By Desmond Reid and W. Howard Baker
The dust-covered stranger rode into Blackwater with his eyes sharp, and his Colts loosened in their holsters. To see him was to know he was ruthless, dangerous – a hunter who sought human prey. But the men he hunted were also ruthless – and when they met a number chapter would be added to the violent annals of the Old West.
Gregory Cord, Pinkerton operative, was sent to Tucson, Arizona, on two assignments – to find out who was rustling the Gila Valley cattle and to keep a watchful eye on Henry Acheson, one-time big city magnate, who had ridden into Tucson with a hundred thousand dollars, and who planned to re-open a disused silver mine. When Acheson was murdered suspicion pointed at several people, amongst them was his brother, Ned, and his beautiful, wilful niece, Nancy, both of whom stood to lose if Acheson went ahead with his plan to put the silver mine back into production.
But suspicion turned also upon Gregory Cord and he found himself caught up in a maelstrom of violence, fast action, and ambush, he found also that much more than his life was at stake if he was to prove his innocence and bring the killer to justice.
Texas…and the storm clouds were gathering. The troubled State was being pulled many ways at once. There were still secessionists who wanted to separate from the Union, and others who worked for a take-over by Mexico. Meanwhile, Geronimo and his Apaches were preparing a rising that could spread rapine and massacre across the land. Gunrunners had 10,000 Henry Repeater rifles for sale to the highest bidder. Into whose hands would they fall?
Into this maelstrom of conflicting passions and impending violence rode Pinkerton agent Jesse Ricardo. His task seemed well-nigh impossible…
It was a long and dangerous trail that led to the final, bloody showdown with the notorious Mick McQuade.
Innocent men – and women too – died violent and painful deaths before a stranger from Chicago brought law and order to a rip-roaring and lawless territory.
This series ran to four books, all appearing in 1966. You’ll also note that the last title has an author name switch to W. Howard Baker from Desmond Reid. It is believed that Baker is the actual author of all the books.
I’ve also seen mentioned that this is the first western series to be numbered.
