Review of "Get Buchanan!" by Jonas Ward

Review of

Get Buchanan! by Jonas Ward


Five out of five stars

 While this element of the Buchanan series has many of the standard features of the others, it closes on an interesting and unusual note. At least for Buchanan. Years ago, Buchanan had known a rancher, his wife and infant son. The rancher is now dead, the son returned from school back east and the widow now a ruthless woman. The son injured his leg in an accident when he was young and when he returned after being educated, he possessed what his mother considered unusual ideas that were worthless in the west.

 The mother has ruthlessly gained control of most of the county, from the businesses in town to the sheriff that now loves the bottle more than he loves the law. The son has gone semi-outlaw, stealing from his mother, and giving much of their gains to the poor. This family feud has now reached the point where she is hiring guns and wants her son to end his escapades, even if it means he is killed.

 Buchanan comes into town and the mother tries to recruit him to hunt down her son. He refuses and one thing leads to another with Buchanan joining forces with the son. Polly Pease is the daughter of the sheriff and the son considers her a girlfriend, but she has other ideas. She clearly has designs on Buchanan and she acts like his kind of woman. She rides armed with them against the mother’s forces and even Buchanan’s horse likes her. The closing hints at possibilities between Buchanan and Polly.

 This is a great story in the Buchanan tradition, he always tries to avoid killing, but is ruthlessly efficient when he considers it necessary. He shoots only to wound many times and once again manages to be on the winning side despite great odds against.