Louis L'Amour

 Silver Canyon

by

Louis L'Amour

“You’re not wanted in Hattan’s Point,” Matt Brennan was told moments after arriving in town. “There’s trouble here and men are picking sides.” But Matt decided he wasn’t going anywhere. Not until he found out what the dispute was about, and not before he got to know Moira Maclaren. She considered him nothing more than a drifting ranch hand, but Matt was determined to prove her wrong. To do so, he’d have to solve a mystery that was at the center of the growing violence in Hattan’s Point–a secret that could make a man rich . . . or dead. Probably dead.

They threw everything at Matt Brennan. He was beaten, shot, threatened, even framed for murder — but he never walked away. He stayed because of Moira Maclaren. He intended to marry her, and nothing on earth was going to turn him from that path.

From the moment he first saw her, he knew their story would end at the altar. Her father had other plans, but Brennan wasn’t the kind of man who backed off when told to.

He’d only meant to pass through town, right up until they forced him to choose a side — and then he saw the girl. After that, they murdered his business partner. Then the gunfighter from Mobeetie showed them exactly how tough he was.

I read this book years ago and didn’t realize until now just how strong a story it really is. Brennan’s hardness, his unwavering direction, and the sheer grit he carries make him unforgettable. Moira takes her time adjusting to Brennan’s unusual ways, but she gets there. And Mother O’Hara? She sees the ending long before any of them do.

There’s plenty of grit and action throughout, and Brennan is far from indestructible. He’s beaten badly more than once, and he’s shot — but none of it slows him down. If anything, it reminds you what kind of man he is. It also makes me want to revisit the other L’Amour stories I read long ago.

5/5