Hank Laird had never laid claim to sainthood. Truth is, his enemies would be quick to swear that the man was the devil himself-a reputation Laird earned as one of the most hardscrabble men ever to grace the soil of South Texas.
With grit, gold and gunpowder, he forged an empire out of chaos in the wake of the Civil War. But now the vultures are coming home to roost-and it's up to Laird whether Santa Guerra ranchlands will be heaven or hell.
This is another of those random books I'd picked up along the way that failed to live up to its blurb.
Rather than a tale of Laird forming his place in the Texan frontier, we are instead treated to the slow tale of his descendents being greedy, selfish people who are obsessed with their own self interest.
It's not a book that I'd recommend, nor will it stay with me. However it helped pass a few hours.
This story started off a little slow for me but I'm glad I kept with it because the story paid off. It's definitely not a typical western, it's more like "Yellowstone". It was a good family western saga.
Matt Braun writes well of the West, especially when dealing with the rough men who survived by using their fists and their guns. This is a great story of the Laird family, who establish a successful cattle ranch in south Texas through sheer will and hard work. The founder, Hank Laird, is a tough but likeable character. Troubles abound, from Mexican cattle thieves, gunmen and unrequited love, for Hank, his daughter and grandson - with much being learned by the main characters along the way. An entertaining and satisfying western read.