Western Fiction Review

The Hellrakers

2012-01-30T14:46:00.001Z

By Owen G. Irons

Hale, January 2012

Meeting the Van Connely gang was like coming face to face with hell. Skyler Lynch had hired them, along with his old friend Randy Staggs, to help him drive a herd of horses southward to the Pocono country, where he and his daughter, Kate, had a little ranch.

Van Connely didn’t take long to steal the herd and murder Lynch, before setting off on a rampage across the Southwest. He wasn’t the kind of man to reflect on the past but perhaps he should have.

After all, he had left Randy Staggs alive, and Randy had vowed to track him down even if he had to follow him to the ends of the earth….

This book follows both Staggs and the Connely gang, switching between them so the reader can follow the paths of both. Most of the action comes from the Connely gang as the reader witnesses their trail of destruction and mayhem.

Not only does Staggs have a vengeance quest to fulfil, but he also has to break the news of Lynch’s death to his daughter. Staggs’ also has problems with a horse, and it’s this that will make this an appealing book to all horse lovers, as this animal is as much a star of the story as any of the human characters.

Like always, Owen G. Irons (really prolific author Paul Lederer), presents the reader with a fast moving, easy to read story that revolves around a well thought-out plot, that will keep the reader hooked.

Although the final showdown between Stagg’s and Connely is as expected the method of the outlaws’ death comes as a complete surprise, and is one I haven’t read of very often in a BHW, or indeed any other western, making for a neat ending, that once again left me looking forward to the next book by this author.

Morgan Kane: The Star and the Gun

2012-01-26T16:14:00.001Z

By Louis Masterson

WR Films Entertainment Group, Inc.

eBook, January 2012

It started with the mobile brothel…

In New Orleans, Texas Ranger Morgan Kane carried out orders to go after a crook named Tilder. Kane learned about trouble up at Fort Henderson - Tilder ran a bar and brothel on wheels fleecing soldiers. An officer was killed and a corporal blinded. Tilder had been discharged from Fort Henderson for swindling … he wanted revenge.

Kane would take care of Tilder, but who else had a piece of the brothel? How were the girls recruited? A sadistic dandy and his fat, crazy sidekick were somehow involved – and when one of the girls tried to help Kane she was found hacked to death with a barber’s knife. Kane was never squeamish – but this case turned even his stomach.

Louis Masterson really does come up with the goods here, in both developing Kane’s character and in superb storytelling. The reader will find out more about Kane’s weaknesses – women and alcohol – and how determined he can be when fuelled by revenge.

Masterson also creates two of the most memorable villains in the series, Lonnie Kidd and Claus Winter. Deadly, sadistic, with hinted at perversions that Kane finds repulsive, these two men are nearly Kane’s undoing. It’s after a brutal beating by them that Kane’s lust for vengeance rises to drive his being and in turn reveals just how deadly the lawman can be.

Towards the end of the story Masterson really does excel himself with some top class writing that sees Kane racing against time, the sense of urgency, the feeling that for all Kane’s efforts his frantic ride may be all for nothing, really comes across strongly, leaving the reader as breathless as Kane.

Does Kane manage to save the day and kill the badguys or is he destined to fail and wallow in more heartache? They are questions I’m not going to answer here, you’ll just have to read the book and find out for yourselves and in doing so I’m sure you’ll find yourself enjoying this story as much as I did.

The Morgan Kane books can also be bought from itunes, and other Internet bookstores.

Six Ways of Dying

2012-01-25T21:12:00.000Z

By Cody Wells

Hale, January 2012

In his wildest dreams, Angelo never imagined he would forge such an unusual partnership with an old man, two tough brothers, their hired gunmen…and a treasure map. Though it had started well, in less time than it takes to cock a Colt the whole deal was going bad.

Determined to get even, Angelo sets out to track down the men who double-crossed him. Only this time, he is saddled with an arrogant cavalry officer, some raw recruits and a beautiful girl – with whom he has fallen helplessly in love.

Upon meeting Ulzana, the Apache renegade, they find themselves outnumbered and exhausted. But Angelo doesn’t give a damn about the odds. If he has to go down, he’ll go down fighting.

This is Cody Wells first Black Horse Western, but not the first tale to star Angelo as he has already appeared in the short-story Angelo and the Strongbox, which explains how he met his sidekick Mr. Jinx, a dog that features prominently in this book too.

When Angelo and co discover just where the treasure is put a big grin on my face as it reminded me of the kind of problems the stars of one of my favourite western TV series, Alias Smith and Jones, often found themselves tackling. It was great seeing how Angelo set about recovering the hidden fortune, which, of course, doesn’t go according to plan and Angelo’s troubles really begin.

Unusually for a Black Horse Western these days, this one has plenty of battles between cavalry and Indians. There are lots of other fights too as the race to get hold of the treasure heats up and Angelo sets out to get justice for the wrongs done to him.

Cody Wells has written an easy to read story that flows effortlessly through its plot of twists and turns, that makes for an entertaining way to pass a couple of hours.

Six Ways of Dying is officially published on January 31st, but is available now from the usual Internet bookstores.

Miles to Little Ridge

2012-01-24T16:44:00.001Z

By Heath Lowrance

Beat to a Pulp, December 2011

U.S. Marshal Gideon Miles finds himself in the sleepy town of Little Ridge, Montana, on the search for a wanted man. But just as Miles enters town, he's spotted by a hard case who recognizes Miles as the lawman that killed his friend. Now Miles must face the wanted man, who claims his innocence and is raising a daughter on his own, while the hard case and a ne'er-do-well partner are gunning for him.

Edward A. Grainger created Gideon Miles and here we have a short story about that character written by Heath Lowrance.

I’ve never read anything by Heath Lowrance before – Edward A. Grainger (real name David Cranmer) must have faith in him to allow him to write about one of his two heroes, the other being Cash Laramie, who gets a brief mention in this story – and I found his writing style to be very readable, and I liked how Miles finds himself fighting for his life against two men he never expected to be trading lead with. In fact the main mission of Miles’ is really just a second plot line to the story.

Like in Grainger’s own stories this one also manages to squeeze in a little bit of racial hatred, and I felt this was handled well, although the seasoned western reader will have read countless such scenes in many books before, whether about black men, red, or half-breeds.

What I liked best about this tale was Miles’ determination to arrest the man he was after, no matter how many told him this man was innocent. How Miles will not deviate from doing his job and says the courts will decide whether the man is convicted or not. Many other fictional western lawmen would tend to take these matters into their own hands and decide to free the man if they felt so moved to do so.

If you want a short, fast read then this western novella ticks all the boxes. If you want an action packed tale, then once again this provides just that. If you want an entertaining read then that’s exactly what this is. If you want value for money then at $0.99 (£0.77) how can you pass this by?

Pay Dirt

2012-01-21T16:33:00.000Z

By Lee Walker

Hale, January 2012

Jim Payne, Sheriff of Cedar Springs, thinks nothing of it when he is asked by his Ma to deliver a letter to his estranged brother, Michael. However the trail leads him to Golden Gulch, a dangerous Californian boomtown, high on gold fever and in the tight grip of the ruthless conman, Coleridge Craven, and his henchman, Kid Cassidy.

When Jim hands over the letter, he thinks his job is done but it seems Golden Gulch just doesn’t want to let him go. An old family feud, a miner’s revolt and the murderous intentions of Craven and the Kid are just some of the trials he faces if he ever wants to leave Golden Gulch alive….

At last Lee Walker’s second BHW has appeared. After reading his first, Gun Law, I was looking forward to this one.

The book starts with a horrific prologue, which explains the animosity between brothers Jim and Michael Payne. The story then jumps forward a number of years and the reader joins Jim as he arrives in Golden Gulch. It isn’t long before he finds himself confronting Craven and becomes a target for the conman’s hired guns.

Lee Walker has come up with a great bunch of characters that are a pleasure to read about. The story moves forward quickly and is filled with well-written action scenes that paint vivid images within the mind. The final blazing showdown takes up a good portion of the book and provides an exciting conclusion to the story.

Lee Walker is a pseudonym used by Ed Ferguson, and he writes in an easy to read style that defies you to put the book down before the end.

Once more, like after finishing Gun Law, I’m left looking forward to the third western from Lee Walker.

Pay Dirt is officially released on January 30th but is available now from the usual Internet bookstores.

Death Devil

2012-01-18T17:30:00.000Z

THE TRAILSMAN #363

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, January 2012

1861, the Ozark Mountains – where hate ran rampant andlife was cheap.

Deep in the Ozark Mountains, there’s a killer disease on theloose, and the only one who can stop it is the beautiful Dr. Belinda Jackson. Amad fever is spreading like wildfire, and with the gun-toting galoots,flimflamming snake oil salesmen, and distrustful denizens around her, the docis at the end of her rope. Luckily, the Trailsman has just the bedside mannerto get the job done….

Jon Sharpe fills this story will some terrific characters,all of which are going to provide one kind of a headache or another for Fargo.There’s the on going feud between Dr. Belinda Jackson and the doctor who was inthe area before her, Charlie Dogood. Belinda also has to deal with many localsmistrust of a female doctor and their reluctance to let her tend them. Otherproblems for The Trailsman include the young kid who likes to rob people for fun,there is also the crazy bowman running around in the woods loosing arrows atanyone at anytime. Never mind the locals who just want to see him dead or runout of town.

Once locals begin to believe the fever is rabies the storytakes an even darker tone, as a number of horrific killings take place in anattempt to stop the spread of the disease. Fargo and Belinda receive somebrutal treatment, which sees the Trailsman’s anger boiling over and this leadsto some exciting, and savage, action sequences that provide for grippingreading.

I know there are those who don’t read this series due to itsadult content. For a long time now this has been cut right down and this bookhas even less than expected, so I’d suggest you don’t pass it by just becauseyou don’t like a lot of sex in your westerns.

The story also has an ending of the type that hasn’t croppedup in a Trailsman book for a long time. Powerful and memorable, which allowsthe author (in this case David Robbins writing as Jon Sharpe) to show how Fargodeals with an emotional battering. Occasionally having this kind of ending to abook is surprising, and adds strength to the series in my opinion and issomething I’d welcome more of as it makes it difficult to predict just how eachbook will end and therefore keeps me coming back for more.

And is the disease rabies? I guess you’ll just have to readthe book to find out the answer to that question….

Seems Amazon have made a mistake with the cover image in the links below, the links will take you to the correct book - the cover they are showing is for a latter book.

Howard Hopkins, 1961 - 2012

2012-01-16T15:24:00.001Z

It's with great sadness that I write this post in memory of writer Howard Hopkins, perhaps better known to western readers as Lance Howard, whose 30+ books were published by Hale under their Black Horse Westerns imprint.

Howard was one of the first authors I ever swapped emails with and he was generous enough to send me a book or two and he was one of the first BHW authors I read. We are also exactly the same age, born on December 12th 1961. It seems he died of heart failure whilst walking in the snow on January 12th.

An obituary can be found here all with details about his service.

Comments can be left at his Facebook page here.

Howard, you will be greatly missed.

No Coward

2012-01-14T16:23:00.001Z

By Lee Clinton

Hale, January 2012

When a man has nothing left to lose be careful, he can be dangerous, very dangerous – and Olford Tate is now such a man. At the end of a cattle drive from Texas to Missouri, a physician hands the young cowboy a death sentence. His dangerous state of mind results in the cold, calculated killing of a man in front of a room full of witnesses.

