Monday 20 April 2009

HAWK no 1 - THE SUDDEN GUNS by William S Brady


Jared Hawk is hired by Philip Garrett to take him and his neice Sarah to Los Angeles, California. Seems simple enough but Hawk has to deal with a bunch of people that do not want the party to make it.
The story opens with Jared Hawk collecting the bounty on two wanted men and, in fairness, gives them the opportunity to give themselves up. Unfortunately, they elect to be the dead part on the Wanted poster.
It is a scene that sets Jared Hawk's character.
Wrapped around the main story are two other stories that relate to Hawk's past. There is the one about growing up with an abusive father who, when Hawk tries to fight back, plunges a pitchfork through his left hand. This explains why Hawk wears a black leather glove on that hand.
Eventually, he gets his revenge.
The other flashback story involves his relationship working with a lawman John T McLain and how he came by the sawn down Meteor shotgun that he carries on his left hip.
When violence occurs it is descriptive and bloody as other books written at this time.
According to the back of the book cover Hawk has a simple code and that is to stay alive to deliver the goods and collect the dues and don't step aside for any man. All of which he does but there is more to this character than that and I hope that the series continues to develop his character for there is more to Hawk than meets the eye.

2 comments:

  1. William S. Brady's other series, Peacemaker, is about John T McLain. Unfortunately westerns stopped being published in the UK before the book that was to feature both McLain and Hawk was written.

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  2. Glad to see you're enjoying all these old brit westerns.

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