Outrage at Blanco by Bill Crider

Title: Outrage at Blanco

Author: Bill Crider

ASIN: B00KAJX6DE

Link to author’s web site: www.billcrider.com

Publisher: Brash Books

Genre: Western

Print Length: 304 pages

Plot synopsis: On a bloody day in Blanco in 1887, raped Ellie Taine, outlaws robbed the bank and killed three men. In response an aged Texas Ranger and a woman set out on a mission of vengeance and justice, one that neither of them expects nor hopes to survive.

Cover: I do not understand why the cover has been used. It does not reflect the genre of the book. Having said that, it is certainly eye catching.

Wow, this books starts off with a bang, but it might be distasteful for some readers as it is a pretty gruesome rape. But once you get past that things settle down a little, although the main outlaws remain nasty pieces of work and this is cleverly contrasted with their leader, who is, of an outlaw and in contrast to the other two, quite a lovable chap! I enjoyed this novel very much. The narrative keeps you interested in both the characters and the plot. I suppose the ending is pretty predictable, but it is an interesting journey getting there. The characters are well described and become well established early on in the novel. A process helped by the good dialogue. Looking back I do not recall getting much impression of the wider setting, each scene seems quite contained and it is quite compartmentalised. One gets a sense of what is in the immediate vicinity of the players, but not the wider context. That is not a failing, simply an observation. This is well deserving of the four stars I have given it and I shall certainly read the sequel.

What do others think?

At the time of writing there were 3 reviews on Amazon.co.uk, 2 of 5* and 1 of 4*. On Amazon.com there were 71 reviews, of which 96% were 3* or above, giving an average of 4.2*. On Goodreads.com there were 122 rating, including 24 reviews, of which 115 were 3* or above. The average rating was 3.94. Interestingly, the 1* review was significantly put off the book by the opening rape scene.

Other books by the author. (clicking on the image will take you to Amazon.co.uk)