as by Logan WintersA Black Horse Western from Hale, April 2009
A haunted cabin in the middle of the wild great plains? Not exactly, but that was the way the pretty little slip of a girl, Kate McCallister, characterized it when young Ben Flowers appeared to take possession of the property. When she showed him the hundred or so bullet holes in the cabin walls, he understood what she meant. The place was shadowed by many violent memories, and some of them were to return to haunt it again.
It was Ben’s first and maybe only chance to build a life of his own, and if it was necessary, he was determined to fight off the spectres of the past with the cold steel of his own guns.
Logan Winters knows how to write a fast paced book filled with well drawn characters that will soon have you wondering what will happen to them all, as the different groups of people get drawn to Ben Flowers’ new property.
As readers we know from the beginning what the secret is, as does a couple of the badmen. Right up to the end Flowers has no idea why mysterious gunmen are trying to kill him, he’s more concerned with fixing up the cabin and wondering about his feeling towards Kate McCallister.
There’s plenty of action, evil badguys plotting to double-cross each other as well as killing everyone else, and a mystery for the characters. As well as this there’s the falling in love storyline for Ben and Kate, which offers some amusing situations and dialogue.
Overall a traditional style western that makes for a very entertaining read from beginning to end.
The pseudonym, Logan Winters, got me to wondering as to the identity of the writer. Back in the early 1980’s a series of fantasy/western books were published under the title of Spectros, the authors name being that of Logan Winters, who I believe, is really Paul Lederer.
On The Great Plains is published on April 30th 2009, but having said that it would seem the book is on sale now.
9 comments:
It sounds like a good read. I wonder how it came to be released early?
I think most of the internet sellers have these books in stock (and from other publishers) well before the offical release date so they offer them for sale straight away.
I'd love to know if the Black Horse Westerns like this one and the ones by Owen G. Irons are actually by Lederer, and if they're new books or reprints of some of his older novels. He was really prolific during the Eighties and then dropped out of sight in the early Nineties.
So would I James. It would seem strange that someone else was using the same pseudonym though. There's nothing in the books saying they've been printed before.
James, Steve
I'm pursuing this one, though I'm ashamed to say only with such speed as an overfull schedule lately has allowed. I understand the writer IS Paul Lederer. I'm told he doesn't have email and I have a conventional mailing address in California. My intermediary tells me he will be "happy to help you out with any info on him for your site" (blackhorsewesterns.com)
Keith
That's good to know, Keith. I'm looking forward to seeing what you find out. I've really enjoyed what I've read of Lederer's work.
Like James, I'd be interested in your findings Keith.
Late update . . . the word from Paul is that he does have email but has been "between" computers and servers. He apologizes for making me lick a stamp -- "I didn't know anyone but me still knew how".
He concludes, "Anyway, I will remain in touch and do my best to feed you some information.
However! Tell everyone I'm still kicking and the books are not reprints."
Thanks for the update Keith, looking forward to finding out more as you do.
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