BOOK REVIEW: "Renegade's Revenge" by Jack Badelaire

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I've been a fan of Jack Badelaire's fiction since I stumbled across his debut novel, Killer Instincts, a couple years ago. That title secured a place of honor as my favorite tome of 2012 and I immediately began devouring Commando, his WWII action-adventure series. But while the Commando books are violent, pulpy fun and well worth a read, their depth and style fall short of Killer Instincts standards. There seemed to be a bona fide risk that Badelaire had blown his load with his first novel and subsequent projects would be sub par when compared to the action literature juggernaut that is Killer Instincts.

And then I read "Renegade's Revenge."

Badelaire's first foray into the western genre isn't quite as good as Killer Instincts, but it comes pretty close, and easily ranks as his second-best work to date (though I expect his soon-to-be-released Hangman #1: San Francisco Slaughter to surpass it). Badelaire took aim at the action-western genre and nailed it with the sharp precision of a seasoned gunslinger putting bullets in bulls-eyes.

"Renegade's Revenge" is a 20,000 word novella that focuses on siblings who fight on opposing sides in the Civil War (and you think your family has issues). Twin brothers David and Caleb Miller find themselves divided by battle lines, David as part of the Union cavalry, Caleb as part of the Missouri irregulars. They come face to face when Caleb's Bushwhackers are forced to surrender to the Union troopers. Moments later, Captain McNeil, David's superior officer, orders Caleb executed right in front of him.

When the war ends, David returns home and reunites with his older brother Paul. Unable to let the past stay buried, they vow to hunt down Captain McNeil and avenge Caleb's murder, knowing they will have to stampede through hell to exact retribution ... hell consisting of a score of ruthless, battle-scarred hard cases to whom pulling triggers and killing men is as easy as spitting.

As you can tell, like all good, pulp-minded westerns, this is a simple, straight-forward tale of vengeance, garnished with extra helpings of hot lead and cold steel. Aside from a minor lull following the opening action, the violence comes fast and vicious. If you believe things won't get bloody in this novella, well then, you don't know jack ... er, Jack.

I'm a big fan of rough-riding westerns and when I finished reading the savagely satisfying climax of "Renegade's Revenge," I had a big ol' smile creasing my face. From its opening battle sequence to its climatic confrontation, the pacing moves like a whip crack, pausing just long enough to supply sufficient characterization. The whole affair reeks of sweat and dirt and gun smoke and blood ... which means we should all pray to the gods of six-guns that Badelaire's first venture into action-western territory isn't his last.