When an aging US marshal with a missing finger and hard-nosed approach to the law comes to his defence, it results in an odd and unlikely partnership. But is Marshal Henry Owens being straight with young Olford or using him for his own purposes? What follows is a treacherous and unpredictable journey as their relationship is tested to the point where there is no room for the coward.

After really enjoying Lee Clinton’s first BHW, Raking Hell, I was very much looking forward to this, his second book, which has taken just under a year to appear, was it worth the wait?

Like his previous book this story is told mostly in short chapters. The print is also very small putting this into the category of longer BHW. Adding to the length of the story is the fact that the chapters start just a few lines down from the end of the previous one, rather than on a new page like the majority of BHW, so this book provides the reader with a much longer read than expected from this publishers westerns.

Another element that makes this book standout from other BHW is the fact that women have very little parts to play, there isn’t any romance to be found, unless you count Tate’s infatuation with a singer, which is only a brief part of the story.

The relationship between Tate and Owens makes for fascinating reading, as the reader knows Owens’ plan and will have to wonder how Tate will react when, and if, he finds out the truth. Their friendship grows through a deadly walk to safety, which makes for some tense and gripping reading.

Action scenes are sudden, brutal, and gruesome. Owens’ mission seemingly being thwarted by paperwork – not that this would bother him as he has his own rules of making life easy by simply killing those who wrong him or the law.

Of course the reader knows there can’t be a happy ending for Tate, due to his illness, but I sure didn’t expect the book to finish as it does. This dramatic conclusion being another surprise for those who have read many BHW as this type of ending just doesn’t happen very often – in fact I can’t remember reading another that ends quite like this. Powerful, gritty and memorable.

So, to answer my question of whether this book was worth the wait, I’d say most definitely. Let’s just hope it’s not nearly a year before Lee Clinton’s next book comes out.

No Coward is officially released on January 31st, but is available now from the usual Internet sources.

Unmasked

2012-01-10T17:15:00.001Z

Edited by Tom Roberts

Black Dog Books, 2011

Everyone recognizes the names of Hopalong Cassidy, the LoneRanger, Zorro and the Cisco Kid. But how many actually know the characters fromtheir fictional roots? Years before appearing in film, on radio and television,their creators painted a rather different picture of each than Hollywoodpresented on the silver screen.

Unmasked collects the first appearances of HopalongCassidy, the Cisco Kid and Zorro plus a forgotten novel of the Lone Ranger.

Once again Black Dog Books presents the reader with aquality book that proves to be both entertaining and fascinating. The bookbegins with a brief look at the history of each of the four characters,concentrating mostly on their film and TV appearances, written by Francis M.Nevins. This informative introduction includes a number of black and whitereproductions of film stills, posters and pulp covers.

Tom Roberts writes a short editorial essay to explain theorigins of each story, or set of stories in the case of Hopalong Cassidy, thatprovides some great background to the tales, their writers and their heroes.

It’s here that I must admit to never having read anythingfrom any of the authors in this collection before, nor have I ever seen aHopalong Cassidy film or show, likewise with the Cisco Kid. Zorro I’ve seen acouple of times, with the Lone Ranger being the most familiar to me from TV.This all means that I didn’t have any real knowledge to compare what is onoffer here with, so this is where Tom Roberts essays came into their own.

The six Hopalong Cassidy tales where all originallypublished in 1906, except the first one that is from 1905, and it’s these thatuse the most ‘cowboy dialogue’ that I found I had to read carefully tounderstand at times. Due to this these stories do come across as somewhatdated, so I was surprised by the Cisco Kid story that was published in 1907 asI expected more of the same, and didn’t get it – sure there is some but it isnot used anywhere near as heavily as in those Hopalong adventures.

The Cisco Kid story proved to be my favourite. This talepresents the Kid as a cruel outlaw who enjoys killing just for fun. The storyhas a neat twist, although it is easy to see it coming, but nevertheless makesfor a memorable ending. I was also surprised by the dark tone to this story.

The Zorro tale (from1919) is in fact an excerpt from a muchlonger story, but you don’t need to know what has gone before to enjoy it andget the flavour of Zorro’s character.

Finally there is the Lone Ranger novel, written by anunknown author. A story published in 1937, which didn’t come across as being dated,and offers the reader an intriguing mix of action and mystery as the LoneRanger attempts to prove a wrongly accused young mans innocence. Again theending was somewhat predictable but it was great fun getting there.

Unmasked is a book that should most definitely beadded to all western fans collections.

Contents:

Hopalong Cassidy by Clarence E. Mulford

The Fight at Buckskin

The Vagrant Sioux

Trials of a Peaceful Puncher

Hopalong Keeps His Word

The Advent of McAllister

Holding the Claim

The Cisco Kid by O. Henry

The Caballero’s Way

Zorro by Johnston McCulley

The Curse of Capistrano (excerpt)

The Lone Ranger by Anonymous

The Masked Rider’s Justice

Hangrope Law

2012-01-07T11:36:00.000Z

RANCHO DIABLO #2

By Colby Jackson

ebook, December 2010

AllSam Blaylock wants to do is make a home for himself and his family on the Texasranch known as Rancho Diablo. But then his son finds a wounded man alongsidethe Brazos River, and a deadly danger from the past soon threatens to ruineverything Sam is trying to build. Only gunsmoke and hot lead will make thingsright and give the Blaylock’s a fighting chance for the future!

The second book in the Rancho Diablo series introduces thereader to Sam Blaylock’s sons and daughters in more detail, although this bookconcentrates mainly on Titus. Titus is about to see his dreams of adventuretake on a savage reality.

Finding the wounded Orion Pike and taking him back to RanchoDiablo brings all kinds of problems to the Blaylock’s from both outlaws andlawmen. The reasons why the outlaws want Pike is a mystery and one the authorkeeps secret for most of the story, thus using this to hook the reader and keephim turning the pages.

The story moves forward at an ever-increasing pace and asmore characters are introduced the more the reader has to wonder how theBlaylock’s are going to preserve their good name. There is plenty of action anda tense standoff between the lawmen and Blaylock that fairly crackles withtough dialogue.

Colby Jackson is a pseudonym shared by three authors, and inthis case the man behind the name is James Reasoner. James ties up all the plotthreads neatly and left me eager to read more about the Blaylock family,something I’m going to do very soon as, at the moment, there are a further threebooks in the series.

Available as both ebooks and paperbacks the Rancho Diablo books are a series that no western fan should miss.

Angelo and the Strongbox

2012-01-05T15:41:00.002Z

By Cody Wells

Lobo ebook, August 2011

Heading for Tombstone, Arizona Territory to begin a new life, Angelo finds himself slap bang in the middle of a stagecoach hold-up. When fate forces him to take a long overdue rest in the town of Gatlin, he becomes a key player in trying to solve the mystery of the stolen strongbox.

This short story first appeared in the terrific anthology A Fistful of Legends, published in 2009. Cody Wells recently made it available as a stand-alone ebook that offers great value for money. ($0.99 / £0.77 at the time of writing this)

One of the main reasons for publishing it as an ebook is so that readers who are looking forward to reading Cody Wells’ first full length Black Horse Western, Six Ways of Dying, that will be published at the end of January, and also stars Angelo and partner Mr. Jinx, can catch up on just how these two teamed up.

Angelo is a memorable hero who finds himself up against some well-crafted villains. There’s plenty of action and more than one twist to the fast moving plot. And, of course, there’s Mr. Jinx, who will remain in any readers’ mind for a long time, and who adds moments of humour and terror (if you’re a man reading this) to the story.

Definitely a very entertaining read, that has me looking forward to Six Ways of Dying.

Cody Wells is a pseudonym used by Englishman Malcolm Elliot-Davy who now lives in America and works as a leathersmith.

Three for the Trail

2012-01-03T14:02:00.000Z

By Ben Bridges

An eBook: April 2011

For those who have yet to try a book by Ben Bridges, thenI’d suggest this is an excellent way to discover his writing. All three storiesin this collection have been published before (see the contents below for moredetails). The second tale features one of Ben Bridges’ series characters,Carter O’Brien.

All three stories are smooth-flowing and have well thought-outplots, each offering surprises along the way, particularly the third tale.Characters are well crafted and believable as is the dialogue. All provideexciting and suspenseful reading making them difficult to put down until thefinal word.

Ben Bridges is a pseudonym used by David Whitehead, and hehas also had many westerns published under his own name and a handful of otherpen-names, and has been busy making some of them available as ebooks (check hiswebsite for more details – a link can be found below) as I’m sure you’ll wantto read more of his books after reading this one. Three for the Trail sells at less that $1.50 and the same in English pounds, at prices like that how can you pass this book by?

Contents:

Lonigan Must Die! – a simple quest for vengeance turns intosomething much different. (First appeared in A Fistful of Legends, ExpressWesterns 2009)

Comanche Reckoning – a down-at-the-heel sheepherder and hisfamily have to set past hatreds aside when renegade Comanches attack theirmodest spread. (First appeared online at www.benbridges.co.uk2006)

Stretch-Hemp Station – an elderly couple struggle to keep aterrible secret that threatens to tear them apart. (First appeared in Where Legends Ride, Express Westerns 2007)

Macklin's Women - audio book

2011-12-31T12:29:00.000Z

THE GUNSMITH #1:

MACKLIN’S WOMEN

By J.R. Roberts

Speaking Volumes, December 2011

Ex-lawman Clint Adams makes his living as a travelling guntrader, a job which takes him all over the West. In a sleepy Missouri town hefinds a trio of beautiful women who will do anything – pay any price – to bereunited with their former “protector,” Con Macklin.

The Gunsmith agrees to take them to him and rides out on thedirty and dangerous trail to Mexico. He delivers the women but faces an army ofhardcases led by Macklin – who wants his women back and The Gunsmith dead.

This story first appeared as a paperback book way back inJanuary 1982 and has now become available as an ebook, a paperback, and an audio bookproduced by Speaking Volumes, and it’s the latter I’m looking at here.

Mackin’s Women is presented on 5 discs (it can also bebought as MP3s) and has a running time of approximately 6 hours. Each disc isdivided into a number of short tracks so if you have to stop listening part waythrough it is very easy to find your place again. After hearing a few of thesetracks there is a brief interlude of music that I presume signals chapter ends– I didn’t have my copy of the original book handy to check if my assumption is correct.

The story is read by Barry Campbell in clear and easy tohear speech; he alters his tone for dialogue and often lowers or raises hisvoice to differentiate between characters.

As many readers will already know The Gunsmith books arebilled as an adult western series and the difference between the amount of sexin this story and those being published today is dramatic. Gunplay is a regularoccurrence too, with Clint Adams often finding himself outnumbered, his superbability with a gun keeping him alive as he kills an impressive number ofhardcases. Along the way Clint finds himself backed by his old friend Wild BillHickok and meets a man called Earp. There’s also a few puzzles for Clint toponder on, such as trying to discover just what Macklin’s treasure is and whereit’s hidden, along with what Macklin is planning to do with his small army ofoutlaws, and who is sending gunmen to kill Macklin’s women.

Listening to this story proved to be a pleasurable experienceand I’m now looking forward to hearing the second book very soon.

Gunsmoke Over New Mexico

2011-12-30T15:41:00.001Z

By Dale Graham

Hale, December 2011

Nobody in the town of Tularosa is aware of the secret harboured by the proprietor of the local firearms store. The truth is that Sol Henshaw has never fired a gun in his life. All that changes when the infamous Clanton Gang rob the bank in the sleepy New Mexico town.

