Book Review By Dean M. King
Michael R. Ritt’s novel, “The Sons of Philo Gaines” (published by Five Star/Cengage), is an expertly rendered story consisting of three interconnected novellas highlighting the exploits of three brothers, who, though they have chosen different paths in life, seem to have one destination in common: a place out from under the shadow of their father, legendary mountain man, Indian fighter, Texas Ranger and US Senator, Philo Gaines.
In September of 1873, Matthew Gaines steps off the train in Mustang Flats, Texas, prepared to begin a quiet existence teaching in the one-room schoolhouse and quickly finds that life in the West Texas town is anything but quiet.
Luke Gaines is hired in Las Cruces, New Mexico, to deliver a mysterious package to a prominent Mustang Flats businessman, only to discover two men tracking him across the desert. What is in the box, and why do these men seem intent on taking it from him?
David Gaines, a sly gambler and womanizer, steps away from the gaming table long enough to ride shotgun on the stage carrying a sizeable military payroll and soon learns that a notorious, murdering cutthroat, who rarely leaves a living witness, is determined to rob the stage.
If that is not enough action and intrigue to keep you turning the pages, wait until the Gaines brothers all wind up together in Mustang Flats and stand up to the murdering, land grabbing black-hearted villain who wronged the Gaines family years ago!
Michael Ritt’s story spans a vast landscape stretching across the country, and his ability to weave description throughout his narrative has the effect of placing the reader in the stagecoach heading to Ft. Laramie, on the boardwalk in Mustang Flats, and on the banks of the Pecos River in New Mexico. One can practically taste the dust of the trail and hear the creak of the harnesses in Ritt’s prose.
I have not read many westerns, but I plan on exploring the genre more often, especially if the author is planning a sequel to “The Sons of Philo Gaines.” As I read this story, I was struck by the idea that each of the three brother’s storylines deserves further development in stand-alone novels. However, I would miss the humorous interplay between Matthew, the scholar, David, the gambler, and Luke, the gunman, if they do not appear together, even briefly, in whatever future “Gaines brothers” novels Michale R. Ritt may have brewing on the back burner of his creative mind.
This is an enjoyable read, suitable for a broad audience, and I highly recommend it.
(The Sons of Philo Gaines will be available in November of 2020, but is available to pre-order now from Amazon by clicking the button below.)
Dean M. King is an American author who lives with his wife, Kelly, and their son on Northeast Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association and the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers.
Dean finds inspiration for his stories in remote areas of Wisconsin’s vast Northwoods, on the islands that lay off its coasts, and among the stalwart bluffs of Southwest Wisconsin. Whether Dean is writing about a dreadful creature that crawled from the Mississippi River or a drag race between a street-toughened hoodlum and the devil, you can be sure (maybe even, a little afraid) that his stories will haunt you long after you read the final page.
Mike: Gerry Priest is my husband. I could order the book from Amazon but I know he would like an autographed copy. Is that possible? I’d be glad to send a cashiers check for the book and postage. Cheryl
Cheryl, I’d love to sign a book for Gerry. I’ll send you an email with the details.