Brody: Letters of Fate (Volume 3)

WESTERN:  Brody has been picked up by the law again - caught stealing food for his neighbor. This time it is different. The judge has a letter that he gives to Brody’s lawyer from Brody’s grandfather, which is quite a surprise to Brody.  He didn’t even know he had a living grandfather! That same grandfather is requesting that instead of jail, Brody be sent home to Oregon and he has sent a marshal to escort him there. Brody has no intention of staying in Oregon. However, once he gets there and meets his grandfather’s ward, the beautiful Lilah, he changes his mind. There is someone killing his grandfather’s cattle and he aims to help find the culprit as well as capture the heart of the lovely Lilah.

Ms. Jager brilliantly captures the essence that is the old west in her novel. The reader can smell the dust when the cowhands, including Brody, are out looking for the one who has been slaughtering the good judge’s cattle. One can hear the rattlesnake just before he strikes his victim. While the characters lack any real depth, they are true to form. Angel and Talbot are the epitome of evil but with no real depth of understanding concerning the reasons for their hatred. Brody is particularly sympathetic and shows the most depth of character, coming from a background of abject poverty and becoming a fine young man to be trusted by all. This is a wonderful story that has everything - the bad boy, the criminal, the damsel in distress - it is a joy to read. For those hungering for more, there are previous two novels in the series.

Belinda Wilson