Instinctively, Sol grabs the nearest revolver and runs into the street. A lucky shot kills the gang leader thus foiling the theft. Revered as a hero, Sol’s picture is splashed across the front page of the Tularosa Tribune. The hot-headed younger brother of Rafe Clanton also sees it and wants revenge.

But all does not go according to plan and innocent victims are placed in the firing line. How can Sol Henshaw save his family and bring the gang to justice? Much blood will be spilled before the final denouement.

Dale Graham, who also writes under the pseudonym of Ethan Flagg, has written another fast paced and exciting story in this, his nineteenth book. The tale really shows how the press can be as much of a problem as the events it reports on.

Character studies are excellent, particularly those of Sol and his family. The gambler, Iron Mike Steel, hired to be Tularosa’s new lawman, is another memorable character, as are the various gang members.

There’s plenty of gun action before the final showdown that sees Sol Henshaw deciding to make the ultimate sacrifice, whether he dies or lives is something I’m not going to reveal here, I’ll just say that I think most western fans will enjoy reading this book and be thoroughly entertained whilst finding out.

This book is officially released today, and if you want a copy I’d suggest you grab one quickly as BHW tend to sell out fast.

Westerns read during 2011

2011-12-30T11:06:00.006Z

Here’s a list of the Westerns I’ve read this year (or listened to in one case). I’ve linked each to its review and will continue to update the links to those that I haven’t reviewed yet.

JANUARY READS – 12 books

1. Morgan Kane #37: Dead Man’s Shadow by Louis Masterson

2. Texas Horse Trading Co. #4: Devil’s Deathbed by Gene Shelton

3. Ambush at Lakota Crossing by Terrell L. Bowers

4. The Trailsman #351: Terror Town by Jon Sharpe

5. Bear Creek by Jack Edwardes

6. The Highwaymen by Owen G. Irons

7. The Spanish Bit Saga #18: Return of the Spanish by Don Coldsmith

8. Duel at Del Norte by Ethan Flagg

9. The Judge #8: River Raid by Hank Edwards

10. Angel Eyes #3: Wolf Pass by W.B. Longley

11. Sundance #5: The Pistoleros by John Benteen

12. Ride to Valor by David Robbins

FEBRUARY READS – 12 books

13. The Trailsman #352: Texas Tangle by Jon Sharpe

14. Longarm and the Panamint Panic (#387) by Tabor Evans

15. Outlaw Canyon by Jack Sheriff

16. Coyote Falls by Colin Bainbridge

17. Award-Winning Tales compiled by R.L. Coffield

18. The Snake River Bounty by Bill Shields

19. Matt Jensen: Dakota Ambush by William W. Johnstone with J.A. Johnstone

20. Raking Hell by Lee Clinton

21. The Rimfire Riders by John Robb

22. The Finest Frontier Town in the West by I.J. Parnham

23. Shannon: U.S. Marshal by Charles E. Friend

24. Pinkerton #1: The Babcock Boys by Desmond Reid

MARCH READS – 11 books

25. Redemption, Kansas by James Reasoner

26. The Trailsman #353: Bitterroot Bullets by Jon Sharpe

27. The Storm Family Saga #2: Hard Texas Trail by Matt Chisholm

28. Down the Long Hills by Louis L’Amour

29. Two Graves for a Gunman by Barry Cord

30. .45-Caliber Widow Maker by Peter Brandvold

31. The Skull of Iron Eyes by Rory Black

32. Killer Chase by John Davage

33. Hard Road to Holford by Greg Mitchell

34. Last Reckoning for the Presidio Kid by Emmett Stone

35. The Gunsmith #352: Unbound by Law by J.R. Roberts

APRIL READS – 9 books

36. The Derby Man #5: Silver Shot by Gary McCarthy

37. Cannon for Hire by Doug Thorne

38. Dakota Rage by Jake Douglas

39. Dear Mr. Holmes by Steve Hockensmith

40. Paytime for a Good Man by Joseph John McGraw

41. The Rifleman by Tony Masero

42. The Secret of Devil’s Canyon by I.J. Parnham

43. A Way in the Wilderness by Paula L. Silici

44. Rogue Lawman #6: Gallows Express by Peter Brandvold

MAY READS – 10 books

45. The Trailsman #355: Texas Gunrunners by Jon Sharpe

46. Longarm and the Bloody Relic (#390) by Tabor Evans

47. Exciting Western – British Edition June/July 1960

48. Western Adventure – British Edition October 1957

49. Rancho Diablo #1: Shooter’s Cross by Colby Jackson

50. Jacob’s Road by Richard Wyler

51. The Lost Trail by Logan Winters

52. The Scattergun Gang by Hank J. Kirby

53. Bloodshed at the Broken Spur by Steven Gray

54. Blind Justice at Wedlock by Ross Morton

JUNE READS – 9 books

55. Lust of the Lawless by Robert Leslie Bellem

56. Adventures of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles by Edward A. Grainger

57. The Trailsman #356: Grizzly Fury by Jon Sharpe

58. Nomad’s Trail by E. Hoffmann Price

59. Cotton’s Law by Phil Dunlap

60. Ace High in Wilderness by Rob Hill

61. Shotgun Messenger by Colin Bainbridge

62. Lonesome Range by Tyler Hatch
63. Wyoming Double-Cross by J.D. Kincaid

JULY READS – 11 books

64. Caleb Thorn #4: Bloody Shiloh by L.J. Coburn

65. Jake Silver #3: Canyon of Death by Jere D. James

66. The Trailsman #357: Stagecoach Sidewinders by Jon Sharpe

67. The Loner #4: The Big Gundown by J.A. Johnstone

68. Crooked Foot’s Gold by Greg Mitchell

69. Revenge for a Hanging by Richard Smith

70. No Quarter at Devil’s Fork by Terrell L. Bowers

71. The Ballad of Delta Rose by Jack Martin

72. Trapp’s Mountain by Robert J. Randisi

73. The Gunsmith #356: Hunt for the White Wolf by J.R. Roberts

74. The Crack in the Lens by Steve Hockensmith

AUGUST READS – 10 books

75. The Sheriff and the Widow by Chap O’Keefe

76. .45-Caliber Firebrand by Peter Brandvold

77. The Gallows Land by Bill Pronzini

78. The Snake Den by Chuck Tyrell

79. The Prairie Man by I.J. Parnham

80. Kato’s Army by D.M. Harrison

81. In Need of Hanging by Billy Hall

82. Colorado Clean-Up by Corba Sunman

83. Wind River by James Reasoner

84. Walk Proud, Stand Tall by Johnny D. Boggs

SEPTEMBER READS – 9 books

85. The Spanish Bit Sage #19: Bride of the Morning Star by Don Coldsmith

86. The Traditional West by The Western Fictioneers

87. The Rainbow Trail by Zane Grey – Comic book version

88. Silvertip’s Roundup by Max Brand – Comic book version

89. The Trailsman #359: Platte River Gauntlet by Jon Sharpe

90. .45-Caliber Desperado by Peter Brandvold

91. Riding the Pulp Trail by Paul S. Powers

92. Doomsday Mesa by Chap O’Keefe

93. The Shopkeeper by James D. West

OCTOBER READS – 10 books

94. Longarm and the Horsewomen of the Apocalypse by Tabor Evans

95. Savage Texas by William W. Johnstone with J.A. Johnstone

96. The Way Station by Owen G. Irons

97. Wilderness #66: Garden of Eden by David Thompson

98. Siege at Hope Wells by Scott Connor

99. The Trailsman #360: Texas Lead Slingers by Jon Sharpe

100. The Last Mann by Hank J. Kirby

101. Encounter at Salvation Creek by Paxton Johns

102. Ghosts of Bluewater Creek by Terry James

103. Morgan Kane: El Gringo by Louis Masterson

NOVEMBER READS – 12 books

104. Morgan Kane: El Gringo’s Revenge by Louis Masterson

105. Fort Revenge by Ralph Hayes

106. Cut-Price Lawman by Tyler Hatch

107. Let the Guns Decide by Shane Archer

108. Morgan Kane: Without Mercy by Louis Masterson

109. The Assassination of Governor Boggs by Rod Miller

110. Trail of the Snake by Norvell Page

111. Jake Rains by Tony Masero

112. In the High Bitterroots by Will DuRey

113. A Man Called Breed by Chuck Tyrell

114. Travelin’ Money by Logan Winters

115. Morgan Kane: The Claw of the Dragon by Louis Masterson

DECEMBER READS – 13 books

116. Slocum and the Fool’s Errand (#394) by Jake Logan

117. The Gunsmith #360: The Mad Scientist of the West by J.R. Roberts

118. The Devil’s Payroll by Paul Green

119. Adventures of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles Vol. 2 by Edward A. Grainger

120. Sheriff Without a Star by I.J. Parnham

121. The Trailsman #362: Range War by Jon Sharpe

122. Showdown in Jeopardy by John Davage

123. Longarm and the Doomed Beauty (#397) by Tabor Evans

124. Gunsmoke Over New Mexico by Dale Graham

125. Three for the Trail by Ben Bridges

126. Rancho Diablo #2: Hangrope Law by Colby Jackson

127. The Gunsmith #1: Macklin’s Women by J.R. Roberts (audio version)

128. Angelo and the Strongbox by Cody Wells

Longarm and the Doomed Beauty

2011-12-24T14:30:00.000Z

By Tabor Evans

Jove, December 2011

#397 in the series.

Babe Younger – cousin to the infamous Cole Younger – has shot his last bank manager. Thanks to the testimony of eyewitness Josephine Pritchard, the outlaw has been duly executed at the end of a hangman’s rope. But in a touching display of loyalty to their leader, the gang has vowed vengeance against the beautiful Miss Pritchard.

Now it’s up to Deputy U.S. Marshal Custis Long to ‘thwart the gang’s ill intentions towards the lovely lady. If Longarm has his way, every one of them will be reunited with their leader – in a special ring of hell reserved for cutthroats and cowards. Of course it is a single man against an entire gang – and if Custis doesn’t watch his back, he might be the one not getting any older…

The first part of this story sees Longarm getting re-acquainted with Miss Cynthia Larimer – whom he first met in the Lunatic Mountains (see book #386 in the series) – then being sent to make sure Josephine Pritchard is kept safe, during the journey to her he meets up with the amusing Anderson family. Arriving at his destination in time to save Miss Pritchard from an attempt on her life the book then becomes a chase story, which is filled with almost constant action.

Descriptions of the landscape are vivid as are the action sequences. Characters are well crafted and memorable – I enjoyed seeing Josephine change from being a scared girl into a tough woman ready to take on all the dangers thrown at her. The number of bad guys means there’s a large death toll and their killings are quite graphically described at times.

All the above means that I found this to be a very entertaining read, everything I’d expect from a Longarm book really, although I doubt it was ever going to fail in my opinion considering the author hiding behind the pseudonym of Tabor Evans this time around is one of my favourite western writers: Peter Brandvold.

Showdown in Jeopardy

2011-12-23T15:46:00.000Z

By John Davage

Hale, December 2011

In the depths of a winter’s night, a train is sent off its tracks near Cutler’s Pass and raided for the $80,000 gold shipment it’s carrying. Just after midnight, five years later in the town of Jeopardy, ex-Bostonian Clyde Pascoe is puzzling over the anonymous arrival of a newspaper cutting. Minutes later, he is shot and killed by an unknown assassin.

Sheriff Cyrus Yapp and local newspaper editor, Will Bullard, are soon making the connection between Pascoe’s death and the five-year-old train raid and wondering if newcomer to Jeopardy, Luke Frey, is mixed up in the murders that suddenly occur in this once peaceful town. Luke, however, is more interested in discovering the identity of the train’s mysterious fifth raider. But why?

