Title: DEADWOOD
Author: Matt Braun
Publisher: St Martin's Press
175 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10010
"Deadwood" is yet another installment of Matt Brauns Luke Starbuck series. These books follow the exploits of Luke Starbuck, a range detective and manhunter. Like all of this series, Mr Braun involves his character in the real world happenings of the West. "Deadwood" starts off as Starbuck is hired by a mysterious mine owner to hunt down and "bring to justice" Mike Cassidy. Cassidy has allegedly robbed the payroll of the mine and the owner wants revenge. Starbuck knows he is being hired to kill Cassidy, but takes the case anyway. The only thing that conserns him is that Cassidy is holed up in the famous "Hole in the Wall". But Starbuck loves a challenge and sets off to Wyoming. Along the way, Starbuck is ambushed twice and slowly starts to realize that there is more to this case than meets the eye. Before he is done, he will have to track an assassin from his past all the way to "Deadwood".
I think I like this book the best of the Starbuck series so far. Matt Brauns description of the Hole in the Wall territory and the surrounding area reminds me of Louis L'Amour. He gives us a wonderful description of the famous hide out and and lets us meet Mike Cassidy, a famous outlaw that is seldom written about. We also get introduced to a young outlaw-to-be, "Butch" Cassidy. If you like your Westerns with a mix of mystery and real life history, then I highly recomend this book!
