Helltown: The Lawman

by Lyle Brandt

Book Overview

Deputy U.S. Marshal Jack Slade is on the trail of two heartless honchos who are fighting over the small Oklahoma town of Gehenna. Thing is, both tycoons want Slade acting as the pawn against the other, but this lawman works for no one but justice. Original.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425222403
• ISBN13: 9780425222409
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 252 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.7"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Exciting western reminiscent of 'A Fistful of Dollars'

'Helltown' is a story that reminds me of the classic western 'A Fistful of Dollars'. Jack Slade is pretty similar to Clint Eastwood's "man with no name" in many ways: he is a man of few words (although witty), he's quick to the draw, and he always manages to rub the bad guys the wrong way. So basically, he is the prototypical male protagonist of westerns (not that there's anything wrong with that). The story revolves around two tycoons battling for control over a town called Gehenna. Baron Cartwright and Buck Bjornson are two rich and powerful men basically running the town, spooking people off their properties and stealing their land, sometimes resorting to murder. The Gehenna citizens are all too cowardly to do anything about it; even the parson of the local church is too afraid to open his mouth since he receives generous tithes from the men. U.S. Marshal Slade is sent in to Gehenna to restore order and gather evidence against Cartwright and Bjornson, and the plot revolves around the ensuing tension with Slade outwitting and outdrawing the two dueling tycoons as they become increasingly desperate to get rid of Slade and each other. There is plenty of action and even a little bit of romance in this exciting page-turner, and I would highly recommend Lyle Brandt's 'Helltown' for western and action fans alike.