Back From the Dead is another excellent western from Jere D. James
Jere D. James has written another winner with back from the deadthe fifth book in the Jake Silver Adventure series.
How can an author continue to improve with each book? Most authors start out with a bang, produce a good book or two, but inevitably pull out a lemon. No doubt part of this is due to the pressure to keep producing. Unfortunately, unless word gets out, bad publication often sells well because of the author’s previous work. Not so with Jere D. James, the author of the amazing Jake Silver Adventure series. Each book in the Jake Silver series is completely unique, well written, fascinating, and highly entertaining. James’ books are unlike any other western on the market. There’s nothing ho-hum or boring about them. The characters are original, the plots are completely innovative and the endings are moments of suspense like no other.
James uses the same characters in all the books, although each book also introduces new ones. To have the best experience with this author, it is best to start with book one, Saving Tom Blackand work through the series: Apache, death cannon, High Country Killers, Back from the Dead, and the next one (2014)gunslinger justice.
James’s last book, back from the dead, is completely and utterly unlike any of the Western novels, including all of Jake Silver’s novels, each taking place in a different location in Arizona. the stage for back from the dead It is Baja California, Mexico. Jake Silver and Richard Moody sail, ride and gun their way into the heart of Baja California to rescue two captive women. In the process, a new and very attractive character is introduced: the murderous bandit Diego del Fuentes. One can only hope that Fuentes will appear in Jake Silver’s next and final book. gunslinger justice.
No matter how one thinks things are going to go, James never goes down that path with his plots. The twists and turns that James put into this latest novel are very clever.
The story begins with the trial of Richard Moody for the shooting death of Gunner McGraw, which is where book four of the series, Highland Killers, ends. But the plot quickly thickens when Moody is asked to be a deputy while Silver is recovering from being shot in the back by McGraw. Even more intriguing is the introduction of Vincent Cooper, a Chicago PI and sort of “friend” of Moody’s who shows up in Prescott. Of course, the villain in several books, Jeremiah Atkinson, comes across as villainous and cunning as ever.
James wastes no time in moving his plots forward, sometimes at a dizzying pace, and back from the dead it may be the fastest-paced novel of any of his books. No matter, it seems that the book, a delicious 246 pages, ends too soon.
This is a captivating and thought-provoking read. Highly recommended.