Book review: The Last Warrant by Darrel Sparkman

Blurb:

When U.S. Deputy Marshal Luke Randall trails outlaw Johnny Ruskin across Indian Territory to Joplin, Missouri, he knows what he’ll find—a wide-open and boisterous mining town full of crooked gamblers, outlaws, lawmen dispensing justice for money, and more whorehouses than outhouses.

He plans to find the killer and put him on a train to Fort Smith—or bury him. Ruskin is as ruthless as they come, and Luke has been doing some thinking on this assignment—does he want to spend the rest of his life wondering if every warrant he serves will be his last? When he meets Sarah McBride, she brings more to the table than a good meal—the offer of the kind of life he’s always dreamed of.

Luke has to finish what he started with Johnny Ruskin, but death is all around him. Can he and Sarah get out of Joplin alive? No matter what, he must serve THE LAST WARRANT…

My Review:

What happens when you get a disillusioned US Marshal trying to figure out what he truly wants out of life -- to keep going till an outlaw bullet gets him finally, or take a chance at having a peaceful, good life back home on his ranch? But what's really waiting back at the ranch but an empty house and some cows?

Luke, while being a tough as nails marshal, also had some quirks that made him a bit softer on the inside, and more human. (I still giggle with some consequences of his job and some injuries that come with it.) He had a sense of honor and forgiveness.... of mercy and respect, for both law-abiding citizens and outlaws (but ya know, the more evil of an outlaw you are, the more ruthlessly he's gonna react and deal with you... just sayin'. haha). But he also didn't let others run roughshod over him. I adored when he first met Sarah and the eyes they made at each other and their connection.

Sarah proved very quickly she was the missing piece Luke'd been looking for -- the perfect woman to handle and fit in with his life, whatever he decided to do. She had a strength and cute sassy attitude that complimented him well.

Oh, and I enjoyed the little cross over with Rawlings from Rescue Trail. :) (I *love* that story!)

This is an excellent short novella that gives you all the goodness of a gritty western with a sweet helping of a love story all wrapped up in an easy to read package. Definitely not a story to skip over when you're looking for a short little somethin' to tide ya over.

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