A good Western that has some mystery and who has done it with it. Two trains are derailed and Sheriff Sam Pritchard's long-time friend was on one of the trains. He is now wanting who was responsible for the accident. The problem he faces is that the person who says did it has been dead for ten years. Now he must find the real truth. Vengeance, shoutouts, and everything you would expect from a Western. Good characters around as well, a really good book and worth the read.

Thanks to netgalley.com, Kensington Publishing and the author Sean Lynch for the advance ARC copy for my honest review and I purchased a copy from amazon.com.

It was the late author Bill Crider, with his 'Outrage at Blanco' novel that made me love revenge stories so much and in away revenge stories for me will always be a tribute to him.

This was my first read by author Sean Lynch, really like his writing a lot, although I do believe I have read several of his books for the WWJ brand novels and have to confess that I do have the 3 other books in the Guns of Sam Pritchard buried on my TBR list.

One of my favorite niches in the Western genre are the U.S. Marshall yarns and 'The Trainwreckers' checks off that box. Really like Town Marshal, County Sheriff and U.S. Marshal Sam Pritchard a lot, he comes across as a superhero, tough as nails, family oriented and you don't want him on your trail.

It's an enjoyable read, checks off everything you would want in a Western, good verses evil, has an intertwining story, suspenseful, do have some filler and the shooting scenes are kinda hokey.

Pritchard's virtually bulletproof, gets shot in the chest at one point, miraculously the bullet hits the wooden handle of a shoulder holstered revolver, ends up with just sore ribs and it's mentioned how the revolver gave up it's life.

Oh the good guys get grazed by bullets, have them pluck a shirt sleeve or feel the air from a bullet just missing them and the bad guys just end up getting shot up with lead. Then you have them heavily armed with a shot gun, Winchester rifle, five revolvers, with pockets full of bullets for the various guns and laughable how they never miss count of how many shots did they fire.

Definitely a good read, do recommend if your a Western fan to give Sean Lynch a try if you haven't yet. You'll realize, he's another piece of the puzzle as too whom the ghost writers for the William W. Johnstone brand novels are.

Sean Lynch knows how to write a western that satisfies true western lovers. This is book #4 in the Guns of Samual Pritchard series but by no means is it just another western. It definitely can be read as a stand alone but the first three books are excellent too. All 4 should be on your TBR list.
In the late 1800s, goods requiring long haul were sent by train, so trains ruled the west and their owners were king. Cities along the tracks were help hostage to the train schedules and costs changed as quickly as the smokw blew. A committee of city mayors decide to take their complaints directly to the train owners. Along the way, their train is derailed. All but one of the mayors dies in the wreck and he is gravely injured. He's also friends with Sheriff, sometimes Marshall, Pritchard and asks him to find out who set up the derailment.
The story is well written, the back stories of the characters match the time period and the lawmen are single minded, they will find their quarries, its just a matter of time. I LOVE westerns. The genre is not as popular as it once was so it's hard to find good, much less great, writers. Sean Lynch is definitely one of the better writers of the genre. Treat yourself and your reading circle and read/share his books.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this brilliant book

ohh man i love this series... the famous gunfighter who takes up as sheriff in his town and at times is sworn in as a marshall....

a train crashes killing many people but among the bodies are mayors who were to attend a meeting about the railways and they are all shot dead... apart from one... who is left alive to tell them who and why....

its a set up but which railway company is behind it... that and more is about to be revealed when pritchard goes gunning for the baddies

wow loved this one...kept me reading till late at night...couldnt put it down

cant wait for the next one in this series

I love kicking back with a good, fast paced Western.
Sean Lynch has written a great one with The Trainwreckers.
Marshall Pritchard is a great protagonist. Fearless and quick on the draw.
One major catastrophe to start off the book, a few twists and turns later and a fun ride was had.
I’m already greatly looking forward to the next Western by Mr. Lynch.

The Trainwreckers by Sean Lynch, Book 4 of the Guns of Samuel Pritchard series (Pinnacle 2021) takes places in the late 1800s, a time when railroads were America's mode of long distance transportation and competing companies vied for business. In this case, it's in Missouri. When the local mayors band together to talk as a group to the two competing railroads, believing they are stronger as a group, the train taking them to the headquarters of one of the two businesses is attacked, derailed and all but one of the mayors is killed. The survivor, Ditch Clemson, the mayor of Atherton, almost dies and does lose a leg but not his courage. Turns out, he is the best friend of Atherton town Marshal and Missouri's Jackson County Sheriff Samuel Pritchard. No surprise, he takes this attack personally. Though the railroads try to convince him that this was the doing of outlaws, Pritchard doesn't believe that and sets out to prove it.

Good lines that remind me why I love the clear morals and honesty that percolate throughout every good Western:

"We’re all with you.” “Thank you,” Ditch said solemnly. “No thanks are needed,” the judge said. “It’s what men do.”

“Just don’t forget to return and give me that statement.” “I won’t,” Pritchard said. “I done gave you my word.” 

I've read other books in this series (click here for two reviews) and find this one an excellent next saga, fully as enjoyable and engaging as Lynch's previous novels. I'll keep reading this series.

“The Trainwreckers” by Sean Lynch is a different kind of Western novel. Normally Westerns have a lot of shooting and riding on the range. The focus of this novel, as you might guess, is more on the train.

Trains in the days following the Civil War were becoming a great way to travel and because of various economic advantages to gaining the approval for lucrative routes, there were bound to be competition between rival railroad tycoons. Such is the case in this novel. The fierce competition leads to one of the two tycoons vying for a very lucrative route in Missouri arranging for a train carrying some mighty important parties to a meeting with the Governor and others to be derailed.

Not happy with just derailing the train into a gulch where numerous people died, the mastermind had all those who would attend the meeting and riding in the special car murdered, except for one. As the scoundrel ion charge of the destruction left, he told the lone survivor his name, since he thought the victim had not long to live with a totally busted leg and other major, life threatening wounds. The name he gave was Jem Rupe, a notorious train wrecker for the South’s lost cause during the Civil War. Rupe was thought to be dead about 10 years ago. Was this really him or a copycat?

Fast forward to the renown US Marshal Samuel Prichard, a former Rebel who had served 10 years in the Texas Rangers to be on the case. Sam has a personal reason to track down the notorious Rupe because the lone victim left alive in that special car did not die but he is currently family being married to Prichard’s sister and the father of Sam’s young namesake nephew.

Lots of detailed action happens as Sam and his deputies start hunting for the culprits. They are met by lots of paid criminals who want all the lawmen dead; the cutthroats are being paid for their actions by the same tycoon who caused the wreck. Sam and the deputies, the townspeople, his sister, and brother-in-law all have major parts to play as this story rises to a major climax. And don’t forget Rupe, the two tycoons, lots of mayors, the Governor, and President U. S. Grant—they all have a part in the climax action.

As I said, it is a different story although there is horse riding, shooting, hangings, there is the railroad and action around the route that plays a pivotal role in this story. A really good read.