Alan David

It’s been two weeks since Chet Manning, chief troubleshooter for South and West Railroad, faced down Glory Harpe and her gang.

S & W Railroad has one month to go before they will finish laying track to Apache Pass. They are on schedule to beat their main competition, Western Pacific Railroad. Western Pacific has played down and dirty, killing and robbing to stop S & W from beating them in opening a gateway to the southwest.

Chet Manning has managed to outgun all of the killers that Western Pacific has sent his way and now he’s ready to tie up loose ends and relax a little. But things aren’t going to be that easy for Chet. First he has three hired guns try to ambush him in a gun trap. Chet is also troubled by a possible infiltrator with his camp, and one of his enemies has been busted from jail. On top of this, he has ongoing interest in two women and he thinks he’s in love, a complication he just doesn’t need.

Chet may keep walking away from ambushes, but his luck is going to run out one day. He has tried to play it straight in his work for S & W, but it just might be time for a bloody showdown with Western Pacific.

I read the two other Chet Manning books before this one, Troubleshooter and Die Hard. I don’t know why these books aren’t billed as a series. I have read all three and found them quite enjoyable. I do have to say that once again, I find myself not caring for the way the women are used, abused and thrown out like the trash in this book. It seems that the old west was a man’s world and women didn’t count for much. This violence towards women really puts a shadow on the story for me. If it been just one book it might have been fine, but it seems to be a recurring theme in this series. If not for that one thing, I would have given this series a higher rating. If this isn’t something you feel strongly about then I would say read on and enjoy an adventure told in the traditional style of the old west with gunfights, train robbery, outlaws and one man trying to stop them all!

I want to thank the publisher (Endeavor Press) for providing me with the ARC through Netgalley for an honest review.… (més)

The race is on to see which railroad company can lay tracks through Apache Pass first. In the old west, that means trouble! The railroads have to keep gunslingers on the payroll to protect their turf from the competition.

Asa Blaine of South & West Railroad has Chet Manning on his payroll. Chet is Asa's chief troubleshooter and he has a fearsome reputation as such. He's all hard edges and lethal with a gun. He's also got a soft spot for women, when he can find the time.

Asa and his wife Polly are like family to Chet, but he's never been close to the Blaines' son Willard. Willard is nothing like his father and he has no desire to follow in his father's footsteps. Netta is the famly's orphaned niece. Netta is a comely young woman who attracts both Chet and Willard, both of whom should be keeping their distance for different reasons.

Ben Yaro works for Pacific Railroad. Ben is an ex-lawman turned unscrupulous killer who is out to stop S&W from laying their tracks by robbing, killing and destroying. Trying to keep one step ahead of Yaro is not easy, especially since there is a traitor in their midst! It's wiinner takes all, with lives hanging in the balance, and if Chet can't stop him no one can!

I liked this gritty, quick shoot-'em up of a western. I really need to read westerns more often and I look forward to reading more about Chet Manning. It looks like there are more books in the series but I haven't yet determined what order or how many.

I want to thank the publisher (Pioneering Press) for providing me with the ARC through Netgalley for an honest review.

About the author and publisher (from Amazon)
Alan David is a pseudonym of Donald S Rowland, a prolific writer of over 500 novels in various genres. His other titles include Murder Range, Die Hard, Stalingrad Heroes, Heroes without Honour,Heroes in Normandy, The Battle Done and Both Feet in Hell.

Pioneering Press is an imprint of Endeavour Press, the UK’s leading independent digital publisher. We publish new and classic westerns by authors from the US and the UK.… (més)

Chet Manning is the troubleshooter for South & West railroad. He is only 26 but has done a lot of hard living. His life is dedicated to protecting and serving the railroad and is willing to put his life on the line to do so. His main way of letting off steam is sex and he gets it when and where he can.

In book three Manning still expects trouble and knows that someone working for S&W is in cahoots with those trying to slow down the laying of rail to Apache Pass. Unearthing who the double dealer is, dealing with an escaped criminal out to do his worst and seeking payback for havoc wreaked on the people and equipment under his protection will take up most of his time. He will also have trouble with the women in his life and have to defend himself a few times. There is a huge payback at the end of the book along with losses that make me wonder what will happen to Manning if there are any future books in the series.

Alan David is the pseudonym of Donald S Rowland who wrote over 500 books in a variety of genres.

Thank you to Endeavour and Pioneering Presses for the copy to read and review.… (més)