Redemption Trail

Word of gold in California was the opportunity that Solomon Weatherbee had been waiting for his whole life.

Handing in his notice at Mr Hennepin’s store, he takes $7.50 from the cash box, his weathered mare, and his father’s old Harper’s Ferry rifle.

It was time to make his fortune.

Striking out on his own, Weatherbee meets Ad and George on the road. The three team up, devising money-making schemes.

But with Weatherbee’s wandering eyes, and George’s taste for whisky, it is not long before they run into trouble.

Weatherbee’s relations with the wife of Captain McCusker sets him on path full of wild adventures of narrow escapes.

With pockets full of gold, he sets to work in the brasuda, the bush country between the Rio Grande and the Neuces, with a plan to catch cattle and take them to the Californian gold fields to sell.

He needs capital and has been told that the wealthy John McCourt is the man to give it to him.

But McCourt is embroiled in an adventure of his own: finding the Mexican gang that tortured the Schwainert brothers for their gold.

Weatherbee will have to help McCourt carry out his raid and find the killers before he can secure his loan.

But the raid is a disaster. Chino escapes, and targets Weatherbee as a wanted man.

Can Weatherbee find his fortune, with a price on his head?

Redemption Trail is an action-packed western adventure set against the backdrop of the Californian gold rush.

Praise for Preston Wood

‘Preston Wood’s Redemption Trail is a page turning, thoughtful, and passionate adventure of the American West, told by a writer who defined the American West for millions of television viewers. Beautifully written and completely absorbing.’ – Max Byrd, author of Paris Deadline and Grant.

‘A gutty but humorous and well-researched tale of the California Gold Rush." – Richard Herman, New York Times bestselling author.

‘Passage of boy to man. A fast, enjoyable read, filled with memorable characters and events. Mr. Wood's experience as a television writer is plainly evident; the dialog is witty and fast moving, and the story moves from scene to scene with confidence and skill.’ – Charles Post

Award-winning writer Preston Wood was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1923. During his long career he was a director in early television, an ad man on Madison Avenue, and a freelance television writer for over 20 years. He wrote over 150 teleplays. His output is diverse from contemporary dramas, Mr. Novak, Slattery’s People, to comedy like The Addams Family, and shows such as Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Big Valley, and The Virginian earned him a lifetime membership in the Western Writers of America.

Pioneering Press is an imprint of Endeavour Press, the UK’s leading independent digital publisher. We publish new and classic westerns by authors from the US and the UK.