The Big Showdown

Book excerpt: The sheriff is about to head for greener pastures—until outlaws stain his small town with blood in the New York Times bestselling author's action Western. Caleb York is saddling up to try his hand as a Pinkerton man out California way. But before he can leave Trinidad, New Mexico, a peaceful morning erupts in a barrage of gunfire. When the dust settles, Caleb has gunned down two bad men, with another just dodging a ticket to hell . . . after leaving Trinidad's new sheriff dead in the street. Lightning quick, Caleb rides after the fleeing gunman, only to be swept up in an evil wind blowing back through the sleepy town, threatening its very existence. Caleb's only chance to restore justice is to load his guns, dig in his spurs, and take on a ruthless killer. In a town riddled with bullets and hoping for a hero, Caleb York is ready to face the vengeful outlaws in a chilling, storm-swept showdown. Shortly before his death, legendary crime writer Mickey Spillane asked that his friend and protégé Max Allan Collins—himself an acclaimed writer—complete his unfinished works. Among them was an unproduced screenplay featuring Sheriff Caleb York, which sparked the action-packed, truly gritty Caleb York Western series. Praise for Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins “Collins displays his mastery of Spillane's distinctive two-fisted prose.” —Publishers Weekly “Spillane is a pioneer of tough-guy ethics.” —Washington Post