Review--The Crimson Trail -- 5 stars

 Eric Red has another winner on his hands in the novel The Crimson Trail. This is a little unusual western with a lady, Laura Holdridge, owner of a large ranch, leading a cattle drive.  She has a good crew of men to help her but they suddenly begin to die—maybe being killed.

Laura is shaken by the loss of her men who she considered part of the family after her husband died and she had to take over.  It is pretty obvious that something nefarious is going on in the drive but no one is an obvious suspect. Laura, being a good boss, lets the men vote to proceed or to turn back.  They voted unanimously to continue the drive.

Looking up after the latest death, Laura sees two old acquaintances coming from a distance.  Joe Noose, a bounty hunter who has been helping a pretty lady U.S. Marshal, Bess Sugarland ride into the camp.  Laura is very glad to see them.

After much talk Joe decides to continue with the herd and Bess says she has to go back to Jackson.  There are lots of adventures to come and having Joe present makes everyone but the murderer feel much better.  There are twin problems at play — one is getting the herd to Cheyenne in time for the cattle auction or have a worthless herd of 500 longhorns and the other is how to find the murderer without losing more lives.

If this was not enough there is big cattle business at play with a ruthless cattle baron, Crispin Calhoun, involved.  How much does he know and is he doing anything to foment the problems or is he only happy to take advantage of them?

Got to read the book to find out what happens..guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your “saddle” until you find out if the Holdridge herd gets there in time, the murderer is caught, and what happens to the lady cattle baroness!!  It is a good book that will keep you guessing what happens next.

Review -- Red River Vengeance -- 4 stars

 Red River Vengeance by the Johnstone family trust and written by J. A. Johnstone is a rip roaring Western.  It will keep the reader wondering what will happen next.

If you follow the Johnstone books, you will be familiar with the two main protagonists In this book—Perley Gates and Possum Smith.  Perley got his moniker
in an unusual way but many people assume it is “Pearly.” Reading the book will tell you how that name came about.

Perley and Possum are an inseparable duo.  One young-Perley and one older-Possum.  But the best of friends and mentor and mentee.  The youngster has not taken a sweetheart let along a wife but there is a likely candidate in the person of a waitress named Becky Morris.

As the story proceeds there is nearly love in the air but something seems to always intercede before it blossoms.  In any western there must be bad men who are always thwarting the desires of good people.  In this case it is several different bad men involved.  There is also a bank robbery and a kidnapping.  But these crimes are only the beginning.

An outside “gentleman” named Redmond Quinn professing to be a businessman, has a proposition to increase the profits in the town.  But like many things what seems to be the case is more than it seems.  Redmond is fast with a gun and determines that he should be the “cock-of-the-walk” in the town.  Perley has through a series of incidents become the temporary Deputy.  Will they end up fighting it out or will the mild mannered deputy be able to avoid the confrontation?  Lots of subplots at play in this book.

The various subplots make it an interesting read as the book builds to its ultimate climax.  Nice interweaving of a couple of storylines make for a fun experience for the Western aficionado. Definitely worth the while to read this one and find out what happens to all the characters.