Frank Kelso's California Bound (Intellect Publishing 2017) is an authentic old western tale from the characters to the setting to all the twists of the devious and clever plot. Zach and Jeb, two rebel soldiers who escape a Yankees prison after the Civil War, head to Texas to see Jeb's family--an Aunt and Uncle who raised him and their two young children--with a long term plan of going to California to get rich from the Gold Rush. That all changes when they reach the family homestead only to find it burned to the ground, his relatives dead, all except the fourteen-year-old daughter who's been kidnapped by a Mexican drug lord and taken across the border to the man's fortress-like hacienda where he intends to take the blond-haired beauty as his bride. The US law won't help get her back--they have their hands full with Mexican skirmishes across the border, Indian attacks, and not enough troops thanks to the Civil War. That doesn't stop Zach and Jeb. They'll just do it the way they always did during the Civil War:

Make it up as they go.

As if things weren't complicated enough, they both fall in love with the same woman.

This is a fast-moving story that relies on clever thinking and age old Yankee ingenuity (though Zach and Jeb are Rebs). It's a lot of fun with humor that's built-into everything they do:

"The pair eased along using nothing but “good ol’ boy” guile due to Jeb’s way of distracting folks with his chatter."

“Pshaw. Took it right out of your book—go over that-a-way, make a rumpus, and see what happens.” Zach winked, sending Jeb a crooked grin."

“Napoleon said it best—ride to the sound of gunfire,” Zach said. 
It makes for a very satisfying read. If I was looking for a moral to the story, it would be "two men can make a difference and everyone should try".

--available on my blog WordDreams October 15th: http://wp.me/p90mx-44i

My gratitude sent to NetGalley for providing this recently published novel. Many thanks to Intellect Publishing, LLC for making this release available.

From the very start, I was entertained with the Southern drawl and spicy language spoken from the leading characters of this well-written narrative. After all, I was in the American South y'all. A year after the Civil War. Wounds still healing. I got to see some of the untarnished country sitting atop a saddle. Grub along the trail mostly consisted of beans, side meat and hardtack. Beans, I'm familiar with. The authors presented a well-paced story line that kept me pleading for more. Admittedly, I was hooked. The scenes were well played out and delivered me to a knock-your-socks-off ending!

After spending three miserable years in a Yankee prisoner of war camp, two Confederate soldiers made their escape. The two rebs, Jeb and Zach had their sights set on California. They were in search of their fortune nestled in the mountains and streams that glistened with gold. First stop though, would be a short visit with Jeb's sister in Texas. More or less on the way.

They arrived too late. The house had been burned to the ground. Still smoldering in the ashes. No accident. Jeb's sister, brother-in-law and twelve-year-old nephew were found dead. Murdered. A missing family member, his fourteen-year-old niece, Becky, was nowhere in sight. She had to have been kidnapped. There could be no other explanation. Jeb had a good idea where she was.

The grapevine in Texas carried news with the speed of a 44. This time - bad. He knew the most likely person responsible for this tragedy, Mexican raider and plunderer, Miguel Cortiña and his army of bandoleros. They'd been crossing the Rio Grande undaunted into Texas rustling cattle. Lawlessness ruled the border. After getting the herd back across the Rio Grande into Mexico, it was quickly sold off at bargain, black market prices. Anyone foolish enough to stick their nose in this desperado's business was met with certain death. Even those who posed no threat.

This reign of terror needed to be stopped once and for all. Permanently. His sister rescued. It meant chasing after a notorious criminal and murderer into another country. Heavily out-gunned. The odds were stacked against them. However, they lived by their principles. The one thing they could call their own. There was no turning around. Not now. Not ever. Time for a showdown.

CALIFORNIA BOUND by Frank Kelso and John O’Melveny Woods begins with Jeb and Zach returning from the Civil War after fighting for the south and spending years in a Yankee prison camp, only to find that Jeb’s sister’s place that they stopped by to visit on their way to California has been attacked and everyone there has been killed, with the exception of Jeb’s 14 year old niece, Becky who has apparently been abducted, and she had previously written Jeb with concerns asking him to come and protect her and the family.

Jeb and Zach set out to find her expecting that she’s been moved across the border from Texas, and a Mexican bandit gang leader named Miguel is the suspected culprit. Surprisingly, no one aside from the pair seems too concerned or willing to take up arms to retrieve the young lady, and in fact they are warned off from crossing the Rio Grande in search of Becky by a military officer who threatens to have them arrested and hanged if they do, as he fears international peace could be threatened by doing so.

Past history of the pair shows that they’ve flown in the face of authority figures in the past; in fact legend has it they stole General Sherman’s horse for a prank during the war, and they won’t sit still in the face of threats by those who appear to be unwilling to do anything to safely return the girl.

Well-written and full of adventure, with a shared romantic interest by both in an older widow, Jeb and Zach are relatively fearless and often make light of dire circumstances, providing several humorous exchanges throughout this story that combine with the solid action to make for an excellent story that holds the reader’s interest throughout, and I have no doubt that it will appeal to those interested in western fiction from the post Civil War time period in the Texas border area.

4 stars.