Louis Masterson (AKA: Kjell Hallbing) wrote eighty-three Morgan Kane novels between 1966-1985 in his native Norway. The series became a bestseller and sold some eleven million copies in Norway alone. Still around today, a movie is supposedly in the works and the film company acquired ebook rights to the series. Kane is a Texas Ranger in the early books, then becomes a U.S. Marshal somewhere along the line.
The idea was to use the ebooks as promotion. Along those lines, a bit over a year ago I received an email fron someone in the publicity department of the film company inquiring if I’d be interested in a printed copy, one of a thousand, of the first Morgan Kane novel, WITHOUT MERCY, to do a review. Of course I snapped one up.
Things have been quiet on all fronts since then with only that first book available as an ebook. The word I got when I asked was that they were working on acquiring the entire series first(only forty-one had ever been translated into English for the British market). I think I’ve given up on the ebooks and began picking up one of the British titles occasionally. Most are beyond what I’m willing to pay though. The Facebook listing has no recent posts and the announcement about acquiring the whole series goes back into last fall.
Geronimo and Natchez have left the reservation with a hundred braves and are raiding and killing. General Crook is coming from Washington for a meeting.
U.S. Marshal Morgan Kane is assigned to find out who’s selling guns and liquor to the Apaches before Crook’s meeting.
Plenty of action for our hero and a certain obstinate female reporter, Kate Coleman, Kane’s lover, who’s certain she can reason with Geronimo. Against Kane’s advice, she inserts herself into the niddle and makes for one more mess Kane must clean up.
Good story, but not the most dynamic cover.
Not The Baseball Pitcher 