The great Frederick Nebel collection FORBIDDEN RIVER
concludes with the simply-titled novella "Gold!", from the May 1931
issue of NORTH-WEST STORIES. This one is something of a departure from the
other stories in this volume. It takes place in Alaska during the spring, so
there are no shoeshoes or dog teams or frozen rivers. It also has a little more
of an epic scope than the others, as mining tycoon Brant Winters takes on a
syndicate that wants to move in and take over Brant's mine as well as the town
he's founded. The first move made by the villain and his henchmen is to ruin
the bank that Brant owns. That launches an explosive series of avalanches,
ambushes, and murder that finally leads to a pitched battle for the town.
This would have made a great late Forties bigger budget
Republic Pictures movie with John Wayne playing Brant and maybe Forrest Tucker
as the villainous Dirk Rood. That's really how it came across to me. Nebel
piles the troubles on Brant until you don't see how he's possibly going to come
out on top (even though you know he will), and there's action galore, a little
humor with a sidekick named Banjo (a good part for Gabby Hayes or Fuzzy St.
John), a few poignant moments, and only a touch of that mushy stuff. As good as
the other stories are—and they're top-notch, no doubt about that—this is
probably my favorite.
And FORBIDDEN RIVER is one of the best books I've read
this year. If you like pulp adventure fiction at its peak, this collection from
Black Dog Books gets my highest recommendation.
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