DEAD AIM by Dusty Richards is the last book released just after the death of the author in January 2018 from injuries suffered in an automobile accident the previous month of December 2017.

THE O’MALLEYS OF TEXAS was the first book in the series, and this is the follow up that was clearly intended to set the path for the next book in the series based on the life and times of Long and Harp O’Malley, who take on a cattle drive in the aftermath of the Civil War having survived and protected others having been Texas Rangers involved in several Comanche attacks against settlers.

Long is now traveling with a wagon train of settlers, and is largely responsible for their survival of an attack by the Sioux with plans to see the Rockies before returning home to his family.

Soon after, he rescues a young squaw by purchasing her from a man after defending them from a group of violent men, and a relationship is forged with intent to marry.

Once again Long finds himself defending another group from an attack, only to lose the young squaw due to a stray shot during the fight, after having planned to take her back home as his wife.

Continuing on his trek to the Rockies alone afterwards, he comes upon a disoriented and foul mouthed woman who accuses him of trying to kidnap her in a case of mistaken identity in her confused state having been drugged in a kidnap attempt.

Jan is a recent widow, who’s husband was killed during his confrontation of a clan who planned to steal his wife and make her a slave to the patriarch, and Long lies in wait of their return and kills two of the attacking sons and is cleared of the crime, then weds Jan with plans again to return home.

Long successfully amasses a large herd of cattle, and begins buying up land with his half brother Harp, but not without trial or hardship and enemies formed along the way, as they attempt to close off areas previously used as open range by fencing off their newly accumulated property, which is met with strong resistance from others who oppose the success of the O’Malley family’s cattle ranching venture.

Will Long and Harp be able to obtain the several ranches to form one massive operation to successfully complete the huge cattle ranching venture they’ve envisioned, or will others with deep pockets and connections in high places successfully block their efforts to the point of actually killing Long or members of his family?

Enjoyable story that has a good amount of action and adventure, but gets bogged down at times after the exiting beginning, and picks up again near the mid point of the book.
Conversation is often a bit choppy and sterile, and at times feels a little too clean for the situations present and fighting involved, making it seem like a concentrated effort by the author to make it accessible to a wider audience.

Still, all in all a good story, and might be of interest to fans of Lonesome Dove and similar tales of survival in the midst of near impossible odds to successfully see dreams and visions come true.

3 stars.