An aging marshal encounters complications in the form of a runaway slave, violent Jayhawkers, and the revenge-minded, along with uncooperative weather as he tries to break up a rustling ring near the historical town of Lecompton, Kansas.
U.S. Marshal Alistair Taggart has spent almost seven years protecting the citizens of Bleeding Kansas from the lawlessness surrounding its push to achieve statehood. Now, Kansas has entered the Union as a free state, but the violence threatens to continue when the Civil War erupts only three months later. During one of Taggart’s regular visits to the former Kansas territorial capital of Lecompton, local rancher James Harper enlists the marshal’s help to catch the cattle rustlers intent on stealing his livelihood. But Kansas is just beginning its reign as the wildest state in the Union, and Taggart must also deal with Jayhawkers, highwaymen, unpredictable weather, and those hell-bent on revenge. Taggart finds his job further complicated by a runaway slave and animals gone delinquent, along with his own concerns that age may finally be catching up with him. Solving the case will prove harder than Taggart ever imagined, and its resolution will cost him dearly. Sometimes, justice only comes with a price…
Excerpt
It was all Taggart needed to hear. "Don't move! Any of you. If you so much as twitch, I'll blow a hole in you big enough for me to see the man standing in front of you. I have two guns aimed at you, and I have no concerns about shooting you in the back if you force my hand. Now, throw down your weapons."
No one moved, but the middle rider spoke. "Mister, I don't know who you are, or what business this is of yours, but there's four guns aimed at the man you're trying to protect. Either you throw down your guns, or we'll open fire on him."
"Then you best contemplate how much comfort that will be to you when you're dead," Taggart said. "I can take down three of you before you can get turned around, starting with the two holding rifles. I figure I can shoot at least two more while you're busy firing at this man. The remaining two need to be damned certain they're expert enough to hit me from atop a spooked horse. I'll have no such difficulty shooting you, as my horse doesn't startle at the sound of gunfire. Is this a gamble you really want to pursue?"
Still, there was no response. Taggart refused to give them time to weigh their odds.
"Gentlemen, I have things to do and places to be today. If you intend to turn this into a fight, then I would be wise to give myself the advantage and shoot first." A double click pierced the silence as he thumbed the hammer of his left gun.
Professional Reviews
Outstanding Western Novel
Mr. McCall thought I might not like his novel because it's not a romance. I do love romances, but my first love was reading Westerns and watching every Western movie available--all the way back to the Fifties. So, Mr. McCall, I not only liked and appreciated your novel, I loved it.
Often I scan novels, if the dialogue becomes slow or the author decides to explain events to me instead of letting me see for myself.
This author is exceptional because he allows the character to tell the story and allows me, as the reader, to ride along. Also, his style of writing is almost formal, very classic and timeless, often briefly poetic. He does not enter useless phrases which means every sentence is important. I read every word.
The main character is Alistair "Al" Taggart, a U.S. Marshal charged with protecting a region of Kansas, and is now on assignment to learn the identities of cattle rustlers in the area. During the course of this story, Taggart wins over the reader by his compassion for his friends and for an ex-slave he takes under his wing. This relationship really made the story for me, because it put Taggart--an aging, tough, fair-minded lawman--in the role of teacher and mentor for this young black man. Each scene with these two held me spellbound and offered some of the more emotional scenes in the novel.
By the end of the story, I had great respect for Al Taggart. I did very much appreciate the author's information at the end--which I won't reveal--because I wondered throughout the novel--what happened to Jerome, the ex-slave?
I highly recommend South of Rising Sun. What does this title mean? Read the book and find out.
Five Stars
Rising Star Reviews