John Davage’s third Black Horse Western is as enjoyable as his first two. Starting with the train robbery, the story quickly moves forward five years and it’s then that the reader becomes hooked by all the puzzles that make this tale so intriguing. Who is Luke Frey? Are the train robbers living in Jeopardy, and if so who are they? Some characters seem to be living under alias, so who are they really? How can a whore know so much? What secrets is the bank manager hiding? Who’s behind the killings? Who sent the newspaper cutting? As each question is answered so more seem to present themselves.

John Davage writes in very readable prose. His chapters are short, and he uses them to follow various characters as they all attempt to work out why the killings are happening and who is responsible for what. If there is a main character then it’s Luke Frey, but is he hero or villain?

There’s plenty of action as guilty parties try to have those they see as a threat assassinated or framed. By the end all the story threads are neatly tied up and I was left with the feeling of having been well entertained, and once more I find myself looking forward to John Davage’s next book.

Showdown in Jeopardy is officially published on December 30th but is available now from the usual Internet sources.

Adventures of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles Vol. 2

2011-12-21T15:07:00.002Z

By Edward A. Grainger

Beat to a Pulp Ebook, October 2011

Adventures of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles is a western noir, short story collection spotlighting the thrilling tales of two deputy U.S. Marshals working in 1880s Wyoming Territory. Cash Laramie, raised by Native Americans, is known as the outlaw marshal for his unorthodox way of dealing with criminals and his cavalier approach to life. Gideon Miles is one of the first African American marshals in the service and has skills with guns, knives, and tracking that are unrivalled.

Like the first collection of short stories about Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles this volume contains a mix of new tales and a few that have already been published elsewhere. The first collection had a story co-written by Sandra Seamans, and this one follows that tradition by having not one but two tales co-authored by Chuck Tyrell.

Contents:

Origin of White Deer (with Chuck Tyrell)

Maggie’s Promise

Miles in Between

Cash Laramie and the Painted Ladies

Gun Justice (with Chuck Tyrell)

Cash Laramie and the Masked Devil

Reflections in a Glass of Maryland Rye

The first story takes up nearly half the book, and tells us about Cash Laramie’s early years – including how he got the name. Along the way it tackles the problems of racial hatred between white people and Native Americans.

I must admit that overall I felt this collection of stories has a darker tone than those in the first volume. Just read Maggie’s Promise to see what I mean, this probably being my favourite tale, although the last story comes very close to taking that accolade.

If you’ve read my review of the first volume (which can be found here) then you’ll know I thought it to be excellent. This second volume I feel surpasses that. Why? I just felt that the stories presented here are harder hitting, more memorable due to the themes they cover – particularly that of the last story.

Once finished I found myself wanting more, so any book that leaves me feeling that way just has to be tagged as highly recommended. At just over a dollar (less than a pound in the UK) this ebook offers exceptional value for money.

Range War

2011-12-18T11:34:00.001Z

THE TRAILSMAN #362

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, December 2011

All Skye Fargo wants is to get to Dallas and reunite with alovely lady. But when he rides through Hermanos Valley, he heads into a warzone. For generations, sheepherders have raised their flocks on the fertileland. Now powerful cattle drivers are staking out the valley as their own – andthey’ve got the guns to back up their claims. But they’re not about to pull thewool over the Trailsman’s eyes.

The Guadalupes, New Mexico, 1859 – where lonely summitsloom over a forbidding land of the lawless.

Reading the above blurb,taken from the back of the book, you might think this is going to be yourtypical range war type novel, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Yesthere is a range war brewing but that is just the backbone to the story…

Something isindiscriminately tearing the throats out of sheep, cattle, and human beings.It’s this creature that Fargo agrees to hunt down and exterminate, and in theprocess manages to make enemies on both sides.

It’s during the manyattempts to trail the creature that becomes known as The Hound, that the authorpiles on the suspense, as the hunters become the hunted. Fleeting glimpses ofThe Hound and the tracks it leaves paint an image of an animal unlike any otherFargo has come across.

The author – in this caseDavid Robbins writing as Jon Sharpe – really builds up the tension innail-biting scenes that kept me glued to the pages, making this a verydifficult book to put down. Not just my need to discover what The Hound reallywas kept me reading, but my wanting to know whether the sheepherders orcattlemen would eventually claim the valley – if any of them were left alive todo so by the end.

The book is peopled withgreat characters, such as Carlos. The dialogue crackles, and at times issuperbly sarcastic, which makes for some very humorous comments.Descriptions are vivid and at times quite brutal, and the action comes thickand fast. All this makes for a Trailsman book not to miss.

Range War also introducesreaders to a new cover design.

Sheriff Without a Star

2011-12-16T16:56:00.002Z

By I.J. Parnham

Hale, December 2011

Despite his four years of distinguished service SheriffCassidy Yates lost the confidence of Monotony’s townsfolk because his error ofjudgement led to the death of Leland Matlock’s son. But when the star Cassidyhad worn with pride was removed from his chest, Leland claimed he knew somethingthat would shed new light on the sheriff’s downfall.

Before Leland could reveal what he knew he was shot, butCassidy still had the instincts of a lawman. He believed Leland’s shooting wasconnected to the death of his son and that if he could uncover the link itwould restore the townsfolk’s confidence in him. So Cassidy embarked on hisgreatest challenge: to get the star pinned back on his chest where it belonged.

Ian Parnham presents the reader with another story aboutSheriff Cassidy Yates. You don’t have to have read the others in this series tofully enjoy this novel, as it’s a stand-alone story. And what a tale it is,full of twists and turns that enthral, peopled with a great set of characters,and expertly paced.

My favourite character has to be hired assassin RockwellTrent. Hired to kill a number of people Rockwell is slowly becoming unhinged ashe finds each of his intended victims dead moments before he’s about to takethem out. The question of why this is happening, and who is killing them, isjust one of the many puzzles that hook the reader and won’t let go until thereason is discovered.

The story is mainly told through Cassidy but does followother characters too, such as Rockwell Trent. Quite how the differentstorylines are entwined isn’t obvious, nor is the reasons behind the variousplot threads. Everything comes to a head in a fast moving and violent shootoutthat ties everything up neatly.

If you’ve never read a Sheriff Cassidy Yates story then thisbook is an excellent place to start, and I’m sure that after you’ve read it you’llbe eager to hunt out his past adventures.

Sheriff Without a Star is officially released on December 30^thbut is available now from the usual Internet bookstores.

Morgan Kane: The Claw of the Dragon

2011-12-10T17:00:00.001Z

By Louis Masterson

WR Films Entertainment Group, Inc.

eBook, December 2011

Plunder from the ancient shrines of Mexico!

Major Monroe of the 4^th Mounted, Texas, wasn’tsmiling. Someone had found a new and profitable source of income – stealingholy Mexican treasures and shipping them across the Rio Grande. The Mexicanauthorities were angry. Monroe had to act quickly. So Morgan Kane, the rangerwith eyes of slate and nerves of steel, was sent to investigate. His search wasto end in Cuervo del Drache – the Dragon’s Lair….

The first part of this book introduces the reader toRacewick Dragolech, who will soon become known as Race Drago. We follow histrail to a life of crime and his education in how to become a fast gun – thefinal lessons being to lure other quick draw artists to a secluded spot andface off to them. We also discover how the Dragon’s Lair was found.

As Morgan Kane’s investigation unfolds Louis Masterson fillsthe reader in on a lot of Aztec history including information on spotting Aztectreasures. The story also delves into the politics of keeping peace betweenMexico and America. All this provides some fascinating reading.

When the action sequences come they are fast and brutal. Thefinal showdown between Kane and Drago is extremely well written and veryvisual.

This book also introduces Zarco Palacio, a beautiful womanwho will leave Kane with a lasting memory, a woman not to be forgotten, whowill return later in the series to again throw Kane’s emotions into turmoil,therefore making this book one not to miss for those who are following theseries.

The Morgan Kane ebooks are also available from itunes.

The Devil's Payroll

2011-12-09T16:39:00.001Z

By Paul Green

Hale, December 2011

John Harrison, a lawyer turned bounty hunter, finds himselfentangled in a web of intrigue after capturing fugitive outlaw Clay Barton. Heis persuaded by the beautiful Maggie Sloane to allow Barton to lead them to theloot robbed from an army payroll. But things get complicated when Bartondouble-crosses them and Maggie is kidnapped by the mysterious Leo Gabriel.

With the veteran buffalo soldier, Sergeant Eli Johnson, athis side, Harrison battles ruthless vaqueros and a Comanche war party torecover the money, re-capture Barton and rescue Maggie. However, a furthersurprise awaits him when he finally catches up with his enemies.

This is the first Black Horse Western from Paul Green, andif it’s action you want he’s an author worth trying out. This book is filledwith gunfights as Harrison encounters people wanting to kill him in everychapter, be they bandits, Comanche’s or outlaw Clay Barton. All these deadlybattles means the book has a high death count and after seeing early on thatPaul Green has no problem killing off some of the main players, the reader cannever be sure who will be alive by the end.

Maggie Sloane is not only included for the love interest,she is a strong and able character in her own right, who doesn’t flinch in theface of danger or when she has to kill. She is also an able tracker, betterthan most of the men who she rides alongside.

Paul Green is a very readable writer who manages to cram alot into his story. The plot develops well and the pace is fast and furiousthroughout. He also includes a fair amount of background on his character Harrison that explains why he became a bounty hunter.

The Devil’s Payroll is officially released on December 30^thbut should be available for pre-order now from the usual Internet bookstores.

The Mad Scientist of the West

2011-12-05T21:19:00.001Z

THE GUNSMITH #360

By J.R. Roberts

Jove, December 2011

When Clint Adams receives a summons to appear before GroverCleveland, he makes his way to Washington post-haste. After all, the Gunsmithis a man loyal to his leader and his country. At the White House, the presidentasks Clint to take on a job: bodyguard for famed scientist Nikola Tesla.

Tesla’s revolutionary research in electricity has causedsome to call him a mad scientist, and it seems someone wants to put an end tohis experiments. Clint heads to Colorado to meet up with Tesla, but it soonbecomes clear that keeping the eccentric scientist out of trouble will be noeasier than harnessing a bolt of lightning…

Right from the very beginning of this series the Gunsmithbooks have regularly featured real people. I’ve always enjoyed this and haveoften waited for each new book wondering if another would appear in it, and whoit would be. Of course there have been many appearances by people who haveguest starred in a variety of western books but it’s the less expected people thatfor me makes this one of the best series around that uses real historical characters,like Tesla in this one (another that has always stood out to me is #183: TheFlying Machine – which sees The Gunsmith getting involved with the young Wrightbrothers).

The story moves fast and is told from a variety ofviewpoints, even that of a mountain lion – this animal being just one of thosehunting Adams and Tesla - this big cat being used effectively as misdirectionat one point.

There’s plenty of action, of more than one kind – rememberthis is an adult series – lots of great dialogue, and a humorous scene near thebeginning involving Tesla and a girl.

I’ve always found The Gunsmith books to be very easy to readand read this one in two sittings, finishing it with a feeling of having been wellentertained, and wanting to start another straight away. Fans of The Gunsmithshould make sure they don’t miss this one, as should readers who enjoyfictional books containing real people.

