Cutter #4

SIX-GUN SLAUGHTER

as by Duff McCoy

Pinnacle, August 1991

Taken prisoner by Mexican rurales, Jeb Cutter is sold as slave labour to work in the mining camps of Don Hernandez. Cutter soon finds himself on the wrong end of a bullwhip, and, with each stroke of the lash, he swore to make his jailers pay, and pay dear. When the camp explodes in a full scale revolt, Cutter's hate feeds the killing frenzy and, dealing double-aught death, he cuts his own bloody trail to freedom through anyone who dares to get in his way!

Charley Perlberg (Duff McCoy) once more seems intent on shocking his readers with this graphically told story of almost non-stop violence. Gunfights, beatings, whippings, beheadings are all told in savage detail, but it's the many scenes of torture – and disregard for human life – that'll have the reader urging Cutter on in his bid for freedom.

I did feel, at times, that some of the types of torture, for instance the cringe worthy brutality carried out on male members, were included just for the sake of shocking than anything else.

Like the other books in the Cutter series (this is the last one) it was impossible to like, or relate to, any of the characters and even the twist ending was a little too obvious.

Another book for those who enjoy books full of savage bloodletting and not much else.

Cutter #3

SAVAGE BLOOD

as by Duff McCoy

Pinnacle, February 1991

Jeb Cutter narrowly escapes with his life when attacked by some bloodthirsty Apache warriors. Hiding in a cave Cutter finds a stash of Winchesters and having lost his takes one. This rifle will be his downfall when Lieutenant Dwight Ashby points out this is one of a batch of stolen guns and accuses Cutter of being a gunrunner. Now Cutter wants revenge, he's gonna make the Lieutenant pay, and the gunrunners and the Apaches. One man against many – they're the kind of odds that Cutter likes.

The plot to this book is not all that complicated, there isn't room as most of the story is one very violent confrontation after another.

All the action is described in all its brutality, particularly that of the Apache attacks. Charley Perlberg (writing as Duff McCoy) seems intent on shocking the reader with drawn out death scenes, graphically portraying the killing of men, women and children alike.

With Cutter up against so many you have to wonder how he can take them all on and live. Perlberg uses the plot of Cutter playing his enemies off against each other to great effect to achieve this.

For those who enjoy non-stop violent action then you'll probably get a kick out of this, if you like a little more depth to your characters then you may find this book lacking, as I found it impossible to like – or care about the fate of – any of them.

Cutter #2

GUT SHOT

as by Duff McCoy

Pinnacle, October 1990

Simon Crow and his desert scum bust into a small trail store hungry for blood. The old storekeeper and his wife were helpless against them. A lone drifter witnessed the killings at gunpoint, taking a headshot that left him unconscious while Crow picked his pockets and left him to rot. But hate burned too deep in Jeb Cutter to let him die. Now he’ll track each man like an animal and butcher the outlaws in a mad-dog killing spree that’ll take him clear across Kansas in a trail of hot gore and sweet revenge!

This series is supposed to be written in the tradition of Edge, and the violence does at time mirror that series, but what it lacks is a main hero I cared about, didn’t care whether he was successful in his quest or died in the attempt.

The book was easy enough to read, didn’t have a complicated plot or many twists to the tale. At times I wonderd if McCoy (Charley W. Perlberg) forgot the type of western he was writing, as one minute Cutter was calling the men he trailed “bastards” and then in the next sentence “jaspers” which came across as him being a pulp western hero from the 1940/50’s instead of the brutal hero based on spaghetti western anti-heroes, this, at times, made Cutter seem like two different characters.

Having said that, if you want a fast, violent, read that’s not going to tax the brain too much, then this book could be the escapism you need.

Cutter #1

PANHANDLE PAYBACK

as by Duff McCoy

Pinnacle July 1990

‘Introducing Cutter, a new violent western series in the best-selling tradition of EDGE!’ So screams the bold print on the back of the book, but does it live up to this claim?

Jeb Cutter was an angry man. At sixteen he watched his pa get backshot by a hardcase gang set on stealing his circle C Ranch. The same scum hog-tied Jeb like a dumb bronc and hot-branded him on the chest, then left him to rot under the broiling Texas sun. But hate kept him alive, and he swore he’d get even. It took Jeb twelve years to get a lead on the bushwhackers who’d killed his pa and burned his flesh. Now Cutter was ready to ride the bloody vengeance trail.

This book is filled with graphic violence in all it’s blood spraying, bone shattering glory. There are gunfights, fistfights, torture and rape. Evil men abound. Men who get sadistic pleasure from maiming and killing.

And what of Cutter? Unfortunately he just blends right on in with the rest. Characterization almost none existent. I didn’t care if he succeeded in his quest for revenge or died. The story was very straight forward, an easy read that moved along at pace.

So did Cutter match up to Edge. Nope, no way, the lack of depth to the character being the main reason.

Will I read the next book? Probably.

Duff McCoy is a pseudonym used by Charley W. Perlberg.