Wednesday 17 September 2008

Lone Star #16

LONE STAR and the BADLANDS WAR
as by Wesley Ellis
Jove Nov. 1983

There’s trouble brewing in the Dakotas and a Starbuck ranch is right at its center. To head off violence, Jessie Starbuck and her Samurai bodyguard Ki, go north – and step into a full-blown range war. As Ki tangles with the local guns, Jessie takes on a mad Marquis who won’t stop at murder in his bid to take over the territory…

A series of books of which I have read many, most of which I’ve enjoyed. Not a lot of fighting action in this one, although the book does build to a violent final showdown. Not a surprise to find the Marquis is backed by the Cartel either, who Jessie has been fighting since the death of her father at the beginning of the series.*

The book was entertaining enough and well written, the inclusion of Theodore Roosevelt came over as credible too, he sides Jessie throughout most of the story.

Not a bad entry into the series but in my humble opinion there are better in this long running series – the series reached #153 books.

*This story is told in the first Longarm giant edition, Longarm and the Lone Star Legend. The first book of the Lone Star series begins after that title.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lone Star is an interesting series for the two unlikely heroes - although you want to not accept the characters of Ki and Jessica, you do regardless. Interesting that Jessica is written as sexually dominant as several male heroes a la Longarm, Spur McCoy. I haven't read this book, but have read several others in this series.

Steve M said...

Totally agree with your assessment of Jessie's character.

Lone Star had some great writers behind the pseudonym of Wesley Ellis and they produced some very good entries in the series.

joseph said...

Love the series. Love the main Characters. It is great when they john up with Longaerm.