James J. Griffin’s latest Western novel featuring Texas Rangers Will Kirkpatrick and Jonas Peterson, TROUBLE PERCOLATES IN COFFEE CITY (available in e-book and trade paperback editions), takes up right where the previous novel, ROUGH RIDERS OF THE RAGGED RIMROCK, left off with a bit of a cliffhanger. Griffin doesn’t take long to resolve that cliffhanger, although it leaves both of his protagonists in fairly battered shape. In fact, once they return to their headquarters in Sweetwater, Texas, Jonas is laid up for a while, leaving Will to deal with their next case alone. It’s a gruesome one, too, involving a mass murderer.
No sooner is that taken care of than our Ranger heroes get new orders: they’re
to set out for Coffee City, a settlement on the Mexican border, and corral a
notorious bandit whose gang is causing trouble along both sides of the Rio
Grande. This mysterious mastermind is regarded as something of a Robin Hood
figure by many of the people in the area, which is likely to make the mission
even more challenging for Will and Jonas.
And of course, before they even reach the border, they run into more trouble
along the way. When they finally arrive in Coffee City, they find quite a mystery
waiting for them, and it’s a well-plotted one that results in a genuine surprise
when the bandit boss’s true identity is revealed.
You can tell that Griffin really enjoys spinning these traditional Western yarns,
and he does a fine job of it, too. Will Kirkpatrick is a stalwart hero, and
Jonas Peterson, a provisional Ranger in Will’s custody who’s trying to reform
from a brief, involuntary stint as an outlaw, is an intriguing character. The
growing friendship between them is handled very well. If you’re a fan of traditional
Westerns, I’d recommend any of James J. Griffin’s books. He’s one of the top practitioners
of the genre these days.
No comments:
Post a Comment