BROTHER'S KEEPER: Second in the Series of Jess Williams Westerns (A Jess Williams Western Book 2)

After getting revenge by tracking the three men down who bruttley slaughtered his family a few years back and making them die slowly and painfully, Jess returned home to Black Creak Kansas and visited the gravesite of his family. Jess told them he had kept his promise to them, by making each man suffer before death and now they could rest in piece. He then rode into town. He visited the General Store owner and his wife, whom was very glad to see him back return home safe. Dick Carter owned the largest ranch in the territory and was trying to buy out, run off or have other ranchers killed to claim their ranch and land. He was also the Father of Red Carter the man Jess had killed in a bar room gun fight. Red had out drawn on Jess when he asked why he killed his friend the Sherrif. Red said because he had hit him in the head once in a argument and that was enough, so He killed him before he hit him again. Red had been in town raising He'll with the townsfolk, pushing his notoriety as a fast gun around, and having his way with anyone, for everyone feared his fast gun when the Sherrif approached him. When Dick Carter learned that Jess was back in town he put out the word he had $3000 for Jess dead or alive. He sent hired guns into town two at a time hours apart to kill Jess and bring his body back to his ranch. All failed, so Carter sent for the best hired gun he had heard of Tim Williams. It so happens he was close by in another town, but he was also the twin brother of Jess. He had no idea he had a brother until the store owner and his wife told him the story of his real Pa. Jess wanted to meet him and get to know him, but it wasn't in the cards. Oh yes, I can't forget to tell you of two middle aged men ( Carl and Murray) Jess had met on the trail one evening while returning home. When he encountered them they were going back and forth with each other arguing. The two brought some hummer into this western. It turned out that they were trying to become Bounty Hunters. What the two brought to this story will make keep you laughing. Enought said, for I don't like spoilers myself. This story is a excellent account of Bounty Hunting which through no fault of his own Jess has now turned into. I recommend you read it if you love reading Western stories as I do. I rate it as mature reading due to all the violence. Well! I am ready for Book 3, Sins of The Father: A Jess Williams Novel, by Richard J. Thomas. Mr. Thomas has 41 Western Novels so far with a new one coming out soon. I don't know if they all are of the life of the Bounty Hunter, Jess Williams, but I will read all as I plan too. He is a excellent author.

Young Jess Williams is on the trail again, this time in search of Tim Sloan, his twin brother whom he's never known. Word comes to him that his brother is waiting for him back in Black Creek in order to kill him for a $10,000 bounty placed on his head by a ranch owner who hates Jess for killing his only son.Those who have read the first installment of this series,  THE RECKONING: A Jess Williams Western , will be familiar with the story of how a teenager became a bounty hunter and fast drawn artist. Mentioned in that first story was the revelation to Jess that he had a twin brother who was taken from his mother at birth. Most of this book deals with their inevitable meeting.Students of psychology will also know of the on-going argument of nature versus nurture in the development of a person's value system and personality and the debate over which one is more important. This book sides strongly on the nurture side of the argument as the "good" twin, Jess was raised in a loving home with solid traditional values instilled in him while the "bad" twin, Tim, was raised mostly by his mean-spirited, poker cheat, misogynist father who passed all of these negative traits onto his son. The contrasts are not subtle.There is a somewhat humorous subplot involving two naïve, would-be bounty hunters from back East whom Jess befriends.While the story is gripping, the book fails in its atrocious formatting and poor copy editing. The formatting is slightly better than that in the first book, but it still needs a lot of work to make it consistent and more readable throughout the book. A copy editor who knows what a past participle is and how to use it properly is also sorely needed. These failings cost the book a star in my rating.I'm hooked on the series and the Jess Williams character now, but I hope that the problems of formatting and editing improve with each new installment.Recommended for those who enjoy gritty Westerns.

I don't fancy Jess as a hero. But he is an "incognito Leader." He knows how to discipline the wild and dangerous emotion deep inside himself and, even, his neighbors. I look forward to more stories by this author. He is worthy of profound teachings.

Full of action, but also well developed characters you either side with or can't wait to see someone take the bad guy down.

Jess helps two green horn, bounty hunter want to bees from new york, faces his brother in a gun fight, and continues his mission to rid the world of bad guys.

After very mixed reviews, curiosity led me to read the first book in this series. It was overwritten, sophomoric, with often poor grammar and language not correct for the era. But, he wrote a novel. Something that few can do. After noting how many books that he had written, I expected that the second in the series would improve. It did. Either he found an editor or is learning his craft. He still doesn't know firearms, horses or much about camping, but his flaws are fewer. It will be interesting to read more of his work to find out if he continues to improve.

I love westerns, I call them my in between books. When I have read a thriller or two etc. I turn to a good western to relax. And this was a good western, well written with good characters and great action.Follows the traditional tale of revenge and a young hero with the skill to see it through.

Not as good as the first book for the story was repetitive and the dialogue was dreadful. Nobody speaks like the characters in this book so the whole adventure became unbelievable. I see there are over thirty books in the series but I will read no more!

A great western story in the williams western series. Jess rides back to his home town and to settle things with Carter and to track his brother down. Recommended

A very good western. I will read the next in the series but not now.Perhaps a bit too violent. Maybe more information about the hero"s friends.yt?

Great writing style, inticate plot, and a very enjoyable read overall.