The Lightning Kid

By James Clay

Hale, April 2015

When William Brookshire’s son goes astray, the wealthy Dallas business owner hires veteran tracker, Rance Dehner, to ensure he is brought home safely. There is only one catch; William is sure that his son Thad is the notorious criminal, The Lightning Kid.

Now in a race against time to reach the boy before others get to him first, Rance is tossed into a whirlwind of death and deceit as he tries desperately to rescue Thad and uncover the true identity of the Lightning Kid.

When I read James Clays’ previous Black Horse Western, Wild West Detective, which also featured Rance Dehner, I hoped he’d be back in another tale, and my wishes have been fulfilled with this book. Having said that for most of the story Dehner is a secondary character as this twisting tale centres on Thad Brookshire, a young man trying desperately to shake off the burden of being known as the Lightning Kid. He tries to do this by becoming a deputy but taking on this job plunges him into even more trouble.

It seems a dead man has clawed his way out of the grave a number of years after being buried there and is hell-bent on killing those who took his life, even if they did so in the name of the law. Dehner decides to help the lawman discover just how a dead man can rise and begin killing people and this is the storyline that takes centre stage of the book.

James Clay includes lots of intrigue that grabs hold of the imagination and refuses to let go as the reader struggles to understand just what is going on. There’s plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing and a shocking surprise waiting for the law and the reader that I didn’t see coming.

This is James Clays’ third Black Horse Western but only the second I’ve read, but on the strength of those two I can confidently say that this author is fast becoming a favourite.

Wild West Detective

By James Clay

Hale, July 2014

Rance Dehner, an operative for the Lowrie Detective Agency, pursues a wanted killer to the small town of Hardin, Texas. After bringing down the killer in a gunfight, Dehner discovers the gunslick was in town to murder Leona Carson, a penniless 14-year-old girl with a baby.

Dehner cannot understand why anyone would employ a gun for hire to kill Leona, and finding the answer to that question throws him into a whirlwind of violent encounters. Soon he must dodge bullets from an onslaught of professional killers, while uncovering the shameful secrets of Hardin’s leading citizens.

This is the second Black Horse Western from James Clay and the first I’ve read. The question of why someone would want such a young girl, who seems to be no threat to anyone, dead, is a perfect hook that kept me turning the pages. I soon had some suspicions as to the who, but the why remained a mystery.

James Clay does reveal who fairly early on but it seems this person isn’t working alone. The why is only revealed when the author wants the reader to know and this answer came as a surprise. Double-cross is also on the agenda.

Dehner makes for a likeable main character and after the conclusion of the story, which neatly tied up all the plot threads, I was left hoping that James Clay writes another tale about detective Dehner soon.

Wild West Detective at Amazon.com

Wild West Detective (Black Horse Western) at Amazon.co.uk