Born to settler parents. Raised an Indian. He was Long Rider. A man caught between the blood and hate of his two peoples…He lived by his own code in a land where death came quick and vengeance could last a lifetime.
Long Rider’s always dreamed of seeing the Pacific. But his dream turns into a nightmare when he arrives in Los Angeles and discovers a shady deal by greedy speculators out for Spanish land. But the crooks have other ways of getting what they want – and one of those ways is murder…
The book’s opening scenes see Gabe Conrad (Long Rider) saving the owner of one of the last rancheros from a crooked deal that would see his land and home stolen from under him. This leads to a shootout that leaves four men dead and Conrad promising to kill the man behind the plot to steal the ranchero if he sees him again. Conrad wonders if it was a mistake leaving the man alive and that decision will haunt him later.
The author slows the pace down after the shootout and writes of Conrad pondering whether he can become a settled man although his calling is to drift from place to place. Offered a home on the ranchero he questions his lifestyle. There is quite a lot of reflection in this part of the book as memories of how he became to be known as Long Rider are told, as are details of his original vengeance quest that was the theme of the first book of the series. Whether this is the same author who wrote that I have no idea, but if it isn’t the author has certainly done his research on Long Rider’s past. It’s not just Conrad’s backstory that is explained, there is also plenty of historical content outlining Spanish settlement and their way of life, of honor, and how the Americans began to steal their land. So, through this lengthy portion of the book, there is little in the way of action, except for a few competitive games between those who live on the ranchero.
Conrad also falls in love. This is the main reason for him to give up the life of a drifter. Marriage to Mercedes, a home on the ranchero, and acceptance from those that live there is very, very tempting and Conrad believes he can live a happy life on the ranchero.
The land grabber seems to be forgotten. Seems he’s given up on stealing the ranchero. There’s hardly any mention of him. Yet the threat of him returning is always there. There’s not a lot of the book left by the time his presence is felt again and then the action ramps up a lot. Vicious violence described in graphic gory detail sees Long Rider determined to kill the man he should have sent to Hell when he first stood up to him.
The book is well written and very readable. For me, though, there was a lack of action. It took too long to get to the final confrontation between Conrad and the land grabber, but when it came it was certainly well done and will satisfy those who like exciting, bloody action in their western reading. For fans of the series this is a must-read book to see whether Long Rider will rein in his wanderlust and settle down in marriage.
