Heard: "Black Horse Creek" by Charles G. West

Heard: Black Horse Creek by Charles G. West, 2012, Overdrive download.

The narrator sounded like some of the voices from South Park. I was not pleased.

A straight forward Western with revenge, a bad seed, a ruthless land baron, lonely widow, a bounty hunter, innocent store owners, etc.

Young Billy Blanchard murders a U.S. Marshall in Indian Territory (Oklahoma) and flees home to Kansas. Billy is 20-years-old and has always been a no-goodnik. He is the third of three sons ans spoiled by his violent, cruel, land baron father.

Grayson is hired by the court in Fort Smith to bring Billy back alive. Billy will stand trial, be hanged, and displayed for the public to see. The court wants to make a clear and explicit example of what happens to people who kill court personnel.

Grayson tracks Billy to the family ranch, captures him and heads back to Arkansas. Billy is a sneaky bastard and almost escapes a couple times. Billy's father, Ruthless Land Baron, sent hired guns out to free Billy and gunfights ensue. Billy is killed when one of the gunman misses when shooting at Grayson. Grayson brings the body back to Fort Smith.

Grayson is paid for his work but ambushed by Billy's brothers who shoot Grayson several times. Grayson survives, recovers, and heads back to west Kansas for revenge.  More people die and the townspeople get the gumption to fight back against Ruthless Land Baron.

This was an okay novel but I enjoy the usual Slocum novels more than this stand alone.