Review: Zane Gray's Tradition Continues with Von Holt
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 16, 2013
Blood in the HillsWhen Zane Gray wrote "Riders of the Purple Sage," he set new standards in spinning a good cowboy yarn by exploring not only the usual "black hat/white hat" syndrome but he set new standards by moving the playing field. Instead of just having the tall, handsome stranger "kiss his horse" and ride off into the sunset with the girl pining at the log/rail fence, Gray explored the motivations behind a character's actions. He also made his characters three-dimensional. Now, let's fast forward over half-a-cenury and introduce a new "Zane Gray"-style writer into the mix, Von Holt, whose works are rapidly becoming the new standards by which cowboy yarns are judged. His "Dynamite Riders," though somewhat tough to swallow because of its concept and now his "Blood in the Hills" are hardly the stuff of Cowboy Writing 101. Von Holt's characters are truly three-dimensional and his story lines are multi-dimensional as he explores not only the physical aspects of his characters, but also their abilities and motivations. No one else in the market today is taking the "good old cowboy yarn" to the places Von Holt is taking it. If nothing else, you'll enjoy the ride.