The Fleecing of Fort Griffin – My Review

The Fleecing of Fort Griffin – My Review

“They made a simple cold camp, eating more jerky. By dark, the baron saw Gatliff’s campfire more than two hundred yards away and beyond it the several fires of the cavalry,”

This is the second book by Preston Lewis that I’ve read. The first book, Bluster’s Last Stand was a delight to read because of the authenticity of how Lewis wove his words and how he crafted his true-to-life characters.

The Fleecing of Fort Griffin reads much the same way, except like a short story in the span of 243 pages. A variety of characters is brought to life in old West fashion in the West Texas town of Fort Griffin.

You are first introduced to young Sammy Collins who lost both his parents and is taken in by an “aunt and uncle” who are not kin. As soon as the main character, Englishman Baron Paget steps off the stage, with a satchel full of English money that he proudly shows off for all to see – the story takes off and never stops. Enters a gambler, a woman widower, a married couple who swindle other men, and a conniving reverend just to name a few.

That’s not to mention the telling of how a vulture was captured or the literal cutting off of cat’s tails, or including using a rooster as a guard dog. I think only Lewis could make this up.

Let me say right here that indeed Preston Lewis can craft a story so well that by the end of the book I laughed my ass off because of the twists and turns in the story. Right, when I thought I knew how Fort Griffin would end literally made me laugh and gasp when the one major surprise was revealed at the end I NEVER saw coming. NEVER! That’s Lewis’ writing gift.

The Fleecing of Fort Griffin was more than a delightful read. It’s a story of characters that are all out to get that Englishman’s money, interwoven so perfectly well that the ending becomes brilliant. Seriously if you love Western, historical fiction with a twist you never see coming, along with some laughs, and authenticity – then this book should be on your must-read list.