A Town Called Vengeance

This is the second book in a series that began with BROKEHEART. In this story, Kepler has come with June to Vengeance, Arizona Territory, following rumors of a pack of werewolves. He wants revenge on Landry, the female leader of the pack, because of events that happened in BROKEHEART. Kepler is a gifted newspaperman. He finds that, in addition to the werewolf threat, the town is also being threatened by roving Apache warbands. 

When he humiliates an outlaw named Little Jed, Little Jed retaliates by firing a shotgun through Kepler's bedroom window almost killing him and June but Little Jed is in turn killed by a wolf who just happens to be Landry, the wolf Kepler is after. Little Jed's death puts his father Jedidiah Bethea on Kepler's path bent on revenge.

Kepler decides to take June and head for Tombstone with a Pinkerton agent named Orville Powers who is taking a number of women with him. What he doesn't expect is for all of his enemies to band together and set Kepler up for a chase across the Arizona desert to rescue June.

I enjoyed this blending of the tradition Western with werewolves. What confused me a little was Landry's relationship with Kepler. He clearly wanted her dead but she helps him over and over again through the course of this book. I enjoyed Kepler but wished I knew a little more about his backstory. I guess BROKEHEART will have to go on my reading list.

I would like to thank Shelley Jones from Jolly Fish Press,North Star Editions, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

“Far away, the lone sound of a single animal reminded me of what more I must face. A Wolf howled.

Fresh from the events at Brokeheart, Kepler and June are headed to a Town called Vengeance in the hopes of a new beginning they both sorely need. However mid-way to Vengeance Apaches strike, Kepler, June, their driver Ford and five Buffalo soldiers led by Sergeant Pope are now pinned down and fighting to survive. As casualties start to mount and night sets in Kepler’s focus is not only on the Apaches, but the wolves that have been stalking them since leaving Brokeheart. With the horrors of Brokeheart still firmly imbedded in Kepler’s mind and the improbable desire for their new life together. The question now is, will they ever get to Vengeance at all, and if they do get out of this can Kepler finish what was started in Brokeheart whilst keeping all whom he loves safe?

Well what a delight this was to read, not only because I enjoyed the first book Brokeheart, but because A Town called Vengeance grabbed me from the start and refused to let go even after I had finished. A Town called Vengeance kicks off at a fast pace and will keep the reader entertained throughout the whole journey. This book unlike its predecessor has a very tense feel to it with lots of things happening on the periphery as the story progresses.

The main character Kepler still has a little mystery that surrounds him as we still don’t know much about his past history other than the loveable gambling rogue, news paper journalist he is , which I feel ads to his charm. One thing that is obvious though is Kepler’s mother still has an influence on how he approaches certain situations, as there are lots of moments throughout the book when he reflects on past advice from her.

June who worked in Months Saloon in Brokeheart and who Kepler is obviously in love with, is a loveable character and complements Kepler well. The nice thing about these two is the unspoken love between them. It’s plainly obvious they love each other but it’s something that really doesn’t feature prominently in the book, it’s there but under the surface. I don’t know if this was deliberate but I thought it’s something that was cleverly done and warmed my heart, so I thought it worth a mention here.

The group of Buffalo soldiers are also very well written into this story and the author touches on the subject of race discrimination which was very prevalent at that time not only in the American mid- west but most of the colonised world. The soldiers have a major role in the whole scenario of Vengeance, especially Taylor who befriends Kepler quite early on in the book, and goes on to help him with the many encounters that Kepler faces.

The main focus of A Town called Vengeance is Kepler’s desire to finish what he started in Brokeheart. So Kepler starts work for Thomas an editor who owns The Vengeance Dispatch the local news paper. It was Thomas who sent Kepler news clippings of reported Apache attacks where the victims had been savaged by Wolves, and the picture of Landry the she Wolf that escaped him in the inferno of Nicolae’s house in Brokeheart. So Kepler understandably wants to track down and stop the infamous Landry before more killings take place. So Kepler starts his investigation, and he soon discovers from talking to various people around Vengeance more to concern himself with than just his nemesis Landry.

“If what we fear comes… the colour of those trooper’s skin won’t matter at all”

To sum up my thoughts on this great sequel to Brokeheart then, well quite simply it’s my favourite book of the year so far. It had everything I’d hoped for in a sequel, in many ways A Town called Vengeance was better than the first. It had a tenseness to it that kept me enthralled throughout and it had a great pace to it. The characters feel like old friends and the setting for all this was well portrayed. So welcome to my favourite author list Mr Wolf, I look forward to the adventures to come.

Thanks for Reading!