FFB - Silent Wolf

 

Jake Douglas is a prolific author with several pennames. This one was published in 2008 and starts out slow with cattle spooked by wolves but soon gets going. A cattle herder encounters a man savaged by wolves, his throat almost torn out. The man survives though can hardly speak and adopts the name ‘Silent’. It seems that Silent has mislaid his memory as a result of his ordeal. In repayment for saving his life, Silent cooks for the cowboys – until a couple of gunmen come looking for him.

Silent is slow to rile but fast to settle scores. The sudden gunplay sparks something in Silent’s mind. When his memory begins to return, Silent sets out to discover why he was literally thrown to the wolves. On this journey of self-discovery he meets up with Gail, the sister of the trail sawbones who patched him up. They both find that they’re intent on digging up the truth behind the massacre of a stagecoach’s passengers. Unfortunately, they may end up digging their graves instead…

Fast-paced with plenty of characterisation, with a puzzle at its heart, this is an enjoyable fast read. Silent is a great invention and of necessity speaks volumes without articulating much.