《书目》(Booklist)书评

Max Brand was the best known of the numerous pen names used by Frederick Faust, who died during World War II but whose novels and collections of stories continue to appear in new editions at the rate of four per year. The three short novels collected here were all published in pulp magazines during the 1920s. Amazingly, Brand's work weathers the test of time quite well, primarily because of his clever plotting and devotion to dynamic characterization. In the title piece, former convict Reata is duped into abandoning his hard-won domestic bliss to search for treasure. The second tale finds a drifter accused of murder. His only hope for justice is the daughter of the sheriff who captured him. The third tale features a good samaritan drawn into a web of duplicity when he tries to help a newlywed whose husband is suddenly seized by a local lawman. Fine reading for the perennial Brand audience. --Wes Lukowsky