Review: A frequently used theme is once again well-played
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 26, 2013
The myth of the Texas Rangers is a powerful one throughout the overall history of the western United States, especially in the entertainment industry. That storyline has extended into modern times with a long-term television series based on a modern version of a Ranger.Morgan Kane is one of the toughest of the Rangers, he hunts the most ruthless of outlaws, living hard and taking down the most brutal of men. After killing one of the nastiest, he encounters the remainder of the gang, including the leader's widow, and all of them are determined to exact revenge. He is unaware of their identity and so falls for their carefully baited trap. They first take all of his money at cards and then shoot him twice and leave him for dead.However, the spark of life is resilient in Kane and after some brutal self-treatment, he is found and is able to return to a healthy state. His actions then are to track the gang and exact his own revenge. While his years of being a Ranger have given Kane a great deal of experience in dealing with such situations, he finds himself drawn to two women. While still married to his badge, Kane now feels the lure of the settled life with a wife and children.The story will be familiar to all that regularly read westerns, the formula of the wounded lawman recovering to track those who injured him has appeared in many books and was the plotline of many episodes of the TV westerns of the fifties and sixties. For example, how many bullets did Doc Adams dig out of Marshall Dillon on "Gunsmoke." Once again it is well-played in this novel of Texas Ranger extraordinaire Morgan Kane.