What do you think?
Rate this book
Track Down
Hired to track down a former slave accused of murdering a popular and prominent rancher, Lex Cranshaw finds himself playing bodyguard when an angry mob threatens to murder the suspect in cold blood.
185 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published March 1, 1992
1 person want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 14, 2020
“The Ranger” was an 8-book series published by Harper Collins in the early 1990s. Written by Charlie McDade under the pseudonym “Dan Mason”, they feature the adventures of Texas Ranger Lex Cranshaw. McDade wrote several westerns but also dabbled in other genres including more than a dozen of the Mack Bolan Executioner series.
The novel opens with Lex Cranshaw escorting a captured prisoner back to town to stand justice. While in route, he comes across a black man by the name of James Lincoln, an ex-slave who now owns and operates a nearby ranch. Unfortunately, Lincoln has a huge chip on his shoulder due to unequal treatment by the other ranchers. No sooner does Cranshaw arrive in town, criminal in tow, than news arrives of the murder of a prominent rancher, shot in the back. Of course the black man, James Lincoln is fingered as the culprit and Cranshaw is pulled in to assist the sheriff in keeping the rapidly forming lynch mob at bay. To make matters worse, Lincoln goes on the run, making him look guilty and forcing Cranshaw to chase him down.
The story is told in a hard-boiled style with lots of witty dialogue. Plenty of action here as Cranshaw faces down assorted bullies, ranch hands, and townspeople, mostly with his accurate gunplay. A mystery element is woven in as Cranshaw tries to determine the identity of the real murderer but unfortunately, this part of the plot is entirely predictable. As the story unfolds, Cranshaw begins to like Lincoln more and more, but he remains unsure of his guilt or innocence until near the end.
This is a fast moving read but does suffer from thin characters and a fairly predictable plot. While I enjoyed it, I won’t be going out of my way to seek another in the series.
The novel opens with Lex Cranshaw escorting a captured prisoner back to town to stand justice. While in route, he comes across a black man by the name of James Lincoln, an ex-slave who now owns and operates a nearby ranch. Unfortunately, Lincoln has a huge chip on his shoulder due to unequal treatment by the other ranchers. No sooner does Cranshaw arrive in town, criminal in tow, than news arrives of the murder of a prominent rancher, shot in the back. Of course the black man, James Lincoln is fingered as the culprit and Cranshaw is pulled in to assist the sheriff in keeping the rapidly forming lynch mob at bay. To make matters worse, Lincoln goes on the run, making him look guilty and forcing Cranshaw to chase him down.
The story is told in a hard-boiled style with lots of witty dialogue. Plenty of action here as Cranshaw faces down assorted bullies, ranch hands, and townspeople, mostly with his accurate gunplay. A mystery element is woven in as Cranshaw tries to determine the identity of the real murderer but unfortunately, this part of the plot is entirely predictable. As the story unfolds, Cranshaw begins to like Lincoln more and more, but he remains unsure of his guilt or innocence until near the end.
This is a fast moving read but does suffer from thin characters and a fairly predictable plot. While I enjoyed it, I won’t be going out of my way to seek another in the series.
Displaying 1 of 1 review