July 1, 1996
Seldom have the themes of trust and forgiveness been so well treated as they are in Anderson's (Annie's Song) latest. Ace Keegan, a legendary gunman, comes home to No Name, Colo., to avenge his murdered stepfather and learns that the killer's already dead. When the killer's son crosses Ace, Ace threatens to hang the boy until his sister, Caitlin O'Shannessy, offers herself to save her brother. Ace is impressed by the girl's courage but takes a raincheck. Even so, word begins to spread that the bargain was indeed consummated, and Caitlin's reputation is ruined. As both Ace and her brother try to convince her to marry, old well-founded fears of sexual intimacy resurface. Ace, despite his alpha-male persona, is a paragon of patience and understanding, a romantic hero in every way.