisco’s perilous red light-district, where a crime lord is the proud father of newly adopted twins. The Loner knows his children when he sees them. But they’re hostage to a brutal, violent mob feud. Then, just when he needs it most, The Loner is no longer alone: he is joined by his own father, Frank Morgan – the most notorious gunman in the West.

A family’s pain. A woman’s betrayal. A city exploding in violence… The Loner has come to the right place to save his children. But will they get out of Frisco alive?

It was at the end of book seven that The Loner found out he was the father of twins, and all the following books have featured Conrad’s search for them. Now that search comes to an end.

During this tale we witness Conrad let his heart rule his head. Driven by anger he endangers himself and those helping him. All through his hunt for his children there have been attempts on his life and these continue in this story. There’s a lot of action involving Tongs and criminals. Conrad is shanghaied which leads to a desperate escape bid from a ship. People get used so others may gain, this includes The Loner.

This is an excellent story that pulls you in, makes you share the anguish, the hatred and pain of The Loner. He, and his father, certainly take some punishment before the terrific, twist ending.

Top class entertainment that left me looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Just in case anyone doesn’t know, Frank Morgan stars in his own 23 book series; The Last Gunfighter put out under the William W. Johnstone name and both Frank and Conrad have appeared in another William W. Johnston book that was published in 2018; The Morgans.

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