Slocum and the Fool's Errand

2011-12-04T11:20:00.001Z

By Jake Logan

Jove, December 2011

#394 in the series

After collecting the reward for capturing Oklahoma Bill andhis gang, Slocum’s ready to hightail out of Rocas Rojas, New Mexico. But beforehe can pack his saddlebags, Jack Halsey comes tearing into town – minus somefingers, the result of a run-in with a pack of wolves.

Jack wants Slocum’s help tracking down the wolves becausethey ate something more valuable than his fingers. But Jack’s tales keepchanging, and Slocum doesn’t know what to believe. And when Apache warriors andOklahoma Bill’s former associates join the chase, Slocum must uncover whateverit is Jack is really hiding – and whatever Jack believes is in the belly of thebeasts…

One of the first things I noticed about this book is thatthe author very rarely shares his characters thoughts with his readers, thismakes some of their actions come as a surprise and gives them a hard edge and also helps add a sense of mystery to Halsey’s mission. For most of the story wefollow Slocum but the author does occasionally move away from him to explainwhat those hunting for Halsey are doing.

Jack Halsey is a great character, his constant griping,changing story, and urgency to find the wolves make him very memorable. I mustalso admit to not guessing what it actual was that the wolves ate along withHalsey’s fingers.

Slocum and Halsey join forces with a band of Apache warriorsand this leads to a well-written and exciting battle with the wolf pack, thisbloody fight being the highlight of the book for me.

Everything is neatly resolved in a low-key ending thatfinished the story more or less as I expected. Getting to this ending was anentertaining and fun read.

Also available as an eBook

Travelin' Money

2011-12-02T20:21:00.001Z

By Logan Winters

Hale, November 2011

At the end of a long cattle drive, Joe Sample runs into alittle bad luck. A cantankerous steer pins him against a fence post, breakinghis leg. So, Joe is laid up in the infamous Dog Stain Hotel next to Yuma pen.His money and the management’s patience has run out when the door of the hotelrestaurant burst open and a wild-eyed man named Pierce Malloy walks in, hisboot leaking blood. Malloy wants Joe to find a buried cache of money and giveit to Tess Malloy whose husband had been hanged that morning. What choice doesJoe have, being broke and about to be evicted?

He had accepted a little travelling money minutes beforeprison guards arrive and gun Malloy down. With the money and a map to thetreasure, Joe starts out to fulfil his promise to a dying man. Things do notturn out as planned however; the map leads him in to a nest of thieves and anearthly hell.

Logan Winters really puts his hero through a tough time inthis book. Bad luck piled upon back luck. Stolen from, knocked unconscious, liedto, tricked, all these many times over and more. Much of this seems befall himbecause Joe Sample is a nice guy, a gullible and far too trusting man. He’salso an admirable man due to his determination to see his promise through tothe end, no matter how many problems this throws up, it’s no wonder Samplebegins to believe the money is cursed.

There’s plenty of action, great supporting characters, and afast moving plot that contains more than one twist. There are also some greatmoments of humour, particularly in the story of how the hotel got its name DogStain.

As I’ve come to expect, Logan Winters – this being one ofPaul Lederer’s pseudonyms – has once more come up with a great, entertainingread, and I’m again left looking forward to his next book.

In the High Bitterroots

2011-11-29T13:29:00.001Z

By Will DuRey

Hale, November 2011

They rode out as the snow began to fall, a party of seven.Their purpose is to rescue a band of travellers trapped by an avalanche in thehigh Bitterroot Mountains. But once clear of the Montana township of Wicker itis soon apparent that the on-coming winter blizzards are not the only threat tosuccess. The swiftly assembled group have brought with them their owngrievances and evil.

Moreover, the mountain holds an unexpected threat for youngJess Clarke and ‘Doc’ Hames.

Starting with a bank robbery that introduces the reader to afamily of outlaws that have an important role to play in the outcome of thisvery fast moving tale, the story never lets up in the action stakes. Will DuReyhas created some wonderful people, all of which have their own personalities,that soon have the reader hoping they succeed, or not, in their personalagendas. The book contains strong characters in both sexes.

Descriptions are visual, and the dialogue believable. Thereare a number of ‘edge-of-the-seat’ situations that provide gripping and tensereading. The story is paced beautifully, and everything is resolved in a finalseries of exciting confrontations.

This is the third Black Horse Western from author WillDuRey* and the first I’ve read. Once finished I was left wishing I’d read hisprevious two books, and now I’m eagerly awaiting his next.

Great to see that Hale have used artwork that could easilyillustrate a scene from the book.

In the High Bitterroots is officially released tomorrow but is available now from the usual Internet bookstores.

* As the eagle-eyed amoungst you will have already spotted,the cover fronting this review shows the authors’ name as William DuRey, thebook I have has him named Will DuRey.

The Rainbow Trail - in pictures

2011-11-27T11:19:00.001Z

By Zane Grey

Comic Book Version

Like the Ace Doubles this contains two stories boundback-to-back. These are both comic adaptations of books by well-known authors.This Double Western Pictorial was published in Australia by the Junior Readers’Press and distributed by Gordon and Gotch (A/sia) Ltd. I believe Delloriginally published it in America. The comic isn’t dated so I can’t tell youwhen it was published. The comic measures 18.5cm X 13.5cm. It has a colourcover and a black and white interior.

I’ve never read the book of The Rainbow Trail, which was asequel to Zane Grey’s Riders of the Purple Sage, which is often said to be hisbest novel, so have no idea how much has been cut for this comic version, orhow truthful it is to the original.

From comments in the dialogue it seems that many of thecharacters are from that previous novel, although none of them take centrestage for very long as we follow the fortunes of different people, all intenton rescuing Jane and Lassiter. The story has strong roles for both male andfemale leads, a fair amount of action and a lot of dialogue. The story takesplace over a number of years, which allows little Fay Larkin to grow into anattractive young woman so she can become the love interest for John Shefford,who eventually finds Jane and Lassiter with the help of Indian guide Nas TaBegay.

There isn’t any mention of who drew the comic but thedrawings are clear with recognizable characters, and contain a fair amount ofbackground detail.

Max Brand backs The Rainbow Trail with Silvertip’s Roundupand I’ll look at this in a future post.

Click on the scan of the first two pages below to see areadable version.

A Man Called Breed

2011-11-25T16:20:00.001Z

By Chuck Tyrell

Hale, November 2011

Refused a drink and threatened with violence in a saloonbecause of his Indian heritage, Falan Wilder, the man called Breed, severelywounds Reed Fowley, and then takes refuge in the desert. Fowley’s father andbrothers give chase, but are no match for Breed, who escapes and goes to hishomestead in Lone Pine Canyon below the Mogollon Rim.

But the Fowleys will not give up. They hire man-hunter DutchRegan to find him. Once found, Reed Fowley, and brother Bud, hire RobertCandless, a former major of the Colorado Volunteers, and a band of savageoutlaws to storm Breed’s homestead and kill him. Breed, his wife-to-be Blessing,and his protégé, Sparrow, must fight for their lives, or die.

Unusually for a Black Horse Western, this story is toldmainly in the first person, through Falan Wilder. I say mainly because ChuckTyrell quite often moves the tale away from Breed so the reader can follow themovements of those who hunt him, these parts of the story being told in thethird person.

A lot of the story involves memories, these flashbacks usedto flesh out both Wilder’s past and that of the Fowleys. Chuck Tyrell alsoprovides a lot of information regarding the landscape his characters findthemselves in.

Chuck Tyrell includes many real people too, mostly justmentioned as someone Wilder has worked with or met in the past, such as AlSieber.

The plot is expertly laid out and builds well to its finalexciting showdown, which sees Wilder and Sparrow fighting against superiorodds, the outcome of which left me wondering if Wilder will return in anotherstory further down the line. Chuck Tyrell (this being a pseudonym for Charles T.Whipple) often has his heroes from one book guest starring in further books, sothis could just happen.

A Man Called Breed has a release date of November 30^thbut should be available now.

Jake Rains

2011-11-24T20:31:00.001Z

By Tony Masero

Hale, November 2011

1889 Cuba! When his best friend and fellow Rough Rider liesfatally wounded, Jake Rains swears to care for his widow. The trouble is KittyCartright already has a protector, Chris Leeward, owner of the double E ranch.

Things don’t look good when Jake arrives in Oakum. There istrouble at the Cartright place, but Jake and his new friend, Sam, aredetermined to put things right. Not only are they faced with Leeward’s cruelriders, a band of zealous mountain men lusting for vengeance, but also theadvent of the most modern of inventions. The challenge calls for old-fashionedcourage on the streets of Oakum where Jake Rains must fight for his life.

Before I began reading this I was struck by the differentlook to the cover of this book, in my opinion much more modern in its approachthan the usual paintings fronting Black Horse Westerns, something I hope we seemuch more often. Some may recognize the author name of this book so it’ll comeas no surprise to discover that he also painted and designed the cover.

The story is set much later than many Black Horse Westerns,again this makes a refreshing and welcome deviation.

The first thing that struck me about Tony Masero’s writingis that it is very visual, a trait that perhaps comes from his many years as anartist (you can find an interview I did with Tony about his cover art here).His pacing is excellent and his characters are well defined, as are his sceneand action descriptions.

One of my favourite parts of the story is a horse versesautomobile race, a contest that ends dramatically – to say more would be toomuch of a spoiler.

This book is Tony Masero’s first for the Black Horse line,and hopefully there will be many more to follow.

Jake Rains is officially released on November 30^th,but should be available now from the usual Internet sources.

Trail of the Snake

2011-11-18T17:07:00.001Z

By Norvell Page

Black Dog Books, 2011

For millions of readers, the name Norvell Page is synonymouswith the pulse-pounding, red-hot adventures of The Spider. Years before he wasguiding The Spider, Page was turning out dozens of short mysteries andWesterns.

Here, collected in paperback for the first time, are all ofNorvell Page’s known Western works, including his first fiction sale,“Corralled.”

Trail of the Snake is another beautifully produced bookfrom Black Dog Books. Sandwiched between an entertaining introduction by BillCrider, and an informative look at Norvell Page’s history written by TomRoberts we have five stories that originally appeared in the pulps during the1930s, the last three tales being published under the pseudonym of N. WootenPoge.

Contents:

Trail of the Snake

Secret Guns

Brand of the Cougar

Hell’s Backtrail

Corralled

Three of the stories are about lawmen bringing down outlawsand the other two have revenge as the main storyline. They are very fast movingand packed with action and colourful characters. Two of the stories are fromSpicy Western Magazine, so have a number of attractive women in them that allseem to lose their clothes at some point. (The other three stories appeared inMasked Rider Western Magazine, Thrilling Western, and Western Trails) Some ofthe stories contain neat twists, a couple of which I didn’t anticipate, whichin turn provide some neat outcomes to the tales.

Norvell Page’s writing stands-up well today and is veryreadable. Of course his use of words is of the times and his dialogue is of theperiod too, for instance horses are often referred to as “fuzz-tails” andcharacters speak thus: “Lift yore hands, yuh murderin’ kiyote! I’d jest admirea chance to drill yuh!”

If I haven’t convinced you that this book is worth readingthen let me finish with Bill Crider’s quote from the back of the book: “Page’sWestern tales are pure fun, filled with smoking guns, thundering hooves, andbeautiful women…. If entertainment in the grand pulp style is what you’relooking for, you’ve surely come to the right place.”

