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According to Hoyle

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Synopsis

By the close of 1882, the inhabitants of the American West had earned their reputation as untamed and dangerous. The line between heroes and villains is narrow and indistinct. The concept that a man may only kill if backed into a corner is antiquated. Lives are worth less than horses. Treasures are worth killing for. And the law is written in the blood of those who came before. The only men staving off total chaos are the few who take the letter of the law at its word and risk their lives to uphold it. But in the West, the rules aren't always played according to Hoyle.

US Marshals Eli Flynn and William Henry Washington are escorting two prisoners to New Orleans for trial when they discover there's more to the infamous shootist Dusty Rose and the enigmatic man known only as Cage than merely being outlaws. When forces beyond the marshals' control converge on the paddlewheeler they have hired to take them downriver, they must choose between two dangers: playing by the rules at any cost or trusting the very men they are meant to bring to justice.

Review

I just finished reading Abigail Roux’s According to Hoyle. This was an interesting book. So many twists in the plot; so many interesting characters. This is another of those books that I found hard to put down because it was so well written. I dreamt about the characters and the storyline, where it was going and how it would end. That doesn’t happen often! An amazing experience! Roux is a great writer.

US Marshalls Washington and Flynn are charged with transporting three prisoners across the Midwest for trial in St. Louis and New Orleans. Along the way, there are fights, escape attempts and a developing crush between two of the prisoners. Add to that and undeniable attraction of one of the Marshalls on the other and tensions rise, tempers flare. Of course it doesn’t help that one of the prisoners sees and understands the fledgling attraction and goads the Marshall about it. Add to that an old lover/current nemesis who is on a covert mission that includes a steamboat full of captive travelers.

The action, the drama and the suspense all are well calculated. The story reminds me of the westerns of my youth, classics like Shane and televisions shows like Gunsmoke. This is again one of those stories that could result in a sequel, or maybe that’s just wishful thinking....

-- Stephen Jackson