Trailin'
(Books)

A classic Western, Max Brand's Trailin' begins with murder and ends in a haze of gunsmoke - with frequent stops for romance in between. Trailin' is a classic western tale of vengeance meted out by six-guns. It tells the story of Anthony Bard, a motherless young man raised among the aristocracy of the East, who possesses a desperate hunger for the adventure that only the western life could bring him. Neither polo nor derby nor reckless driving can slake this thirst. But when his call to western adventure arrives, it comes at a heart-breaking price. One night his father is mysteriously and cold-bloodedly murdered mere yards from their home. As the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall together, Anthony, with nothing more to tie him to the East, sets out West on the trail of his father's killer. His journey carries him deep into the heart of the West, where Anthony begins to learn that his quarry is a legendary outlaw, a ruthless killer with a lightning draw who has never been defeated in a gunfight. Knowing nothing of the West, Anthony is as green as they come, yet he shows, time and again, a rare talent for surviving its merciless challenges. But, as he closes in on his quarry, his hunger for revenge undimmed, he meets Sally Fortune, a young businesswoman of rare spirit and intelligence, who tries to alter his course, sometimes appearing to protect the killer. When Anthony rides toward the final shootout, however, Sally finds herself riding to protect him instead. Meanwhile, a band of the most cold-blooded killers in the West close in on a long-postponed mission of vengeance, and they don't plan to leave any witnesses. As usual with Brand, you'll find as much emphasis on romance and character-development as gunplay (fans of Leigh Greenwood and Connie Mason won't feel left out), though it ends with enough powder smoke to satisfy any true aficionado.