The Reluctant Gun Hand

By Logan Winters

Hale, January 2013

Jake Worthy was not born to be a gunman. His sole shooting offence was firing back at a crooked gambler in a Tucson saloon. For that he received a six-month sentence in the notorious Yuma prison. He meant to serve out his time patiently until he could return to Rio Lobo and Becky Holland, the girl who waited for him there.

Bushwhacked along the trail home, he was taken in by a gang of thieves who wanted him for his gun. Led by a beautiful, money-crazed woman named Yvonne and a cold-eyed killer, Bill Davenport, they meant to pull a big freight office job, but were short of gun hands. It was join up with the gang or be left in the mountains to die.

Urged on by Yvonne, Jake was led along a trail of treachery, violence and murder which destroyed his chances of finding a peaceful life.

This book is filled with a terrific set of characters, not least the hero Jake Worthy who sees his dreams being destroyed by events out of his control. Even when he seems to have come up with a way to get his life back on track Logan Winters springs one hell of a surprise that sends Worthy’s hopes spiralling downwards again.

Many BHW have a strong woman as part of the cast and so does this one, but Logan Winters adds to that by having three great female characters, all of whom will play decisive roles in the future of Worthy. 

This fast moving, action packed book proved to be unpredictable in the direction the story would take, who would die, who was planning what double-cross and whether Worthy would rekindle his romance with Becky or start an new one with either of the other main female characters….if indeed he would find happiness with any of them.

I’ve long been a fan of Logan Winters (a pseudonym used by Paul Lederer) books and would put this one right up there with the best of his Hale westerns.

The Reluctant Gun Hand has an official release date of January 31st but is available now. (Even though Amazon has it listed for March 1st in the UK)