Ben Edge (1)

This was my first venture into the Western genre and I have to say it was a thoroughly entertaining read.
My marking should really read 4.5 stars. I felt the book was only let down by some errors in word use and spelling here and there. These mistakes did not detract from a wonderfully compelling storyline and good use of dialect, but were enough to dock a half a point from its rating.
Ruby is a young girl for whom her whole world is violently upturned following the sadistic murder of her show more entire family by a group of her father’s former associates.
Severely wounded, she is patiently nursed back to health by a kindly doctor, whereupon she decides to set out on a journey of revenge and retribution. Our ‘homely Tom-boy’ is transformed on her travels as she tries to exact revenge and find out the reason for the massacre, into a merciless killer who will stop at nothing to track down and kill those responsible for her misery and heartache.
One by one she settles the score. And piece by piece she dismantles a large part of her own soul along the way. The action comes thick a fast. There’s a realism and angst to what is happening. You become engaged in the pursuit and at times it’s a real page-turner. The author shows good control and build up tension nicely. And it all builds up to a killer ending which I will not describe here as I do not want to give too much away to prospective readers.
In the main it is very well told and written, well-paced and well thought out. It is a gritty tale with it’s fair share of blood and gore, but this is not excessively done and for me it adds to the realism. Ruby is a character one immediately empathises with because of her horrid past, though she is a bit of an anti-hero; her actions and rationale do their best to sway your opinion as you ponder, ‘If ever anyone was justified for metering out such summary justice….?’
The whole novel has a Clint Eastwood, Spaghetti Western feel about it and it is one of those books you know would make a good film, albeit an X-rated one.
Apart from the odd typo or spelling mistake, it is easy to read and the author uses appropriate language to covey the story. There is not too much backfill either, which can sometimes be found with new authors.
So, 4.5 stars from me as it is pure entertainment. I would recommend it to adults who enjoy reading about the wild west and those looking for something a little different. show less

After surviving the devastating murder of her entire family, Ruby Winter is saved from near death by a kind doctor and his daughter. Unable to move forward knowing that her family's murderers remain at large, Ruby sets out with her father's pistols to avenge her family. In the process of meting out justice, she befriends McAuley, a nonchalant con man who sticks by her side in her quest for revenge. Ruby who began as a mere tomboy soon transforms into a hardened killer who will stop at show more nothing to hunt down the criminals who murdered her family.

I truly enjoyed this book. It was full of action - shoot-outs, a dynamic bank robbery, hidden gold, and even the old cliche 1800s train fight. A brief appearance by Jesse James and his crew added to the mayhem and the Last Wolf's characters literally jumped off the pages.

This story of vengeance is well worth the read with never a dull moment. The author did an excellent job! show less

The title is very clever, and the main character, 16 year-old Alison, starts out very strong.

This snippet - I'm not sure what, exactly to call it, because it doesn't have a beginning, middle, and an end, so it's not exactly a story - introduces a very likeable if uneven character. Alison is a loving and capable big sister, daughter of an alcoholic mother, but then...

From the minute she gets onto the bus for her own school, Alison loses that capability, being bullied by the mean girls who show more stick gum in her hair. Then she ends up dead, gets collected by Death and does not seem to be more assertive or more nurtured in A Better Place.

It's a quick, fun read, some interesting ideas here, but if you are hoping for some kind of satisfying conclusion, Alison doesn't find it in these 49 pages. show less