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Phil Dunlap
Synopsis & Reviews
Saving Mattie
by
Phil Dunlap
Rawhide Smith wasn’t looking for trouble when he came upon Mattie Slaughter, a strong willed 12-year-old girl holding a shotgun aimed directly at his head; he was merely looking for a job. Tired and hungry, he finds her resistance to allow him to speak with her father troublesome.
    When he discovers the reason for the child’s defiance, a deeply ingrained
conviction of moral duty takes over. He accepts the responsibility of caring for Mattie until he can find a family to take her in. The task proves more than just looking out for one child’s welfare. He runs up against a powerful and corrupt cattle baron bent on driving all small ranchers off their land. In the employ of
this greedy varmint are a dozen bloodthirsty gunslingers who are not reluctant to shoot innocent people and burn their homesteads on his command. Rawhide Smith soon finds his determination to right the wrongs becoming increasingly dangerous to his own health, and Mattie’s as well.
ISBN: 978-1-932695-73-1
Rated [G]
PRINT BOOK
$13.50 Tradesize Paperback
Electronic Book
REVIEWS
Riding the grub-line as he looks for a job, Rawhide Smith runs on to twelve-year-old Mattie Slaughter. She’s got a shotgun aimed at him, with every intention of using it if he makes a wrong move. It turns out Mattie’s family has been murdered, and she is the only survivor. Rawhide, not being a man to shirk his responsibilities, takes it upon himself to escort Mattie to where she’ll be safe, but the first thing that happens is a run-in with the men who killed her family. Rawhide learns finding a safe haven for Mattie is not so easy when a powerful and corrupt cattle baron is at the bottom of all her problems. With everyone in the territory running scarred, Smith’s quest for justice becomes ever more dangerous as he fights to keep Mattie alive.
Dunlap has a knack for bringing a disparate group of characters to life. Whether a girl child, a conscientious young man, worn down homesteaders, or half-crazed killers, they all serve well to enliven the pages of this book. The reader gets a real sense of the conflict of these vivid times. This is a fast-paced, enjoyable read, just the thing to while away a cold evening.

Western Writers of America ROUNDUP MAGAZINE, February 2009