Hot Lead, Cold Justice

De: Mickey Spillane, Max Allan Collins

Narrado por: Jack Garrett

Legendary crime writer Mickey Spillane's celebrated tin-star hero Caleb York returns in the explosive Western saga by New York Times best-selling author Max Allan Collins.

This time, the revered New Mexico gunhand unloads his .44 in a brewing storm brutal enough to freeze the blood.

A killer blizzard sweeping across the Southwest threatens the livelihoods of everyone in the town of Trinidad. But it's two gunshots that fell Sheriff Caleb York's unlucky deputy. As sure as the blood pooling in the snow, York knows it was a case of mistaken identity. The bullets were meant for him.

It's the first nasty step in a plan rustled up by former Quantrill's Raider Luke "Burn 'Em" Burnham - eliminate the law, corral a team to rob a bank in booming Las Vegas, New Mexico, then lay low. With a treacherous local merchant for cover, and York out of the picture, all they'll have to do is wait for the calm. Then they get wind of one little hitch: not only is York still alive, but he's gunning for justice - and revenge.

As the winter weather bears down, the stir-crazy outlaws aim to finish what they started-take down York and disappear into the blinding storm. As a chilling cat-and-mouse begins, York isn't about to let Burnham and his damnable gang get away. It'd be a cold day in hell if he did.

©2019 Mickey Spillane Publishing LLC (P)2020 Recorded Books

Great story and writing

I'm a big fan of westerns and I really like the Caleb York series. I've heard that Mickey Spillane wrote the original Caleb York for a John Wayne movie that never happened so I always picture The Duke when I'm reading one of these books.

In this book, Caleb faces an old nemesis in the form of a former lieutenant of William Quantrill, during the Civil War, that Caleb had sent to prison during his Wells Fargo Detective days. Lukas "Burn 'Em" Burnham is the worst of the worst who steals and murders without a care in the world. Burnham and his crew come gunning for Caleb and the action is quick and fierce. The book also deals with the Great Plains blizzard of 1886-87, which had to have been simply awful to experience.

I thought the book was very well written, had a lot of great characters and great dialog. One of my favorite characters in the book is Deputy Tulley. He's a cantankerous old coot who reminded me a lot of Stumpy as played by Walter Brennan in Rio Bravo.

If you like westerns I highly recommend this book!

Note: The author sent me a paperback copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. That did not influence my enjoyment or thoughts about this book.