Dead West
If there were such a thing as a list of do’s and don’ts for a hired assassin, “Don’t get involved with the target” would probably be at the top of the “don’ts” column. Linda L. Richards’s propulsive novel Dead West entertains this scenario, resulting in a story brimming with psychological insights and thrills.
Katie is a formidable contract killer. But when she’s ordered to eliminate Cameron, a rancher who’s passionate about rehabilitating wild horses, her attempts to get close to her target result in unexpected romantic overtures and a crisis of conscience. Matters get even more complicated when Cameron disappears; Katie suspects that a rival rancher is behind the deed.
While Dead West has exciting moments, including a suspenseful passage in which Katie infiltrates an enemy stronghold on a rescue mission, it is primarily a sturdy character study. Katie’s inner life is vivid; she struggles with paranoia and doubts about her profession. Her existential musings add weight and dry wit. While she’s super competent, she’s also appealing and human: she takes a painful tumble into cacti; she is momentarily taken in by an opponent’s ploy.
Dead West packs plenty of surprises. Katie’s assignment morphs into a mystery that leads from Arizona to rural Maryland, giving her the chance to trot out her prime investigative skills. An unexpected friendship with a young man who believes that Katie is his mother adds further drama; she contemplates a life that allows for connection and kindness, even as she risks her employers’ wrath. And even as the rat-tat-tat prose moves along, there are moments for picturesque descriptions of Arizona’s Cathedral Forest.
Capped with a bittersweet cut-off to easy paths toward happiness that leaves other ways open, Dead West is a rare thriller that is both tough and tender.
Reviewed by
Ho Lin
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
