I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A woman on a mission of vengeance is caught off guard when facing her final challenge in author Peter Gibson and Stephenson Crossley’s “Subtraction.”

The Synopsis

In the alkali flats of 1869 Colorado Territory, Clara Kane counts.

Seventeen names. Seventeen men who burned her parents alive and left her and her brother for dead. Half-Chinese and orphaned at ten, Clara has spent twelve years turning grief into geometry: every bullet drop, every wind drift, every heartbeat between shots. The mathematics don’t lie. They never do.

Now the last ten targets are gathered in the desert city of New Rome. One final night. One perfect count.

But when her brother reappears after twelve years-alive, disguised, and working for the man who destroyed them-Clara’s precision begins to fracture. And at the moment she needs it most, the mathematics fail her.

What remains is a woman who has counted everything except the cost of becoming the thing she hunts. A haunting literary Western about revenge, identity, and what we measure when the world refuses to measure us.

THE REVIEW

This was a compelling and engaging western revenge thriller. The almost poetic, cinematic style of writing the authors brought to life on the page allowed the reader to feel immediately immersed in the narrative, from the shifting setting of New Rome to the personal, close-up moments of vengeance that the protagonist engages in, allowing readers to step into each scene with clarity and engage with the characters on a personal level.

The detail and heart the author infused into these characters and this narrative in such a short time was astonishing. The way the author infused so much emotional storytelling into a narrative that was not only shorter but also involved a protagonist who has renounced emotions is powerful and compelling. The powerful themes of vengeance and the lines people cross to seek their own justice highlight the dangerous path those individuals risk in becoming the very thing they hate, and readers can feel that conflict grow as the protagonist’s journey unfolds. 

THE VERDICT

Exhilarating, thrilling, and compelling, authors Peter Gibson and Stephenson Crossley’s “Subtraction” is a must-read western revenge thriller. The depth of storytelling and character dynamics, along with the exploration of the many ways people deal with grief, make this Western a haunting, fast-paced thrill ride that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. If you haven’t yet, grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Authors

Peter Gibson is a filmmaker and writer. Mentored by Joseph Papp, he founded Cottontail Films — producing award-winning campaigns for Mercedes and Vogue, films including Kill Your Darlings and Free, and the Broadway production of The Ten Commandments. With creative partner Stephenson Crossley he created the TV series The Mountain and co-authored the western novella Subtraction, which Kirkus Reviews called “bracingly sophisticated but highly entertaining.” He lives in Los Angeles and is blessed with a wife, a daughter, and two sons.

Stephenson studied Philosophy and English at Colgate University, which furthered his love of storytelling and led Stephenson to working for Gary Goldman and then in feature development at Disney. 

Though Stephenson loved the engineering of what makes a good story great, he also wanted to explore the nuts and bolts of physical production and took on almost every role on a film set — making and producing short films, commercials, animation, reality television, scripted television and motion pictures. 

He found his groove in managing locations and is now a 23-year veteran. He is one of the most sought after location managers in the world, having been nominated for multiple Cola awards and winning for Bliss and recognized by LMGI as a pioneer in the field. Further, his collaborations with directors and production designers has led them to be nominated for and win Academy Awards, BAFTA’s, Emmy’s and Golden Globes. Stephenson has managed locations for projects including Nocturnal Animals, Transformers, Bliss, Homecoming, Dead to Me, Borat, Walking Dead, Mythic Quest, and more. His great grandparents Florenz Ziegfeld and Billie Burke have left him with shoes impossible to fill.

https://www.gibsoncrossley.com/team-1