Trailsman 204: The Leavenworth Express: The Leavenworth Express

This November,1998 episode finds Skye Fargo in Kansas Territory in April 1859. He has agreed to take on the job of riding shotgun for a old friend who is starting up a Stagecoach line heading from Fort Leavenworth to the gold fields of Kansas. Skye's job is to protect the miner's payroll from the robbers. It is an action filled tale,but more akin to a mystery or detective novel than a western.It does not have great characters or great lines of Old West sayings or convrsation.The plot is not convoluted and the writing is somewhat matter of fact.There is next to nothing in the way of history tie-in and little else but the story itself. The story is set around Barlow,Carmody and New Berry; but I can't see where these places exist or ever did. The artwork on the cover is good.We see a good scene of Karen being held hostage outside the Bank and inside the Saloon.Then there is a very good scene of Zack and Fargo aboard the stage heading out from Fort Leavenworth.It is a great painting;but where did those big mountains come from? Overall,not a bad read,if you tend to like a mystery bent novel; but I have enjoyed others in the series more.