DEADLY PREY is the second book in the Rogue Lawman series by Peter Brandvold. By this time, former U.S. Marshal Gideon Hawk, forced by tragic circumstances in the first book to become a renegade vigilante (at least in the eyes of the law), is becoming well-known throughout the West. Dime novels are even being written about him. And this notoriety is embarrassing to the authorities, so even as Hawk is hunting down a gang of vicious, bloodthirsty outlaws, he is being hunted by a former associate who has been given a special assignment by the governers of five Western territories: find Gideon Hawk and kill him.
There's plenty of action in this book, and writing action scenes is one of Brandvold's strong suits. But there are also moments that are quiet and poignant, and as always he has a fine eye for the little physical details that make a character or a scene come alive. I also enjoy the fact that while working in the traditional Western form, Brandvold brings in a wide range of influences, from Spaghetti Westerns to comic books to hardboiled crime stories. I read and enjoyed the first book in this series and liked this one, too. I really need to catch up on Brandvold's other Westerns.
4 comments:
I read my first Brandvold last month--the first in this series, I think--and agree with your assessment. The guy's a keeper.
Hello James -- I was rearranging some bookshelves today and encountered the first novels with which I began my American Revolution fiction collection, to wit, a series called "Patriots," by Adam Rutledge. I think you know him. Bantam Books, 1992-1994.
Hi, Dave. I remember PATRIOTS very fondly. It's one of the few series I've worked on where I knew it was probably coming to an end in time to wrap things up relatively neatly. It's also one of the better-plotted series I've done, but of course I have history to thank for a lot of that.
I may be mistaken, James, but I believe "Patriots" contains the most volumes of any series set during the American Revolution. Also, as a reenactor of that time period, I appreciated the accuracy of the cover art (I only have the paperbacks). I've got a lot of old Carter Vaughn novels set in the 18th c. and sometimes those wenches with full perms and satin 20th c. cocktail dresses are a bit much. :-)
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