Review by Booklist Review
Patten (1915-81) was a prolific author of western fiction. He was a popular and talented writer who returned again and again to his central themes, common ones in the western genre: justice, the importance of right over wrong, and being true to oneself. This new book puts together two stories, The Killer in Him and Savage Desert. In Killer, ranch hand Ross McNaul has lived with a terrible secret for too many years, and, tired of being forced to commit crimes by his blackmailing foreman, he decides there is only one way to redeem himself but can Ross become a killer to protect his own family? In Desert, Sam Duke vows revenge for the death of his brother. He tracks the men responsible to the town of Los Finados, where the corrupt sheriff and his cronies are living large on the proceeds from stolen goods. Sam is ready to take on the whole town, if necessary, but at what cost to himself? Western fans rediscovering some of the classic older writers will definitely enjoy these two top-notch stories.--Pitt, David Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
