Well, once again the legendary wordsmith writes another fantastic tale regarding the life and times of "problem-solver" Matthew Corbett. The latest installment follows Matthew as he is forced to do work for the director of evil, Professor Fell, in the Godfather-esque fashion - I'll make you an offer you can't refuse. For the first time Corbett meets him first-hand rather than through a proxy. 
 In the normal flair Robert McCammon is able to beautifully script his thoughts and put them to paper for his readers to enjoy. However, there are differences in this newest segment in the saga story-wise as compares to his first novels. Speaks the Nightbird, and The Queen of Bedlam, contained more plots that needed to be "figured out" and both involved great mysteries of the classic whodunit style. Everyone was a suspect and there was not a soul to trust who didn't have ulterior motives. Yet with the last two books in the series, Mister Slaughter and The Providence Rider, much of that Sherlock Holmes panache, "I must use deduction to solve this mystery" was absent and the last two books both were like a plowing tornado ripping through the land carrying with it more of an action packed yanked-by-the-seat-of-your-pants and quite possible perhaps part of the dangly bits with it. 
 I still feel compelled to grant this book 5 stars. I do feel think 4 and a half better suits this one, but I won't grant it 4 because the site does not allow the half star ratings. Therefore by default The Providence Rider gets a perfect score. Fans of the series may be a little let down, by the lack of mystery but as I said, only a little let down. Perhaps in the subsequent novel/novels the old formula will be returned and restored. 
 My only gripe with the book was the placement of the girl Fancy, or Pretty Girl Who Sits Alone. I'm not really sure her character really belongs in this book, as she was supposed to be the Indian girl who knew the hunter/tracker, Walks In Two Worlds, from the previous novel. I had one of those moments where I said to myself, "Really, out of all the places in all the world, Matthew would just happen to run into this girl." She seemed misplaced to me and somewhat overused. I think having a random Indian woman as a slave owned by the two Thatcher boys would have painted a more realistic story than the "just so happened to be the native girl mentioned in the last book". However, all in all it was a fun ride and once again it was one that I hated to see end.