Rio Hondo

Three Rivers Trilogy, Book 3

by

Preston Lewis

 Western / Historical Fiction / Action & Adventure

Publisher: Five Star

Pages: 373 pages

Publication Date: May 18, 2022

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With the embers of the Lincoln County War still burning, rancher Wes Bracken must rebuild his life amid the white-hot animosities lingering from the deadly feud. His vengeful brother-in-law vows to kill him, the county’s economic kingpin seeks revenge, and the despicable outlaw Jesse Evans, who violated Bracken’s wife, intends to murder Bracken and his young family. Two promises complicate Bracken’s survival chances: a pledge not to kill his wife’s brother and a commitment to help William H. Bonney earn a governor’s pardon for his crimes. To survive and fulfill his dream of a peaceful life in 1880s New Mexico Territory, Bracken must fight a corrupt legal system, a duplicitous governor, a ubiquitous political ring, and the evil Jesse Evans. If Bracken keeps his promises to his wife and Billy the Kid, he risks an early grave in the same soil that holds so many of the Lincoln County War’s dead. If he ignores those pledges, he will dishonor the good name he hopes to build his future upon.

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Excerpt from Chapter Twenty

of Rio Hondo

by Preston Lewis

Wes strode toward the governor’s quarters. Stepping up on the porch he knocked firmly on the door.

“Enter, Orderly,” came the governor’s voice.

Wes opened the door and stepped inside.

“You’re early, but I’m ready for breakfast,” the governor called, looking up from his stack of papers and shaking his head. “I thought you were the mess orderly. I’m not seeing visitors.”

“The name’s Wes Bracken, remember? I met with you and the Kid when you promised him a pardon if he testified in all these proceedings.”

“I can’t pardon him for a crime on the Indian reservation.”

“Then pardon him for the shooting of Sheriff Brady.”

Lew Wallace stood up from his desk and shook his head. “I can’t see how a fellow like him can expect any clemency from me, as he showed none to his victims.”

“But you promised him he would walk free with a pardon in his pocket if he testified in the legal proceedings,” Wes pleaded. “He’s done just that.”

“Let me tell you, Bracken, when you get an appointment like governor to a territory as corrupt as New Mexico, you think you will go in and right all the wrongs. You are mistaken. You don’t know all the pressures and all the influences that make it near impossible to even tell right from wrong, much less correct it.”

“It’s the Santa Fe Ring, isn’t it? You and everyone else have sold out to their corruption. You don’t care who gets crushed.”

“Like I said, Bonney doesn’t deserve clemency for what he did.”

“He tried to make things right, and put his life at risk several times in doing so, and you don’t have the decency to abide by your commitment.”

Wallace pointed to the door. “It’s called politics. Politicians make a lot of promises they have no intention of keeping. It’s for the better good. Now leave before I call for soldiers to throw you out.”

“In all of Lincoln’s bad moments, there’s not been one lower than this, Governor. The Kid deserved better.”

“Bonney deserves what I’m giving him. Now get out, Bracken, or I’ll have you arrested for threatening me.”

Wes spun around and rumbled out the door, slamming it behind him.

Preston Lewis is the Spur Award-winning author of 40 westerns, historical novels, juvenile books, and memoirs.  He has received national awards for his novels, articles, short stories, and humor.

In 2021 he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary accomplishments.  Lewis is past president of Western Writers of America and the West Texas Historical Association.

His historical novel Blood of Texas on the Texas Revolution earned a Spur Award as did his True West article on the Battle of Yellow House Canyon.  He developed the Memoirs of H.H. Lomax series, which includes two Spur finalists and a Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award for western humor for his novel Bluster’s Last Stand on the battle of Little Big Horn.  His comic western The Fleecing of Fort Griffin and two of his YA novels have won Elmer Kelton Awards for best creative work on West Texas from the West Texas Historical Association.

He began his writing career working for Texas daily newspapers in Abilene, Waco, Orange, and Lubbock before going into university administration.  During his 35-year career in higher education, he directed communications and marketing offices at Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and Angelo State University.

Lewis holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Baylor University and master’s degrees from Ohio State in journalism and Angelo State in history.  He lives in San Angelo with his wife, Harriet.

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