The Vanquished

“But remember one thing—the greatest failure of all is failure for the want of trying.”

“What?”

“Keep hold on the truth. You’re the master of your world, Charley, as long as you live by and for your own life. There’s a lot of time in the day. Cover it at a steady pace, boy, and use it like a tool. Don’t lose it—don’t squeeze yourself flat. When you see a chance, take it.”

Another fine lean novel from the reliable Brian Garfield. Here the author uses an actual filibustering expedition South of the Border as the backdrop of placing men under pressure to see who and what shakes out in the end.

A long grim desert trek is the centerpiece of the tale and one can feel the harsh parched climate leeching the moisture from the skin with each miserable step taken.

Fans of Leonard and Sheriffs will find much to admire here.