Morgan Kane: Without Mercy

2011-11-18T16:59:00.001Z

By Louis Masterson

WR Films Entertainment Group, Inc.

eBook, November 2011

Kane was a born gambler. When he was taken to the cleaners in a rigged game of cards in St. Louis, he didn’t realize it was part of a private vendetta. Three men and a woman were after Kane. The woman was the bait…

And when they thought they had finished Kane off in the dark, he was left for dead. The buzzards saved him. But, to match the Ranger’s star he carried, Kane had gained a star-shaped scar on his right hand – the hand that meant the difference between life and death to a ranger who lived by the speed of his draw.

Kane wanted revenge – and got it.

This book tells how Kane came by the scar on the back of his hand and why he has two fingers bound together. It is also a study in fear – fear that Kane won’t be able to use his gun-hand again, this fear keeping him from returning to his job as a Texas Ranger. It’s emotions like this that I feel is one of Louis Masterson’s strong points, something he writes so well, puts over in words that strike a lasting chord within the reader.

Fear isn’t the only emotional theme Masterson puts Kane through. The events that trigger this lead to a strong need for revenge. Masterson also vividly describes animal magnetism, strong desires between Kane and a number of different women – desires that Kane struggles to keep in check.

The book also introduces us to Charlie Katz, another Texas Ranger who often partners Kane, and through memories of his, and Kane’s, we discover little snippets about previous cases they worked on, assignments that helped shape Kane into the man he is in the opening scenes of this very fast moving story.

The final, desperate gunfight closes the book extremely well, and leaves this reader hungry for more.

The Assassination of Governor Boggs

2011-11-18T11:55:00.001Z

By Rod Miller

Bonneville Books, 2011

After an attempted assassination, Governor Lilburn Boggscouldn’t prove who’d taken a shot at him, leaving the identity of his assailanta mystery. Twenty-five years later and after the passing of Gov. Boggs,Detective Calvin Pogue has been hired by the Boggs family to open this coldcase and find out the truth about the assassin.

From Missouri to California and into the heart of the UtahTerritory, Detective Pogue relentlessly seeks clues that lead him to thelegendary Mormon gunman Porter Rockwell – who still isn’t making things easyfor anyone.

This book follows a fictional investigation by PinkertonAgent Calvin Boggs into a true assassination attempt. It seems many peoplebelieve Porter Rockwell to be the man who pulled the trigger, and Boggs’ trailto discover the truth sees him meeting and interviewing many people who reallylived, for instance Brigham Young, and, of course, Porter Rockwell.

Rod Miller’s novel is very readable, and mixes the westernwith detective thriller stylishly. The book is made up of a series ofinterviews that capture the unique voices of those being questioned well. Theinterview with Rockwell is broken up and appears at regular intervalsthroughout the book, nearly all the chapters end with these segments.

This is not an action western, rather it’s a fascinatinglook at this assassination attempt, and at the Mormon wars. Both sides aregiven voice so as not to colour the readers’ judgement. Yes, there isn’t aclear conclusion, as there never has been, but the facts are laid out clearly,and the reader is left to make his/her own mind up. Having said that the bookends with a surprising final chapter that makes for an unseen and dramatictwist ending, but also, perhaps, hints at the way Rod Miller wants the readers’decision to sway.

Of course any novel based on historical facts that havenever been proved one way or another leaves the reader with more questions.Questions that have me interested to learn more about Governor Boggs and PorterRockwell.

The Assassination of Governor Boggs is an entertaining andeducational book that should be essential reading for anyone interested inBoggs, Rockwell, and/or the Mormon wars, or those who enjoy novels based onfact.

Also available as an ebook.

Let the Guns Decide

2011-11-17T14:25:00.001Z

By Shane Archer

Hale, October 2011

Death comes to Macallister in the form of a milk-drinkingbaby-faced killer who leaves bodies in the dust. Lone Lee Kirby rides into atown desperate for help, but the body count grows as Kirby is forced to facehis own demons.

This book throws many questions at the reader during itsopening chapters; such as how come this town has the appearance of being soprosperous, all its citizens seemingly rolling in money from the town’swater-carrier up to the mayor? Why has the baby-faced killer ridden into townand gunned down three of the town’s leading citizens? Who exactly is Lee Kirby?What are the gang of outlaws hiding outside of town actually after? And so itgoes on, as each question is answered so another takes its place.

Lee Kirby makes for an interesting anti-hero, and soon findshimself with some tough decisions to make; will he continue with his originalplans or accept the position of lawman? Things become further complicated withthe arrival of more strangers to town, what are they really here for? And ofcourse there’s the girl, Jade, whom Kirby finds himself attracted. Jade, too,has to struggle with her feelings for Kirby and with her loyalty to the townand her father.

Shane Archer expertly brings about a satisfying ending tothe book and ties up all the story threads neatly. The book is an easy read,face-paced and full of action. Overall Let the Guns Decide is a veryentertaining way to pass a couple of hours.

Cut-Price Lawman

2011-11-15T14:20:00.001Z

By Tyler Hatch

Hale, October 2011

They wanted a sheriff they could control, to run the towntheir way. Chris Cade seemed to fit the bill – a drifter, drunk, stupid withtoothache, and broke. It was easy to pin a badge on him.

However, after that it got harder. Cade had his own agenda,his own set of rules, a pair of hard fists and a fast gun. They figured they’dgot him for a cut-rate, but the price they had to pay put them deep in the red– and the well-turned soil of Boot Hill.

If you’re not a fan of dentists, the opening chapter to thisextremely fast moving book will have you squirming in your seat: “Why anyone’dcall it laffin’ gas beats the hell outta me!”

It soon becomes obvious to Cade that everything isn’t quiteon the straight and narrow as he begins life as a lawman and discovers the fateof his predecessor. Also there are questions about the disappearance of Duggan;a man surveying the surrounding land. And where has a missing wagon and itsarmy escort vanished too? Plenty of questions ensure the reader won’t beputting this book down before the end, and the reason behind the mystery’s cameas a surprise to me.

Tyler Hatch is one of the pseudonyms used by KeithHetherington, a writer who became a favourite author of mine after only readinga couple of his books. Once more he doesn’t disappoint with this tale. His fastflowing style, hard hitting action, and twisting storylines just keep me comingback for more, and leaves me eagerly waiting for his next book.

The Finest Frontier Town in the West

2011-11-11T16:48:00.001Z

ByI.J. Parnham

Avalon,2003

TenderValley is a clean, friendly and law-abiding frontier town. In fact, it is sucha fine town that an enterprising businessman might just designate it as theofficial Finest Frontier Town in the West, an award with a thousand-dollarprize.

NewUtopia isn’t as fine as Tender Valley, but the townsfolk there are desperate towin the award, and they’re prepared to go to any lengths to succeed. So theyhire gunslingers to shoot up Tender Valley and destroy that town’s reputationforever.

Inpeaceful Tender Valley, the townsfolk are ill-equipped to withstand thegunslingers’ onslaught. They need a hero to ride into town, strap on a gun andstand tall before their tormentors.

Butthe next man to ride into town is Fergal O’Brien, purveyor of a singularlyunsuccessful “universal remedy.” He’s no hero. But for the right price – hedoes have a plan.

Fromfirst wanting to win then wanting to loose as secret agendas are exposed, thatmight be truths or bluffs, this fast moving tale is filled with twists andturns that will keep the reader guessing to the outcome right to the very end.

Alongthe way the reader will meet some very memorable characters, not least FergalO’Brien and his ‘bodyguard’ Randolph McDougal, and as the story develops couldRandolph be falling in love? The woman in question being Miss Dempsey, one ofthe judges for the competition.

IanParnham is a very readable writer who mixes action and humour superbly – yesthere are a lot of laughs to be found in the Fergal O’Brien series in bothdialogue and some of the situations the two main characters find themselves in:O’Brien’s preference being to fast talk their way out of danger, which oftenresults in failure and McDougal then having to step in to do what he does best.

Anddoes O’Brien’s plot help Tender Valley win the award of the Finest FrontierTown in the West? Sorry, I can’t reveal that here, but I will urge you tosearch out a copy of this book for yourselves, and, as I was, I’m sure you’llbe thoroughly entertained whilst finding out the answer.

TheFinest Frontier Town in the West is the second book in the Fergal O’Brienseries and I’m very much looking forward to reading the third one very soon.

Fort Revenge

2011-11-08T16:55:00.001Z

By Ralph Hayes

Hale, October 2011

When buffalo hunter O’Brien is wrongly accused of rustlingby ranch hands and has to kill the rancher’s son to defend himself fromhanging, he thought his life had already taken a bad turn. However, within adays ride from that violent scene, he happens upon Sarah Carter.

Together they follow the dangerous road to Fort Revenge,where Sarah is due to wed Jake Latimer. It becomes clear that Latimer is notthe man for Sarah, but can O’Brien save Sarah as well as dealing with his owntroubles from the past….

Back in the early 1970s Ralph Hayes wrote a short series ofbooks featuring O’Brien, later in 1992 O’Brien made a comeback and here is hisnext appearance, nearly twenty years later.

Ralph Hayes does make a couple of references to those earlyadventures, but if you haven’t read, or are even aware of those first books,these references will pass you by, and definitely will not spoil your enjoymentof this book.

Fort Revenge has more words per page than many Black HorseWesterns, therefore offers a longer read for your money. The story is very fastmoving and has revenge, stagecoach robbery, and mail-order brides as its mainthemes. O’Brien will also have to deal with emotions he’s inexperienced withtoo, that of falling in love. Each thread of the story is well thought out andall are resolved in exciting and fitting ways.

I’ve not actually read any of the other O’Brien books, eventhough I have some of them in my collection, but have read other westerns byRalph Hayes which I enjoyed, so it came as no surprise to me that I found thisto be a very entertaining read that left me hoping it won’t be another twentyyears before O’Brien rides again.

Morgan Kane: El Gringo and El Gringo's Revenge

2011-11-05T17:32:00.000Z

1966 saw the launch in Norway of what was to become one ofthe most well known western series to come from Europe: Morgan Kane by LouisMasterson. The series ran for 83 books. There were also two spin-offmini-series, a Norwegian film, songs, and comic books. Other countriespublished some of the books, including the UK which saw the first 41 booksappear in English. I’ve always been amazed that this excellent series never sawpublication in America. Now that is about to change as Morgan Kane rides the ebooktrail. The WR Films Entertainment Group has just launched the first two ebooksand is aiming to publish the whole series, and the mini-series, this way.

Those of us already acquainted with the Morgan Kaneseries will be quick to realize that the first two ebooks aren’t the first twoin the original series. Why? As the Morgan Kane series progressed KjellHallbing, the writer behind the pseudonym of Louis Masterson, wrote a number ofbooks that filled in some of Kane’s past, of times before the original firstbook, Without Mercy. El Gringo and El Gringo’s Revenge first appeared as books38 and 39 and deal with a period in Kane’s life that would make him the man hewas first seen to be in Without Mercy (this book will come out as the thirdebook very shortly). El Gringo and El Gringo’s Revenge are to be made into afeature film by WF Films, and more of these are planned too.

MORGAN KANE: EL GRINGO

By Louis Masterson

WR Films Entertainment Group, Inc.

eBook, October 2011

Marshal Kane entered a bar in Kansas City and stepped intothe past - where the old Mexican who drew a knife on him, had been his bestfriend, teacher and destroyer... Fifteen years ago...

When Morgan Kane had been in trouble, he'd been found carrying gold by thePolicia in Casas Grandes and there was no way he could prove it wasn't stolenmoney! But the police chief had a proposition - freedom for Kane if he foundand killed a certain bandit named Coyote...

