Sent by his boss to Montana Territory to assist a sheriff, Tom finds a town-full of trouble, and the outlaws he's after may be the only innocent men in the territory. The mayor and the sheriff are keeping secrets, from Tom, from each other, from everybody. Tom does his best to solve the town's problems without causing a ruckus, but maybe a ruckus is the only way out.
The miner's aren't happy, the town officials aren't happy, and what have the Indians got to do with it? Fortunately, they're all safe on the reservation, waiting for Sitting Bull's return from the Wild West Show. Aren't they?
Another very fun Roper adventure. I found it a bit slower at the start than "Short Cut," but it quickly picked up momentum. A more complex narrative than the first book, nasty bad guys, fabulous character structure, with plenty of opportunities to sort out what's truly going on and who's behind it. Less romantic interest in this one; Tom stays true to the woman he rescued in Short Cut. I'm looking forward to the third book, which should be coming soon.