Stillman's Gun - Peter Brandvold

The arrival of a new novel by Peter Brandvold is always cause for celebration among Western fans, and that’s certainly true where STILLMAN’S GUN is concerned. Sheriff Ben Stillman was the first of many series characters created by Brandvold, who has been chronicling the sheriff’s adventures for twenty years now. In this one, Stillman is on a manhunt that nets him not only a bank robber prisoner but also a small fortune in the loot the robber was carrying. Complicating the situation is the fact that the outlaw is an old acquaintance of Stillman’s.

Given these circumstances, a lesser man might be tempted to keep the money and let the robber go, but Stillman is determined to bring both back to civilization, despite the danger of transporting that much money through wild country where plenty of hardcases will want to get their hands on it. Then there’s another twist involving a beautiful woman and the vengeful cattle baron who’s pursuing her. As usual, Stillman has his hands full with trouble from all sides.

Nobody in the business writes better action scenes than Brandvold, and he’s a master of setting and character as well. If you’re a Western fan and haven’t read his work, you really need to. If you’re a long-time reader like me, you’ll want to grab this one up. STILLMAN’S GUN gets a high recommendation from me.