The Crimson Trail

The Crimson Trail by Eric Red A Joe Noose Western #4 Joe Noose is a man among men, a bounty hunter, kills when necessary but brings them in alive when he can. This time he plays a bit of a sleuth as he looks for a serial killer working his way through the men herding cattle on a trail drive. Why are the drovers falling like bowling pins? Who is killing them? Will Joe find the killer before everyone is dead? Throw in an evil cattle baron, his henchman and posse, a few fights with fists and guns…and don’t forget the serial killer and you have the makings of a rip-snorting, root-tooting, rollicking Western yarn. What I liked: * Joe Noose: almost bigger than life but very real, fast and deadly with gun and fists, a survivor, reliable, steadfast, loves Marshall Bess Sugarland, intriguing, sees things through, a man I admire and would want on my side. * That the story picks up from where book three ends. * The writing and plot * Laura Holdridge: cattlewoman, widow, ranch owner, on the trail herding cattle with her team, good woman, someone we may hear more of in the future. * That there was more than one bad guy to hate and learning how each one was thwarted. * Copper: Joe’s faithful steed. * That all my senses were engaged. * Feeling I was part of the story. * That Joe was true-blue to Bess. * Thinking about what makes people evil… * All of it really except… What I didn’t like: * The bad guys…it was easy to hate them and hope they would meet their comeuppance(s) * Knowing that I will have to wait to find out what will happen next. Did I like this book? Yes! Would I read more in this series/by this author? Without a doubt!!! Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Pinnacle Books for the ARC – This is my honest review. 5 Stars