I am a big Clair Huffaker fan. His "The Cowboy and the Cossack" is on my all-time top 10 list of books in any genre--specifically for the epic, vivid story-line and the deeply drawn and wonderful characters. "Posse From Hell" is a good and serviceable story, but simply not of the same calibre.
My main complaint (and I don't even want to complain) is the story felt boxed in to me. A posse of 7 men sets out into the mountains to capture/kill some savage bandits. The setting is just too constricted. There can only be traiing on horseback, scouting, some conversation, confrontations, shoot-outs. While the bad-guys are simply bad (and only seen from afar, in the chase), the posse characters are quite well drawn, some good and brave, some flawed, but most are met only briefly. Characters at time became characturish.
Huffaker as always keeps the action coming, but in this case (to me) it all ultimately became repetitive. Alas, I expected better because he has always delivered so satisfactorily before.
** 1/2 Two and a half stars only.
My main complaint (and I don't even want to complain) is the story felt boxed in to me. A posse of 7 men sets out into the mountains to capture/kill some savage bandits. The setting is just too constricted. There can only be traiing on horseback, scouting, some conversation, confrontations, shoot-outs. While the bad-guys are simply bad (and only seen from afar, in the chase), the posse characters are quite well drawn, some good and brave, some flawed, but most are met only briefly. Characters at time became characturish.
Huffaker as always keeps the action coming, but in this case (to me) it all ultimately became repetitive. Alas, I expected better because he has always delivered so satisfactorily before.
** 1/2 Two and a half stars only.
