Entwined Paths

Landon Saga #2

by Tell Cotten

Texas, 1872 When a stagecoach is robbed, two men are killed and young woman is kidnapped. Soon after, Yancy and Cooper Landon find themselves pursuing them. Meanwhile, their old foe Lee Mattingly has his own problems. Betrayed by his partners, Lee sets out on a path of vengeance while at the same time trying to help a young captive girl. It isn’t until their trails cross that both sides realize just how entwined their paths are. And, they soon realize that if they are to achieve their goals, they will have to go down the same path together.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction

246 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2013

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 1 out of 5]

An okay story, but the writing was ponderous in places, with an over-reliance on using characters names instead of pronouns. (and, yes, I appreciate the difficulty when so many characters are male, but it makes the story 'stilted')

The man looked thoughtfully at Rusty. Next he stared at Jessica, and then he glanced at Brian Clarke.
'Who's this: Grandpa?' He asked.
'The name's Brian Clarke,' Brian Clarke replied stiffly.
'I've heard of you and Cliff both,' the man replied. 'I'm Trent Oltman, and these are my brothers.'
'I've heard of you as well.' Cliff said. 'You boys have quite the reputation.'
'Well, we have been busy these past few years,' Trent smiled.

Brian Clarke is constantly referred to as 'Brian Clarke' - not Brian, or Clarke, though as other characters are called, Cliff, Clyde, Cooper, Clay, there is a lot of potential for confusion.


Punctuation is sloppy in places, particularly in direct speech, sufficient to pull me out of the story at times, and the whole 'carpet bag' idea rang false, (Surely Western Union could transfer money more securely, even then?) as did the fact that at the start the gang kill four horses and two stagecoach men and then, for no good reason at all, allow the passengers to live, despite the fact that they had seen their faces and heard the gang call each other by their names.

I also found the 'cliff hanger' ending annoying.

[Skip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Left me wanting more.

This was a well written book along the lines of Louis L'amour's Sackett series. I gave this book a 4 star rating because it not only is well written, but left me wanting to read more of the Landon stories.

[Jack Lake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good western. Busy.

Good story line and characters. Had to read it all today.

Kept my interest. Will look for more by this Author

[William M. Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting story line

I truly like the writing style. Keeps your attention right to the end. Never ceases to amaze me how creative these stories can be. Look forward to the next book.

[Rabid Readers Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yancy and Cooper Landon are true western lawmen. They're rough and tumble and willing to do what they need to do. As with the first novel, Cotten employs a light humor organic to the western setting. In an atmosphere so heavy it seems real not to take oneself so seriously. There are too many true dangers out there. As witnessed in the band of killers and thugs that kidnapped Jessica. Yancy and Cooper know the danger and they know they're on borrowed time investing the story with a true sense of urgency and often a lack of hope for the character they're trying to save.

Readers will appreciate the strong female character in Entwined Paths. Jessica is no wilting violet. There is a scene in which she's confronting her captors and she mentions that her uncle is a well known cattleman of the area. The gang confirms knowing him and says they've taken some of his cattle to market. Jessica asks if her uncle knew they were "working" for him and one of the gang says that he didn't at the time. Those light moments in a situation in which the author could have had his female character trembling in fear and hog tied add an entertainment factor and respect for the character. Kill her if you want but don't be sure it'll shut her up. Jessica is smart and can take care of herself and notices things that her companions don't.

If you like Louis L'amour, Max Brand, Zane Grey or any of the great western writers, you'll like Tell Cotten. Pick up the Landon Family Saga today.

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 2nd Novel of the Landon Saga,/Stagecoach Robbery

TC has continued the Landon Saga with characters from Book 1. The outlaw gang which was active in Book 1 return after hiding out and allowing law enforcement . The 2nd novel brings everyone up to date and they had been at rest when the stagecoach was robbed resulting in the deaths of the driver and guard. The chased is on as the Texas Dept of Rangers is on the job before going to sleep. This is an excellent read for the genre..... DEHS

[Walter Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good follow-up to Confessions of a Gunslinger

I would have given it 5 stars if not for editing. For someone who rarely smiles, Yancy seem to smile a lot in this book.
That being said, while the story is relatively short (only about 250 pages) It covers a lot of ground. It has everything - betrayal, love and even a mule with personality. I'm looking forward to purchasing the next installment!

[Craig Hall · Rating 1 out of 5]

Repetitive and unbelievable

So many sentences that begin with each character's name. Over and over and over. Like reading a shopping list of names. Woman with carpet bag kidnapped and she tells outlaws not to look inside bag for over half the book. Extremely short simple sentences and chapters.

[ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good I've got nothing else to do read

It reads easy and won't waste your time. but it is not in the same world as la amore. Sounds to much like a mix of several already told story's.

[Jeff Benham · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you start out a story by killing horses a 5 star rating will not be forth coming. Also, the Landon brothers seemed like a low rent version of the Sacketts. There were some enjoyable parts, however, and overall it was a pretty good read.

[Dennis F. Hyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entwined Paths

Excellent read and very entertaining and exciting. Story is well put together and holds the reader's attention. All western fans will enjoy this book. So, "Giddy Up."

[Kenneth Gentry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Western

The series continues to roll along nicely. The author has a flare for character development and nails the dialog of the late 1800's. Good enough to move on to the next book in the series.

[Lady McKoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

More great western adventure by an author that knows his western lore. I particularly liked the interlocking stories between the Landon's and the outlaw gang. Could not put it down and look forward to the next book.

[Peter Cornell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read

Excellent read. A fine seq to Confessions of a Gunfighter. I'll probably get the next in the series. Well worth the time spent reading.

[REID TURNER · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great

Very good flow. Really like the law men. Hope Lee never gets killed. Looking forward to the next book on Coop.

[Dan Panke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the first book of the series but still a worthy read. I'll continue to read the next.

[Claudette Gabbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story. Didn't slow down at all. Looking forward to more in this series

[Robbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

WESTERN
Jim finished this on 12-25-15 and rated it 4.8 stars.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good novel and I enjoyed reading this book. I recommend this book to everyone.