Caprock

By S.J.beres

ISBN 1-58898-916-X

Thegreatpublished.com

2003, Paper, 204 pages

"Block poked the barrels of the shotgun into the light at the same time he pulled back the hammers.  The distinctive metallic clicks caused the outlaws to freeze momentarily and Josh took the opportunity to introduce himself.

"Freeze, gentlemen! I am a U.S. Marshall and you are under arrest…"

Joshua Block lives his job, but tempers justice with common sense.  His beat is the Llano Estacado, the Staked Plains of northern Texas.  It's nothing but thousands of square miles of nothing if you except the rent in the earth called Palo Duro Canyon.  It's a great desert, big enough to hide a stolen herd of cattle and the secret of Coronado's gold, but is it big enough to hide murder, kidnapping and mysterious doorways to another world?

Caprock is a rousing-great tale of adventure told in clear, well-written prose.  It offers the reader several mysteries, hints of the supernatural, a tiny touch of romance and you can't put it down until the end.  Joshua Block is a well-developed, sympathetic character this reader hopes to meet again.

A.H.Holt, editor

WesternFictionReview

June 2004