I’ve often felt that one of the great strengths of LouisMasterson writing was his ability to create atmosphere and emotion. This bookreally does that superbly. We see many of the characters hiding behind avariety of masks, hiding feelings, concealing secrets. Masterson really is amaster at character studies and this book demonstrates that ability many timesover.

Fear is often the main emotion that Kane struggles tocontrol and this is revealed early on when Kane finds he isn’t the quick gun hethought he was as Coyote proves. For some reason he decides to let Kane liveand takes him under his wing, teaching him about guns, how to draw them muchfaster than he was able. Even as Kane and Coyote become friends there is alwaysa sense of tension – does Coyote really know why Kane was being chased by thePolicia? And what of the other main characters in the story? What are theirrelationships with each other? Masterson on supplies hints as to the truths asthe story races to its savage ending brought about by treachery. An ending thatleaves many questions purposefully, ensuring the reader will have to read thenext book in the series….

MORGAN KANE: EL GRINGO’S REVENGE

By Louis Masterson

WR Films Entertainment Group, Inc.

eBook, October 2011

Three bandidos rode together towards Sonora and the “Fiestaof Death” – each with his own secret – to wipe out the hated white ranch ownerwho dishonored and exploited the Mexicans.

Morgan Kane, alias EL GRINGO, rode with Coyote, the man who called him “son”and had made him the deadliest killer in Mexico. But Kane found he was a pawnin a lethal game where honor was the stake and revenge the prize. And hisreward from the man he trusted was to scar his life…

Louis Masterson really does apply pressure to Morgan Kane’sfeelings in this story that begins were the previous book left off. Kane willexperience love, anger, near uncontrollable hatred, and the burning desire forrevenge. Double cross and treachery reveal the truths about many of thecharacters motives.

We finally find out who Coyote really is. What he really hasplanned for Kane. There are many shocking discoveries that will come as asurprise to the reader, and all the leftover questions from the previous book,and others introduced in this one, are finally answered.

Masterson’s ability to write very visual prose is perfectlyillustrated in this book, in the tense scenes set during the masked party tocelebrate the Day of the Dead – the Fiesta of Death.

And, once the past is returned to memories Masterson closesthe book with a powerful scene that will add to the emotional scars Kane carries.

Ghosts of Bluewater Creek

2011-10-31T17:21:00.000Z

By Terry James

Hale, October 2011

Josh McCabe is a man hunter with one thing on his mind; tobring in Abe Lawton, the last and most vicious member of a gang who killed hiswife and son. Now that time has arrived, but what Josh doesn’t count on is asmart-mouthed kid out for revenge and a girl in the wrong place at the wrongtime.

When the showdown comes it’s quick but far from decisive andleaves the three facing a new, more dangerous future.

By telling the story mainly through the eyes of the threemain characters, Terry James is able to leave one or more of them in dangeroussituations before switching to one of the others therefore ensuring the readerwill keep turning the pages to find out what happens next.

The opening scenes bring the main characters all togetherfor a major shootout of the kind that many authors would finish their bookswith. None of these characters come out of this exciting gunfight in one pieceand the reader is left with the question of how the story will develop afterthis.

I don’t want to give anything away here, but what I will sayis the story shifts up a gear and the action doesn’t let up. Terry James(author Joanne Walpole) also has a couple of surprises waiting in store, notleast as to which townsperson she kills off.

Terry James’ descriptive prose paints very visual imageswithin the mind, and her dialogue crackles with believability. The plot isextremely well thought out and all threads are neatly tied up in a keep youguessing until the last page.

Ghosts of Bluewater Creek is Terry James’ third BHW and it’sofficially published today. Let’s hope it’s not too long before her fourthappears.

Interview: John Legg

2011-10-28T15:51:00.000+01:00

“Pure adventure…the raw energy of fight sceneslends piquancy, and skillful dialogue seems totally natural.” – PublishersWeekly

Whendid you decide you wanted to be a writer?

Hard to tell, exactly. I guess I sort of startedthinking about it when I began college for the first time (I dropped out aftera year and didn’t go back for several years). I was encouraged by a graduateassistant there. It sort of built from that point until five or six years laterI thought I might have some talent at it and wanted to do it. So I beganworking at it. Unfortunately, I’ve not made my living by writing. I‘ve been injournalism for many years now, and have been a copy editor virtually my wholecareer. I also edit books and other work on the side.

Didanyone encourage you to write, and if so whom?

As I said above, a graduate assistant at college was thefirst to encourage me. When I got back to college several instructors did so,then some fellow students and eventually editors.

Whichwriters influence you?

Interesting question. Many writers interest me and Iadmire their talent, but I don’t know as if I’m influenced by them, per se. Thebiggest influence was a writer named Janice Holt Giles. I read her book “The GreatAdventure,” and was just blown away. She had a series of historical novels inthe ‘50s and ‘60s, of which “The Great Adventure” was one. After reading that,I went and read most of the others, starting with “The Kentuckians’ and endingwith “The Great Adventure.” As a kid I read — more like devoured — the Tarzanbooks, which probably had some subliminal influence years later.

Whatwas the first novel you had published and if this wasn’t a western whatwas your first western?

My first was, indeed, a Western (all my novels havebeen Westerns). It was titled “Cheyenne Lance.”

Whatappeals to you about the western genre?

I just love it. The time, the place, the history. I’vealways been attracted to Westerns, mostly as movies, when I was young. I stilldon’t read that many Westerns. (I don’t want to unconsciously copy an idea)

Whatis the biggest challenge in writing a western?

Getting the history right, I think. Western readersare knowledgeable, especially about things like weapons and clothing and dates.

Manyof your westerns are about Mountain Men. Do you prefer writing about this timeperiod rather than the time after the Civil War?

Yes. That’s my favorite period of history.

Didyour Forts of Freedom series involve more research than other books, and howimportant is historical accuracy in westerns to you?

Yes and yes. The books in the Forts of Freedom serieswere historicals, so they were heavily based on real people/places/events.

Oneof my all time favourite western series was Saddle Tramp that you wrote underthe name of Clint Hawkins, and I was disappointed it ended after eight books.You sure didn’t give Wade Calhoun an easy time of it, and he had to bethe unluckiest man ever when it came to horses. Was this something youplanned or did it evolve as the series developed?

I was disappointed that it ended, too. I liked ol’Wade. And yeah, I did give him a hard time, but he was able to handle it. Asfor the horses, I just did it in the first couple, then decided this would be atrademark, of a sort. After five or six, though, it got to be a bit harder tocome up with ways for his horse to go under.

Book6 in the Wildgun series seemed to read as if it was the last, even the title,End of the Hunt, implied this too. Nearly two years later book 7 appeared. Whysuch a big gap and was book 6 originally planned to be the end of the series?

Yes, it looked as if No. 6 was going to be the last,so that’s the way I wrote it, though I did leave it at least a littleambiguous. Then they decided that the series deserved a couple more adventures,and voila, No, 6 was not the end of the hunt.

Thereare some fairly lengthy gaps between the publication of the Joe Coffin books.Did you originally plan to write a series about Coffin or was he a characteryou created as a one off that you liked and then decided to write more about?

“Arizona Coffin” was just going to be a stand alone.Then I decided I liked Joe Coffin a lot, so I brought him back now and again.

You’vewritten for a couple of series, The Ramseys and Texas Tracker, that werestarted by other authors. Did you find writing about someone else’s charactersas easy as writing about a character you created yourself?

It’s a little tougher, since you don’t “know” thecharacter as well. But, I always tried to give those characters a little of myown “style.” It’s also a bit harder to fit your story into the “history” of thecharacter, but not that difficult. I think the biggest trouble I have with themis that I have my own “voice” and it’s very difficult to emulate, as it were,others’ styles.

Yourlast western, To Face a Savage Land, appeared in 2007. Can we expect more newbooks in the future?

I certainly hope so. As you noted, I’ve not beenpublished for some time, but I have some things in the fire now, so hopefullysomething will open up soon.

Whichof your westerns would you recommend to someone who hasn’t read any of yourwork yet and why?

This is a common question for writers, I think, and atough one to answer. The clichéd response is that this is like trying to nameyour favorite child. I don’t think I could pick just one, but among those thatI might recommend are for historicals, “War at Bent’s Fort,” and “Blood at FortBridger”; for mountain man adventures, “Buckskins and Blood,” “Winter Rage,”and the Thunder Trilogy; and for traditional, post-Civil War stories, “ApacheCoffin” and “Sheriff’s Blood.” Sorry, I know that’s an awful lot. As to why,well, for Bent’s Fort, I’ve always had a fondness for William Bent, a real personwho is the central character in that novel. Same with Jim Bridger. For therest, I think the characters as well as the stories are appealing.

Pleasetell us a little about your book Shinin’ Trails: A Possibles Bag of Fur TradeTrivia.

As I mentioned before, the mountain man period is myfavorite period of history. I had been reading about it for years, and pickedup lots of tidbits and interesting facts. So I thought I’d put them togetherthen use a trivia format to give it a little extra kick, rather than justputting down some dry facts. It was a fun project.

Areany of your older books available as e-books, and if not have youconsidered publishing some this way?

I think “To Face a Savage Land” is available as an e-book.But none of the others are as far as I know. I have considered it but at thispoint I’m not sure how to go about it. I’m beginning to look into it, though.

Whatdo you think of the western genre today and what do you think the future holdsfor the western?

As far as the writing goes, I think the genre isstronger than ever. The problem lies in the publishing world. Publishers arehurting in general, so have cut back across the board. Few are doing Westernsthese days. The other part of the problem as I see it is that young people, byand large, don’t read as much and those that do don’t seem much interested inthe genre. Because of all that, I don’t think the future is very bright, andthat’s very saddening. On the other hand, there have been some news reportsrecently about a number of Westerns being prepared for TV. That’s a good sign,though whether they will actually take off, and whether they reboot the genrein print (or e-book) remains an open question. I sure hope so. Trouble is,every time some Western movie or TV show pops up, some folks start seeing it asthe long-awaited revival of the Western. But it has never taken place.

Whichwestern writers would you recommend?

Jory Sherman, Richard Wheeler, Robert Randisi, JamesReasoner, Kerry Newcomb, L.J. Martin. Those no longer with us: Terry C.Johnston, Elmer Kelton, Don Coldsmith.

Ifyou could write a sequel to any western (not your own) which would it beand why?

I can’t really answer that. As I said, I don’t really readthat many Westerns, and most that are any good, I wouldn’t presume to evendream about doing a sequel.

Whatis your favourite western movie and why?

“Jeremiah Johnson.” While it’s actually almost a decadeafter the end of what’s considered the mountain man period, and there are anumber of flaws, it still has the essence of what a mountain man movie shouldbe. Hell, it’s what a *movie* should be: Lots of movement and action, sparedialogue but what’s there is sparkling, good characters, both main andsecondary, gorgeous scenery and settings. Simply put, it touches something deepin me.

Encounter at Salvation Creek

2011-10-27T14:32:00.001+01:00

By Paxton Johns

Hale, September 2011

When rich young Englishman, Born Gallant, arrives in Americaafter the death of his father, he goes first to see family friend WilliamPinkerton. The boss of the famous detective agency at once gives him anassignment: the head of the Kansas City office has been murdered, there hasbeen an attempt on Pinkerton’s life, and he wants to know why.

From that day on, Gallant finds himself embroiled in a fightto the death against gunmen hired by warring cattlemen fighting againstreorganisation of their industry. Helped by young trainee lawyer, Melody Lake,and a newspaperman, Stick McCrae, Gallant’s fight to bring the killers tojustice takes him from Kansas City to the hell-hole of Salvation Creek. Will heprevail in the final bloody showdown?

