Hell on the Border

This book was the first in the series that I purchased, but I definitely intend to buy the other two. The main characters, Leo and Jacque are well developed, the historical personalities they run into are represented accurately (having read biographies of Judge Parker and the real Dr. Lemat, who is presented as a relative of Leo in this book) and the details (food, tack, firearms, locations) are accurate. This is a pleasurable way for someone to learn about Ft. Smith and Indian Territory history without having to locate several of the hard-to-find books that the author's obviously studied to create this book.Highly recommended and definitely a cut above many of the Western genre series.

How many authors of Westerns use a 15-year-old orphan as the central figure who tells the story and pairs him with a dyslexic girl? That setup alone might be enough to interest some readers of this new Western. There's plenty of action, too. The author does a fairly good job of developing the story though much of the rest of it is more traditional. A wealthy and influential rancher whose sons make trouble for any who get in their way controls the town. A stranger from New York City happens to be in town when trouble is brewing for young Nate, the orphan. Jake, the stranger, ends up sticking around to see what he can do to even the odds. The struggle between these two sides, as in many Westerns, becomes the struggle between good and evil. Perhaps this might be one of the book's weaker points. It may be a little too black and white for some. Also the dialogue occasionally sounds a little unnatural. But with the setup the way it is and the interaction that occurs, this is a book worth reading.