Big Iron

by Jake Lancer

In the aftermath of the Civil War, the West is invaded by hordes of bold, dangerous men. And with the railroad coming to Black Creek, Kansas, the town becomes a magnet to every whore, tinhorn, outlaw,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743464931
• ISBN13: 9780743464932
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Pocket Star Books
• Length: 279 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.2" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Worth a look

This book is billed as being the first in the GOLDEN SPIKE TRILOGY. The Union Pacific Railroad is finding itself the target of a gang of outlaws. The time is shortly after the Civil War and rumour has it the gang is lead by Harvey Kidd, a ruthless man long thought dead, killed during the close of the war. The Railroad is heading for the town of Black Creek and the outlaws gather. Into this explosive mix rides mysterious stranger Dane Bowman, a man with a lightning fast gun. Bowman, ex-Union, finds himself siding an ex-Rebel, Grimes, who people want killed. Why? All Grimes has is a totally worthless plot of land. Whose side is Bowman really on? He takes on outlaws and lawman alike. Jake Lancer, who the book says has written for Jake Logan (Slocum series), is author David Jacobs. Here he provides us with a book that contains mystery elements with the who are they and why are they questions. The book builds slowly to a violent conclusion that throws in a few surprises to go along with the answers to those questions. For me, though, I felt the book would have been better shorter. DJ spends a lot of time, especially at the beginning, with detailed descriptions of locations and actions, which occasionally seemed like padding. The book only picking up pace once Bowman and Grimes reach Black Creek about a third of the way into this 279-page story. Along with picking up pace the book moves rapidly from one revelation to another and gunfights come frequently making me pleased I didn't give up on it during that first third which at one point I was tempted to do. In fact the latter two thirds have made me want to dig out one of those Slocum books and see what they're like. Unfortunately the publisher ceased putting out westerns so the next two books of this trilogy never appeared.

Wanted--- Read or Alive!

Fun and bloody shoot-em-up about a hired gun for the railroad sent to kill the murderous Harvey Kidd, who is waging a war with the Union Paciffic Railroad. This book is first in an upcoming trilogy.