The Hellrakers — Paul Lederer

On a do-or-die ride across the prairie, a rancher's gang betrays him

For Skyler Lynch, retirement from the army was supposed to mean easy living, running a farm, and making a tidy profit breeding horses on the side. But when bad weather dooms his crops, his has no choice but to drive his horses south for sale in a desperate attempt to stave off foreclosure. He might have gotten there too, had he not made the mistake of hiring the Van Connely gang. A hard-eyed killer, Connely turns on Lynch, guns him down in cold blood, and makes off with the horses. Only one good man survives the mutiny: the forthright Randy Staggs.

Staggs vows to bring justice down on Connely's head, but the killer has money, friends, and a strong head start. Avenging Lynch will mean a wild chase across the prairie and a showdown with one of the blackest hearts ever to ride the range.