Colorado Diamond Dupe

"Fargo had to get them closer before he could strike.He growled,"Three cowards who hit women and beat old men.What else do you do to prove how tough you are? Kick puppies and spit on babies?" This April 2000 episode has been on the shelf for some time;but nevertheless, it is still a great read.That is the thing about these "Westerns";that although they are written by different writers,an episode published ,even a number of years ago;an older one is just as much of a good read as one recently published.From the new ones being issued,the ones they have in local libraries,those found in used book sales and stores,and the ones I have in my personal library;I can always find something for relaxed reading.After reading many from the various series,I am getting to know the main characters pretty good;in spite of the many different writers who have taken on the writing a tale on a long established character.Some might say ,that if you've read a bunch of them ,that they are all the same. I don't find that to be the case.Though some are better than others;that is one of the things that holds my interest. I am not much of a reader of mysteries;and when a "western" turns out to be more of a "whodunnit";I find it a bit of a drag.I prefer those with a lot of good "Old West" talk and expressions,those with lots of adventure,historical connections,struggles in the face of seemingly impossible odds,gunfights,hostile enviroments,Indians, as well as various types of outlaws,sects,and above all else, well developed and colorful characters. And that is what these western series are loaded with. This particuklar episode is quite different .particularly since it deals with diamonds ,rather than the gold and silver that we have become accustomed to in the "Old West" .Somehow; the reader is prepared to find out from the beginning,,that there is something fishy about diamonds laying around in the talus outside Denver,and is not surprised to find out that all is not as it seems. It is a good yarn. As a longtime reader of the "Longarm" series;I found it quite interesting since Denver was Longarm's and Billy Vail's home turf;but more in the 1870's and 1880's.This story took place in 1860 and we see what a big difference took place in these couple of decades,as it did elsewhere in the Old West at that time. Another great and enjoyable read in a great series.