Review: Mystery on The Range
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 24, 2013
Is it possible for a story to be both hopeless and exciting? Hunt the Killers Down has a continuous thread of both emotions running throughout the entire book, from beginning to end. Starting with a young man back from the war who simply wants to say goodbye to his murdered parents and younger siblings, to gaining instant enemies and resolving to hunt the murderer down no matter what, the action is simply non-stop. Originally, upon viewing the cover, my assumption was that this would be another Western that bemoaned the dusty landscape and loneliness of the range in lengthy and poetic prose. It was a pleasant surprise to find that author Van Holt gets directly to the point.Going to war at eighteen to fight against slavery, despite the fact that he's a Southerner, Jeff Braden, the protagonist, has strong morals that make him a sympathetic hero. At the end of the war, he spends most of his twenties and thirties hunting down a killer with no name. The reader will feel pity for Braden's inability to find peace until he settles the score with the man who has killed everyone close to him. There is also great excitement, though, following Braden as he schemes, tracks, and plots to finally capture the elusive man. Sparse in dialogue but full of action, Hunt The Killers Down is a five star read for anyone who enjoys a good mystery.