Latest in Compton's gunfighter series. After twenty years in prison, Ashford Sinclair is broke and broken. Without his gang behind him, he is reduced to eking out a solitary living as a fur trapper. One day, news comes that his son William has married the daughter of Henry Odell, erstwhile leader of the Red Trail Gang.

Furious at his son’s betrayal, Sinclair vows he’ll never speak to him again. But when William is murdered in a land dispute and a gang of hired guns starts threatening his grandson next, Sinclair has no choice but to join forces with his most hated enemy—as the two outlaw grandpas ride for justice!

This was another great read in this series!

A great read! Has all things western as well as strong females. Compton’s books always are a pleasure to read.

Bernard Schaffer changes genre from thriller to western and you have to ask....what took him so long? In Face of a Snake, he introduces us to Ashford Sinclair, former gunslinger and leader of the Venom Snakes gang and his bitter rival Henry Odell, Sinclair's equal in the Red Trail Gang. Both men are recently released from prison after trying for years to kill each other. Now Sinclair has discovered that his son has married Odell's daughter an produced a son....how could a son do that to his father???? But we soon learn the old saying....my enemy's enemy is my friend when Sinclair's son is killed and his grandson kidnapped. The two grandfathers,,,,sworn enemies......must join together to save the child they both care for. Their history makes this story VERY entertaining along with being a great western. Schaffer stays true to the era while still giving us a bang up story. This is the first in a trilogy so settle in for a good long ride with these two aged gunslingers.

I really enjoyed reading this book, I've been enjoying the Compton Gunfighter series, its one of my favorite Western series. This story was a well done Western and it was a great adventure novel and the characters were great. The author was able to write a great story and I enjoyed the writing style. I look forward to more from the series.

I really enjoyed this western! Two of the meanest fiercest, outlaw gangs, who are sworn enemies of each other, manage to kill each other off in a gang face off....except for the two leaders of the respective gangs, Ashland Sinclair and Henry Odell. The two leaders shot each other but survived their gunshot wounds, and are subsequently captured by a vicious Sheriff who looks forward to seeing them hang. But the traveling Judge has a different future for them in mind, sending them each to prison for 20 years.

The subsequent story that follows hit nearly every emotion within me, as two of the oldest, meanest, and crustiest outlaw men alive, fight their own demons in order to do the unthinkable.... to unite to fight for common thread.

Face of a Snake is unique, and a well paced, worthy western story to be told. Complex, with realistic character and emotion. Completely worthy of 5 Stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am three chapters into this novel and I recommend it to anyone who likes a good story. The author does not waste time on a lot of useless course language. The action is more along the lines of Louis L'Amour and Elmore Leonard. It shows the biases and prejudices that occurred in small towns during the taming of the west. It shows how people ill-treat others of their own ethnicity.