KIRKUS REVIEW
Tuttle uses all the elements of classic Westerns and revenge stories in his debut novel about a Wyoming posse.
Residents of the frontier town of Snowy Point, Wyoming, are no strangers to hardship, and they’ve had their whole lives to get used to the inevitable challenges of the rugged mountains, harsh weather, and constant isolation. But they’ve also learned that when more human forms of trouble come to call, the only response is revenge. So when the bandit Klatchard “Klatch” Bordiaz and his band of outlaws attack the village, murdering, burning, and pillaging, the town’s citizens immediately form a posse to hunt the scoundrels down. The group includes the titular Kane Moss, a favored son of the mountain and an experienced traveler and fighter; Mountain Griz Bolem, so named for his immense strength and stature; Ellis “Cade” Junior and Jed Thompson, hunters with fearsome reputations; Zack Dawson, a miner and expert on gunpowder, and a good shot besides; and Sarah Jane Hawkins, strong and fierce enough that no one could object to having a woman as part of the team. All of them have lost someone or been somehow wronged in the raid, and the desire for vengeance burns deep. Still, with a long and twisted trail ahead of them and more than 30 enemies waiting at the end of it, the mountain warriors have their work cut out for them. Matters only get more complicated when Klatch hears of the pursuit, leaving the mountain posse with ambushes, false trails, and a long journey through hostile Native American territory to contend with. But death and hardship are no strangers on the frontier, and the fast-paced story is governed more by a sense of adventure than one of misery. Indeed, even the deaths of posse members don’t cause the other characters to pause for a while. There’s time for comedic interludes and even a burgeoning romance between Kane and Sarah Jane. Many of the characters don’t get much deeper than their basic descriptions, but they don’t entirely need to. There’s gunplay, long rides, bar fights, and bloody revenge. In short, everything a Western needs: no more, no less.
A real treat for Western fans in need of a new fix.
