First ‘Comanche Sunset’ book is full of intrigue

This week, I read book one of Ron Schwab’s three-book set “Comanche Sunset,” the first trilogy in his “Law Wranglers” series.

This first book is called “Deal with the Devil.” It is set on the plains of what is now New Mexico. Most tribes have been driven onto reservations with a few holdouts raiding ranches and outposts. But towns are growing and offering more every day.

Josh Rivers grew up on the Slash R cattle ranch just outside of Sante Fe but is now a successful lawyer there. It is rare for Levi to travel to Sante Fe, so Josh is curious to see him in his office. About a year ago, one of Levi’s oldest friends, Bill McKenna, was killed by Comanche raiders and his only child, Erin, was taken in the raid.

Erin’s Aunt Dawn Rutledge raised Erin after her mother died. Now in her teens, Erin stands to inherit Bill’s Circle M ranch, but Bill’s brother Oliver was appointed caretaker and now wants Erin declared dead so that he can inherit instead.

Dawn is sure that Erin is alive, but the court needs proof or it will rule in Oliver’s favor. Dawn has hired D.L. Sinclair to represent Erin in court, but Oliver’s henchmen have already tried to kill her once.

Levi wants Josh to go into Comanche territory and find the girl with the fire-red hair, but he only has a month to do it. Five years ago, the Comanches killed Josh’s mother and his wife and took their infant son, Michael. Josh has never given up hope of finding his son. Levi has already gotten Cal to sign on, so the pair heads for the small town of Madison to meet with D.L. Sinclair and start the search.

Female lawyers are rare in the southwest, but Danna Sinclair is used to being an oddity and doesn’t let anything stop her. Though she doesn’t talk about it, Danna understands what it feels like to become a victim of senseless violence, and she’s determined to help Erin return to her birthright.

After they meet with Danna, they are ambushed, and Cal receives a wound to butt. He must remain in Madison while it heals. Josh rides out alone knowing the Comanches will find him. Along the way he discovers raiding party torturing the two men, while a lone woman sits in shock.

When Josh starts shooting, the Comanches ride off with the stolen horses. He dispatches the dying men and takes the woman along. The next morning Quanah Parker’s warriors take them captive. To Josh’s surprise, they are treated well.

He is visited by One Who Talks, a young white woman who is now part of Quanah tribe. She knows who he is and why he is here but explains that Quanah Parker wants to hire him. Erin McKenna will be turned over to Josh if he pays $6,000 in gold and agrees to represent Quanah Parker’s band in negotiating a peace treaty. Josh agrees, but before they can leave Oliver McKenna leads an army attack and they are lucky to escape alive.

True to his word, Quanah Parker delivers Erin to Josh. Her husband was one of many killed during Oliver’s attack, and now she has no one. On the way back to Sante Fe, she gives birth to a baby girl whom Cal names Willow.

As soon as the court rules in Erin’s favor, she and Cal return to the McKenna ranch to take over. Back in Sante Fe, Josh realizes that he needs Danna Sinclair’s expertise to manage his many clients, and they strike a partnership that suits them both. They both know that he’ll do most of his lawyering outside the office while she is content to manage the business end.

Beneath it all, Josh must admit that he sees more than a good business partner in Danna Sinclair, but we must wait until book two for whatever develops.