With his life on the line, it’s all or nothing for a pro gambler making new enemies of every loser who dares to stand against him. Blood on the Cards by Rex Canyon, set in the feisty gunslinging era of the West, follows the daring Samuel Spencer as he ventures across the states seeking his next big win, trying to escape the merciless men hot on his trail. Each deadly encounter pushed his carefree heart to its limits. Is it right to kill? Is it self-defense or murder? Is revenge the only option? Some things are worth fighting for even when you only get a single life on this Earth. So in the end, if he goes down, he'll do everything his eight remaining fingers can manage to stay afloat.

The flashing scenes and build-up in each fight felt like I was watching a Clint Eastwood movie. There was always someone out to get him; with little rest and plenty of trouble, his life was vibrant and full of adventure. Spencer had a strange moral code—more suited to the rough environment of that time. He minded his own business, didn’t shirk in his trade, and always knew how to bounce back because he was good at what he did. Rex Canyon did an excellent job of explaining gambling. I enjoyed the subtle mind games between the gamblers. It was exciting to read how each gambler navigated their way to making a living. It was a fresh perspective for me. I think Blood on the Cards would suit readers with a passion for Western fiction.

Blood on the Cards by Rex Canyon tells a tough Western story about Samuel Elliott Spencer, who starts as a simple ranch worker but becomes a deadly gunfighter who's missing two fingers. After a violent fight in which he loses his fingers, Sam learns to stay alive by playing poker and throwing knives. He travels from town to town, moving through saloons and dusty streets, facing old enemies and new ones. His most dangerous rivals are the notorious Beekman brothers. When Sam ends up in Denver, he has to risk everything in one final fight that will show if his luck has finally run out. This exciting story about revenge and survival in the Wild West keeps readers wondering what will happen next from start to finish.

Author Rex Canyon writes about the American Old West in a way that feels completely real and true to history. I was amazed by how he made everything feel dangerous and how you could hear the wooden floors creak and smell the whiskey in the saloons. Sam is a fascinating main character who becomes cleverer and more determined because of his missing fingers, not weaker. The story moves at a perfect pace, mixing personal fights for revenge with bigger ideas about justice and second chances. Canyon includes small historical details that make you feel like you're there, experiencing all the sights and sounds of the Old West. He takes things that are already familiar in Westerns and then adds a deeper understanding of how people think and feel, which kept me hooked on the emotions just as much as the action. I also felt the relationships between the characters were genuine. Overall, I highly recommend Blood on the Cards to anyone who enjoys Westerns with plenty of exciting action as well as great characters and vivid historical details.