Tripwire

by Brian Garfield

In the Wild West, a desperate gang of outlaws targets a gold shipmentDuring the Indian Wars, Boag and Wilstach rode with the Tenth Cavalry, the most feared outfit ever to gallop over the American plains. But now that things are relatively peaceful, the two soldiers wander the land, cloaking their once-spotless uniforms with dust. To be men again requires money, and they have no skills but riding, shooting, and waving sabers. Luckily, those are just the kind of men that Jed Pickett needs. A one-time outlaw king, Pickett is a man of the desert, with his eyes on the greatest prize to ever cross the Nearly one and a half tons of gold bullion are waiting to be shipped by riverboat. Boag and Wilstach sign on, agreeing to "a few days of work" that will either make their fortune or cost them their lives. In the Western desert, gold is scarce, but blood flows like water.

Genres: Westerns

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1973

About the author

Brian Francis Wynne Garfield was a novelist and screenwriter. He wrote his first published book at the age of eighteen, and gained prominence with 1975 his book Hopscotch, which won the Edgar Award for Best Novel. He is best known for his 1972 novel Death Wish, which was adapted for the 1974 film of the same title, followed by four sequels, and a remake starring Bruce Willis.

His follow-up 1975 sequel to Death Wish, Death Sentence, was very loosely adapted into a film of the same name which was released to theaters in late 2007, though an entirely different storyline, but with the novel's same look on vigilantism. Garfield is also the author of The Thousand-Mile War: World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for History. Garfield's latest book, published in 2007, is Meinertzhagen, the biography of controversial British intelligence officer Richard Meinertzhagen.

Brian Garfield was the author of more than 70 books that sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, and 19 of his works were made into films or TV shows. He also served as president of the Western Writers of America and the Mystery Writers of America.

Pseudonyms:
• Bennett Garland
• John Ives
• Drew Mallory
• Frank O'Brian
• Brian Wynne
• Frank Wynne

Reviews

[Aric Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tripwire starts slow, picks up a ton of steam, and then ends too quickly. Boag is a pretty cool character, which is good since he is in virtually every scene, and you really start pulling for him more towards the ending. Other characters are fairly well-drawn, like great sketches rather than finished masterpieces. That is fine with me. Makes for a shorter book, though, and it's not all that fast-paced despite its brevity. Worth your time if you like revenge dramas, but not all that deep. Still, Garfield is a fine writer even though his ending seems more like it was rushed to meet a deadline. I am eager to try Death Wish and would read more of his books based on how I liked this one, which is more 3.5 than 3.0.

[Nik Morton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tightly written western marketed as a novel. Excellent. Recommended

[James S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basically a rewrite of Elmore Leonard's superior Valdez Is Coming. Just read that one instead.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the top WEstern revenge book with a likable hero. Written by a master of pacing. Great page turner.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent thriller