Book Description:
When forty-one successful manhunts make you a legend, there’s only one way left to go—down.
J.J. Westin, the infamous Rustler Hunter, goes undercover at Arizona Territory’s largest cattle ranch to expose the rustlers bleeding it dry. The thieves aren’t just stealing cattle. They’re trusted cowboys operating from inside the bunkhouse.
What he doesn’t expect is Hayley Harper, the tough-as-nails cook with secrets of her own. She’s a Pinkerton agent working the same case and the daughter of notorious outlaw Galen Harper.
When their covers are blown, they uncover something far deadlier than rustling. A corruption network spanning three territories. With enemies closing in and bullets flying, the legendary manhunter and the outlaw’s daughter must survive the badlands of 1898 Arizona, where trust is deadly and justice comes at gunpoint.
In the shadow of Canyon Diablo, where the historic Aztec Land & Cattle Company’s Hashknife outfit controlled over a million acres of the Arizona Territory’s most lawless land.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading The Rustler Hunter, the first book in R.J. Sloane’s Harper’s Justice historical western series set in Arizona in 1898. J.J. Westin is a famous rustler hunter and the story opens with J.J. fearlessly hunting an outlaw on a passenger train.
J.J. takes a job working undercover on an Arizona ranch where law enforcement suspect a gang of outlaws are rustling cattle. Hayley is a Pinkerton agent who’s also working undercover at the ranch as a cook and cleaner. She’s there with her brother, who’s a federal marshal, and they’re trying to infiltrate the criminal network. Hayley’s father was a notorious outlaw and she’s close to her siblings despite their difficult upbringing. Many of her siblings work in law enforcement and they’re all committed to seeking justice and apprehending outlaws.
J.J. and Hayley are drawn to each other, but they try to ignore their feelings. They both have trust issues for different reasons and their romance simmers in the background as they focus on their dangerous undercover work. They need to solve the mystery of who’s involved in the cattle rustling operation and dismantle it. The action packed twists and turns in the story kept me turning the page to find out what happens next.
I recommend The Rustler Hunter to historical fiction readers who like classic westerns with action, adventure, danger, suspense, and romance that include a cattle rustling mystery and relevant faith elements in the story.
Many thanks to the author for the advanced reader copy.
