Blood on the Trail

Blood on the Trail by Terrence McCauley Jeremiah Halstead #1 Having read and five-starred a previous book by this author, I was more than willing to read this one next. I did see a few names from that previous book but they did not play a big part in this one. I have to say this story took time to warm up to and left me with questions I would like to have answered about the main character, where he came from, his past, why he was in prison, how he could become a Deputy Marshall if he had been in prison and those questions made me wonder if he was introduced in a previous book that I had not read. And yet, this is book one in Jeremiah Halstead’s series so what book did I miss? The story starts out on the run, literally, with Halstead and the bad guy he was tasked with bringing in tide over a saddle. Shortly there after there is a standoff with shooting and death and then some more riding. When Halstead gets to Silver Cloud, his orders change and he finds himself stuck in town for reasons unknown, people out to get him, a murder to solve, bigots and braggarts to deal with, the gang trying to free the man he is taking to justice, and a whole lot more going on. As with most Westerns, you will find the gambler, saloon, ladies of the night, a man who thinks he owns the town, peace keepers that are not always on the side of the law, and a man who stands out in the crowd due to his fast guns, mighty fists, and willingness to do what it takes to get the job done. There is violence, blood, bigotry, and more. I wasn’t sure that I actually would warm up to the character or his story but by the end of the book I came away feeling I might give the second book in the series a try as I still do want to know more about Jeremiah and what he was doing in prison for three years. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington – Pinnacle Westerns for the ARC – this is my honest review. 3-4 Stars