COYOTE DEADLY by Lance Howard

Brint, Marcus and Billy Chullo are brothers who ride into a small town called Thanody. The people there have sworn off violence which means that they will do nothing to stop the Chullo brothers from doing whatever they want.

They are welcomed by a well meaning townsman who Marcus beats up and the tone of the first part of the book is set. Knowing that the townspeople will do nothing to stop them the brothers do what they like during which a girl is raped, killed and hung from the branch of a tree.

Meanwhile, Josh Dellin, a friend of the lawman in Dark Springs is asked a favour which is to bring in the three Chullo brothers for the rape and murder of another woman in another town.

He is warned that there could be a problem with the father Miguel Chullo who is a powerful landowner with friends in high places.

Josh then heads to Thanody but the people are close lipped about what happened there. Except for Melissa who saw everything and volunteers to go with Josh. The town elder is not happy about this and tells her to go home as she has not been given permission to speak. If she does not the elder threatens to punish her. Josh gives Melissa a bit of support and though he does not want her tagging along she leaves town with him.

In this book the author, Lance Howard, returns to the similar theme of the effects of child abuse that lay behind his previous book 'The Devil's Rider' but does not tread over old ground. Instead he tackles the issue from another angle. Because of the abuse dished out by Miguel Chullo on his sons they think that they can do the same to others. Just the same as the way they saw their mother treated so they, in turn, treat women the same way. Just so long as they don't do it in Coyote Creek which is Miguel's home turf.

And then there is the so called God fearing Mr Herridge the elder in Thanody who is not much better than a bully who rules by fear.

Of course, this is fiction and everything is tied up neatly but not always the case in real life. In this book and the previous book 'The Devil's Rider' Lance Howard has tackled and brought real life issues to the front and should be read by people of all ages.