AUTHOR OF THE HEART-POUNDING AVENGING ANGELS SERIES DELIVERS BOOK TWO IN THE NEW FAST-MOVING WESTERN ADVENTURE!
While waiting for his quarry to arrive in the mining town of Willimet, Hicks joins a pair of outlaws with a scheme to find a lost cache of gold. With Hicks gone, Conner and Abby are welcomed into the home of a local widow—the richest lady in town with a deadly secret agenda. When the widow develops an unnatural attachment to Abby, and her three unbalanced sons turn deadly, the beautiful mansion on the hill turns into a possessed house of horrors.
Connor can feel Abby slipping away as the house and the widow put a spell on her. When he uncovers the family’s secrets, he knows he’s in a desperate race to save Abby.
The fuse has been lit and it’s burning down fast for both gunslingers. Can they join forces again and get away before it all blows up in their faces?
I gave 2 stars, not because of the writing - that was good - but because it was the second in a series and absolutely nothing like the first. The names were the same, but it was as though the author was told about the first book and then wrote a sequel. The behavior of the characters was vastly different and it was as though nothing from the first carried over.
First, Connor. In the first book he gets the new pistol and holster and spends a lot of time practicing with it. In this book it's mentioned as new and something he isn't familiar with. He also slept in a barn to be away from his siblings, but this book talks of him sleeping in the house with them. He also still maintains a distrust of Hicks at the end of the previous book, but this one has him holding faith in Hicks through it all.
Second, Abby. She nearly shot Hicks in the first one because she thought he MIGHT hit Connor, and after watching their father beat him for years she was determined nobody would hit her brother again. In this one she simply stands by and allows someone to slap him across the face with a brush with no big scene. She was a fashionista in the first, but hated dresses in this one. In the first book she was a solid character. This book made her a minor character who didn't have any spine. She was a damsel rather than the hellcat she was previously. A major disservice was done to her.
Thirdly, Hicks. His was the biggest change. In the first book he was an outlaw, but he had depth. He wasn't a thief and liar and murderer. In this book that's all he is. He and Connor shared a room in the first so Abby could have her privacy, but he needs his own to get drunk and have a whore in this one. Rather than being the finely dressed gentleman he was previously depicted as, in this he seems slobbish and dislikeable. Whereas he vowed he wouldn't abandon the twins prior, here he's leaving them the first place he can. He went from mysterious and I like him but do I trust him to someone I couldn't have cared less about.
Also, there's all this mention of a bank robbery that occurred and Hicks had the twins involved with? When did that happen??
All in all, I was not impressed with this. I expected better from an editor over a series. I have never rated a book this low before, especially when the first got 5 stars from me. I only finished it to give an honest review and to get on to the third one, which I hope is better or I'll be dropping this series completely.
AW Hart Gunslinger Bk2 Killer’s Fuse Reviewed 10/29/19 Missing gold, strange Widow and lots of action!!!
The old gold town of Willimet is the next stop for Hicks, Conner, and Abby because he has some business there with the Senator. When they arrive, they find that the Senator won’t be there for a few more days. As Hicks is enjoying a beer at the local saloon, he meets up with a pair of men that convince him that there is a load of missing gold that no one has found, and they know right where it’s at. Hicks decides to team up with the men, but he needs to have Conner and Abby stay somewhere. The local merchant peddler tells him that the kids could stay with the Widow Willmet. She has taken in kids before. Things are really strange at the widow's house and she and the boys never leave the place. Abby is acting differently too. Conner doesn’t know what to do but he knows that things are not right. He must do something but what? Hicks is not back yet!
What did I like? This is the second book for the adventures of these kids, and it seems like they just have trouble fall on them no matter what they do. They are so helpless; you have to love them. I keep trying to figure out how and why Hicks is so involved. Well, maybe the next book will give me some more clues.
What will you like? Well written, excellent editing and a killer storyline. The characters are so unique and loveable. Even the ones that you want to hate, have something about them that you like… This is filled with adventure, action, humor, and explosive exploits. I laughed so hard at some of them I had tears in my eyes. Again, you will find the descriptions, and details are spot on and certainly bring the WEST alive to the point that you are right in the action. I loved it and can’t wait for the next book.
Hicks, Connor, and Abby, certainly know how to set excitement in motion, as they leave little to th imagination in their many daring escapades. Hicks doesn't pull any punches, as his ongoing rampages certainly turn into one exciting episode after the other!
