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In 1878, bad guys are hired by Douglas Pitt, whose goal is to take land surrounding Kansas City for a large cattle ranch. The hirelings include the town’s sheriff and deputy, who obey Pitt’s orders at whatever cost. Most of the other hirelings are already on wanted posters. The main good guy is Anthony Augustus Peters, a traveling actor from New York and quick-shot gun aficionado. He meets Fox Cloud, a Lakota Sioux and former child captive who knows English. They pose as bounty hunters wearing clever disguises from Anthony’s makeup kit. Another important yet unseen character is Anthony’s deceased wife, Mary, who inspires his death wish. Dressed in black for the final scene, will Anthony get his death wish as in Hamlet’s tragedy? Can this adventure end well?
For those seeking a Western with plenty of action and adventure, bodies fall from gunfire as rapidly as metal paddles downed in a cowboy shooting gallery in this book. However, this is not your average cowboy tale—not with the hero’s classy remarks those of a Shakespearean actor rather than a simple cowpoke. For example, we see Anthony “raising himself slowly amidst the gun smoke... throughout the saloon... had an eerie feeling that, not unlike the ghost of Hamlet’s father, he was witnessing many ghosts who were shocked by death...” The author’s work defies quick classification. Although Prevosto wrote this first book as a Western novel, it also handles contemporary issues, such as grieving for a spouse, a low attitude toward women, and dislike of Indians by those living in the American West. The author plans to tap into the UK market. Fans of tales of the Old West may find this book trips their triggers.