Not of War Only

Vibrant characters and vivid battle scenes form the core of this exuberant but seriously flawed chronicle of the Mexican Revolution. Two-time Golden Spur winner Zollinger ( Riders to Cibola ) builds his story around the changing relationship between Jorge Martinez, a fugitive from American justice who becomes a major in Pancho Villa's army, and Corey Lane (hero of Zollinger's 1989 novel Corey Lane) , a lawman, historian and erstwhile spy who here tracks the fortunes of Mexico's various political forces for the U.S. State Department. While his melodramatic prose can test reader patience, Zollinger paints bright pictures of Villa, Zapata and other Mexican generals as they jockey for position amid governmental chaos. His historical explanations render the complex politics comprehensible without trivializing the power struggles, and the shifting rivalry and friendship between Lane and Martinez proves engaging even though it strains credibility at times. Unfortunately, Zollinger positions his climactic battle scene three-quarters of the way through the book, leaving the nearly 100 remaining pages to serve as mop-up space aimed at tying up stray plot strands and resolving the tepid, mawkish romance pursued by each protagonist. Though very timely, given the current peasant uprisings in Mexico, and featuring enough light, winning moments to be occasionally enjoyable, this ambitious novel of war and politics is not likely to sweep readers away. (May)