This is definitely worthy of the five stars I awarded, as the author successfully portrayed explicitly how our old American West was finally tamed! I have always been impressed by Mr. Hart's abilities in bringing the compassionate storylines to realism, and his outstanding character selections were perfectly selected for their commanding assignments throughout the entire story! Hicks doesn't pull any punches in bringing justice to those responsible for their wrong doings. Too Connor and Abby certainly finds themselves entwined in a frenzy as the widow Hicks leaves them with is not who she is believed to be. This isn't your normal western folklore adventure, but you will find it difficult to put the book down, until the final paragraph has been read! Definitely recommend this compassionately motivated story to everyone, but especially to all of you western lovers. I was unable to put the book aside until the final paragraph had been read! Of course I have found all of Mr. Hart's stories to be five stars worthy! Really! Give this compassionately motivated story a try, as I believe you will enjoy following Hick, and his crew to be very entertaining!!😃
3 Stars is the lowest rating I give any book that I finish. I don't see any benefit in finishing a 1 or 2 rating book. This is the 3rd book I have read in this series. The other two got 5 Star ratings. This is supposed to be #2 in the series, but there is no connection to the 1st book, so I read Killer's Train first. It is the 4th book in the series and, oddly enough, did show a connection. Of River Hicks, Connor and Abby, only Connor bears any resemblance to the character in the other books. They head to Willimet, because Hicks needs to talk to the Senator, but he is gone for a few days. The Senator's sister is the widow of the founding father of the town. She is a certifiable nut case. She lives in the mansion on the hill with her 3 children, one of whom is not really hers. She insists on being called Mother Dorothy. Hicks leaves the kids with her while he completes business. There are strange things that happen in that house. Connor sees it, but Abby is enamored of the place like she is in a trance. Meanwhile, Hicks is drawn into a scheme by two no gooders to find some mythical lost gold. Any reforming he might have done in the first book goes right out the window as he shows himself to be a common thief and a murderer. Very disappointing.
River Hicks and the twins leave the broken down farm and the sad abusive life the twins endured. River Hicks is riding hard, he's got bounty hunters on his tail. They catch up with him at the farm and Connor helps River fighting off the treacherous bunch of men. River and Connor alone beat them back, in fact they shoot all mine men. No help from Connor' older brothers or his father. No wonder he never looked backed as they leave his prison less the bars. They are on their way to the town of Willet, Texas. Once they reach Willet, there's a Senator whom River wants to talk with. Evidently someone has put a "blood bounty" on him and River Hicks feels this man knows what the "411" is about who is the mysterious mayor is. Before I go any further, this is a series and very interesting. It contains incest, murders. There is so much going on , ups and downs. Life is a chance of who can draw quicker and shoot . All I will say is Goodness Gracious
The second book in the series seems to be quite polarizing based on the reviews have read. Issues with story continuity and the character's personality are mostly pointed as the culprit, but for me none of it matter as I read the first one a long time ago and did not remember enough to be angry. The story of Killer's Fuse is quite different from the standard modern action western, it almost had a Max Brand's Dan Barry vibe. One of the story plots (the one about Connor and Abby) is a bit weird and quite eerie and is this plot that reminded me of Max Brand. The other plot is much more classic, where River Hicks is going gold digging in an abanded mine. The overall writing is very good, the pacing is great and this particular author has a great storytelling style. So, for me, this is a good entry in the series, but if you read it right after the first one, your enjoyment of it might be less.
I don't know what to denigrate first! This is NOT a sequel to "Killer's Chance"! The characters seem to have all done a 180°. Hicks, formerly well spoken, educated and intelligent, is now barely literate, immoral, and willing to rob banks and kill anyone who gets in his way! Connor, a caring, young, almost man, is now barely out of childhood and never knows what to do to protect himself and his sister. Abby, his twin sister, in the first book is full of spunk, and able to care for herself AND Connor, is now childlike and has fallen under the influence of an evil woman.
Mr. Hart, PLEASE re-read your previous book if you intend to write a "sequel" !!! And PLEASE find a better proofreader - the one who read this book also seems barely literate!
The author that takes the time to write a serial has got my vote. Some folks don't like them. Too much of the same character, they say. We don't want to know that much, they whine. Well if I like a character I want to know all I can about them. There is always more to the story.
I was disappointed in this book. Hick’s gets gold fever from a story of a lost gold shipment from 2 drunks and leaves Conner and Abby with a supposedly rich widow and her 3 misfit sons. Needless to say this book is not as good as the earlier episodes.
Is there a book I want everybody enjoyed it much fun. Really good right by everybody would want to read this book for all people to read and enjoy battle bottle habla
This was a pretty good read that keeps your interest and doesn't beat around the bush with needless fill made sense!adeer. Although being rather complex, the story got straightened out and made sense.
Read the first book in this series, the characters are a flawed group that caught my immediate imagination. Perfect people are drab and don't have unusual lives. This novel was fast moving and entertaining.
The first book wasn't too bad, but this one turned into almost a horror/cult book, not a western. I got about a third of the way through it and couldn't go on. If this is the way this writers books are, I'm not interested.
Hicks and Connor and Abby arrive in a town of a U.S. senator. They uncover a legend of gold and the secret of the biggest house on the hill. A gross secret, indeed.