This is the first book to carry the author name of PaxtonJohns, and it proves to be a very good debut. Born Gallant makes for anengaging hero, a man who sees the humour in his own name, can play theout-of-his-depth greenhorn perfectly to throw his adversaries off balance,doesn’t carry a gun of his own, but is exceptionally sharp-witted and can morethan stand his ground in a fight. In fact his bumbling fool act is used togreat effect, particularly in a barroom scene when facing the gunman suspectedof shooting Pinkerton.

The book contains a number of twists and turns, is peopledwith many well-drawn characters of both sexes, its action sequences aresuperbly written, and finishes with a frantic race against time. All this meansthat Encounter at Salvation Creek is an exciting and entertaining read, whichleaves me wondering, and hoping, that Born Gallant will appear again in afurther adventure.

As the author explains in a note at the end, the Cattlemen’sAssociations around which the story revolves really existed, and the changesbeing fought about did happen. Although the story is fictional it is based onsomething that did happen in the mid 1880s.

Who Is Morgan Kane?

2011-10-27T12:20:00.000+01:00

The Traditional West

2011-10-25T12:02:00.000+01:00

- An anthology of original stories -

By The Western Fictioneers, 2011

With twenty-four brand new stories from some of the topwestern writers working today, this anthology most definitely offers value formoney.

Most of the included authors aren’t new names to me, and ofthe handful that were I think it’s safe to say I’ll be looking to try some oftheir full length novels soon. Of course there are stories that stood out to mebut I can honestly say that there isn’t one that I didn’t enjoy reading.

Many of the authors have chosen to write new stories forcharacters they’ve written about before. The themes of the tales cover a widevariety of situations such as murder, robbery, land grabbing, revenge, andserial killers. A couple of the stories delve into the supernatural, andanother has an unusual choice for a hero: a samurai. All of this means you arenever certain what kind of tale you are going to get as you start each newstory.

Each story is headed by a paragraph that gives somebackground to the author that wrote it, one of which says the hero of his taleis to soon appear in a brand new western series – something I’ll be lookingforward to.

This anthology should be essential reading for every westernfan and I can only hope that The Western Fictioneers follow this excellentcollection up with another not to far down the trail.

Contents

The Silver Noose by Jackson Lowry

A Close Shave on Commerce Street by Steven Clark

Lost Mountain Pass by Larry D. Sweazy

The Poker Payout (a Calvin Carter adventure) by Scott D.Parker

Blood Trail to Dodge (a Talbot Roper story) by Robert J.Randisi

The Sin of Eli by Troy D. Smith

The Way of the West by Larry Jay Martin

The Great Texas Kapusta Incident by James J. Griffin

The Death of Delgado by Rod Miller

Whiskey for Breakfast by Jerry Guin

Rattler by James Reasoner

Silence by Ross Morton

Never Trust a Widder by Phil Dunlap

Storm Damage (a Rome Warfield Frontier Mystery) by PetePeterson

Catch as Catch Can (a Maple Jack tale) by Matthew P. Mayo

Kataki by Chuck Tyrell

When Was It Going to Rain? by Dusty Richards

New Dog, Old Tricks (a Gideon Miles story) by Edward A.Grainger

The Redemption of Cade Beauchard by Kit Prate

Boot Hill Neighbors by Clay More

The Kindness of Strangers by Cheryl Pierson

Wire by C. Courtney Joyner

Panhandle Freight (a Lucas Hallam tale) by L.J. Washburn

Penance by Kerry Newcomb

Also available as an ebook.

The Last Mann

2011-10-24T13:20:00.002+01:00

By Hank J. Kirby

A Black Horse Western from Hale, September 2011

Jubal Mann was the closest he’d ever been to realizing along-held dream. With all his experience following the wild and dangerouscattle trails, from the Rio to Canada, he figured he could start a new breed ofcattle: Longhorn Cross with imported Angus Red.

Mann was convinced that the best of the hardy,self-sufficient Longhorn combined with the meat-bearing quality of the Anguswould put top-notch steaks on the plates of a nation, and dollars in hispocket.

However his past came back to haunt him: just as he had hisdream within reach, killers moved in and he found himself with his back to thewall, and a smoking gun in each hand.

Cattle breeding is just the backbone to this story, it playslittle part to the main thrust of the plot, this being a bounty placed on JubalMann by an unknown enemy, which leads to a number of well written violentconfrontations.

The pace of the book is superb, as one would expect fromthis author – Hank J. Kirby being one of the pseudonyms used by KeithHetherington: a writer who has been putting out quality westerns for manyyears. The story also offers a number of surprises, and the twist that comesalong about half-way through the book was completely unforeseen by me and meantit was virtually impossible for me to put the book down from then on as I hadto discover what would happen next and how it would all play out.

Even though the reader knows who is behind the attempts onMann’s life, the why isn’t revealed until the author is good and ready to tell.By the end, all the plot threads are neatly tied up and I was left eagerlylooking forward to Keith Hetherington’s next book.

Texas Lead Slingers

2011-10-21T17:47:00.002+01:00

THE TRAILSMAN #360

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, October 2011

In a booming Gulf Coast town, Skye Fargo and more than adozen of the best cardsharps around are competing in a high-stakes game beingheld by Fargo’s old friend Senator Deerforth. But someone wants Fargo to foldbefore the games even start, and the Trailsman is going to have to play thingsclose to the vest if he’s going to survive….

Right from the opening page this book had me hooked as anattempt on Fargo’s life left unanswered questions which in turn lead to more.Why are these two men trying to kill Fargo? Why him and none of the other cardplayers? Who is behind the assassins? My need to find out, and the author’s useof very short chapters that all end in either a cliff-hanger situation oranother question, meant this would be a hard book to put down until the end.

The story soon becomes a hunt for a thief and kidnapper andFargo finds himself riding with a posse made up of an excellent mix ofcharacters. One being Vin Creed, who has some great comments to make about justabout everything that happens, most of his observations being sarcastic humour,many of which had me laughing to myself.

The book is filled with fast moving action, often quitegraphic and a number of times happening without warning. There’s some neattwists to the tale too that provided some surprising revelations and who getskilled and by whose hand.

As many of you will be aware The Trailsman is classed as anadult series, but don’t let that put you off reading this book, as the author(this time David Robbins writing as Jon Sharpe) only includes one sex scenethat takes up a couple of pages, which isn’t just added to the story for sexualgratification as it becomes an important part of the plot development.

No story threads are left undone by the end and the finallines left me grinning and looking forward to The Trailsman’s next adventure.

Just a final note about the cover; for some reason Signethave used the same cover art they used two books ago, on The Trailsman #358:Six-Gun Vendetta, so if you are a fan of this series and see the book on theshop shelves don’t make the mistake of passing it by because you think you’vealready read it, because if you do you’ll be missing out on a great read.

Wilderness #66

2011-10-18T17:39:00.000+01:00

GARDEN OF EDEN

By David Thompson

Dorchester, September 2011

Shakespeare McNair has always been happiest when living inthe fringes of the frontier, ever pushing the boundaries of exploration. Whenan old friend tells him of a valley undisturbed by the hand of man, he justcan’t resist the temptation. And so he sets off to find it with Nate King,Nate’s wife, and his own wife, Blue Water Woman. But they are about to find outthat every Garden of Eden has serpents lurking in the shadows. In this valley,it’s a two-legged enemy – one that slays all intruders.

At long last Dorchester has published the latest twoWilderness stories, Seed of Evil and Garden of Eden, in a single tradepaperback, the cost of which is very similar to what you would have paid ifboth books had been published separately as regular sized paperbacks.

Both are available as ebooks too, with Seed of Evil havingbeen available this way for sometime, and that was how I read it when it firstcame out and why I’m not reviewing it alongside Garden of Eden. My review ofSeed of Evil can be found here.

Garden of Eden provides a lot of suspenseful reading as theKing’s and McNair’s travel into an unknown valley and find themselves beingstalked by ‘something’. Fleeting glimpses and strange tracks bring rise tofears and then a desperate struggle to escape the valley. You’ll have to findout just what it is that lives here for yourself, as I don’t want to reveal whoor what they are here. I will say that I have seen comment by the author thatthey are mentioned in books that deal with Indian Legends.

As expected from the Wilderness series this story offerseverything you could want: a fast moving story that’s filled with tension,action, cracking dialogue, and lots of humour. This story also reveals more ofBlue Water Woman’s past, which leads to this usually in control woman beingtaken over by a killing rage. Why? Again you’ll have to read the book to findout.

Now, I, and the many, many other fans of this greatseries can only hope that Dorchester doesn’t take quite so long to publish thenext two books in the series.

Siege at Hope Wells

2011-10-15T16:37:00.000+01:00

By Scott Connor

A Black Horse Western from Hale, September 2011

When the plague came to Hope Wells, it took the weak and thehealthy, young and old, good and bad. Within a week the town had become aliving hell, but for differing reasons some men still wanted to go there.

Marshal Lincoln Hawk and Nick Mitchell went in search ofoutlaw Marvin Sewell. Correspondent Kyle Portman sought a story for hisnewspaper and Peter Campbell wanted to rescue his wife. The least welcomevisitor was Ward Dixon, who saw an opportunity to profit from the developingtragedy. In a desperate time that brought out the best and the worst inhumanity, these men became embroiled in a conflict where even the might of thegun won’t guarantee survival.

Scott Connor creates a wonderful air of fear throughout thisbook, a terror that sees even the toughest of men and women fear for theirlives. How to fight a water born disease becomes a battle over the need forfresh water. As the reader gets further into the story it seems someone wantsthis plague to carry on and is helping it to do so, but who, and why? ObviouslyI’m not going to reveal the answers to those questions here, but I will saythat I didn’t guess the reason.

The book doesn’t really have a central hero, the story beingtold through many different characters. This helps propel the story along atgreat pace making the book difficult to put down. There are plenty of actionsequences, including an attempt to force someone to drink some of thecontaminated water, which I found to be particularly suspenseful.

And do all the characters mentioned above survive? Again,that’s something I’m not going to answer, but I will say that I believe mostwestern readers will get a lot of enjoyment from this book finding out.

The Shopkeeper

2011-10-12T14:35:00.000+01:00

By James D. Best

Wheatmark, 2008

In 1879, Steve Dancy sells his New York shop and ventureswest to explore and write a journal about his adventures. Though he’s notlooking for trouble, Dancy’s infatuation with another man’s wife soon embroilshim in a deadly feud with Sean Washburn, a Nevada silver baron.

Infuriated by the outrages of two hired thugs, theshopkeeper kills both men in an impulsive street fight. Dancy believes thisbarbarian act has closed the episode. He is wrong. He has interfered withWashburn’s ambitions, and this is something the mining tycoon will not allow.

Pinkerton’s, hired assassins, and aggrieved bystandersescalate the feud until it pulls in all the moneyed interests and power brokersin Nevada. Can the former city slicker settle accounts without losing his lifein the process?

James D. Best presents the reader with a book that’s as mucha political thriller as it is a Western; in fact these genres meld extremelywell in the capable hands of Mr. Best. The story is filled with intrigue,exciting gunfights, and terrific characters – and it’s not just the men thatcome over as tough, manipulating, scheming, memorable characters, for James D. Best matches them in everyway with his well-crafted female characters such asJenny (whom Steve Dancy is infatuated with) and her mother-in-law, Mrs. Bolton.

The story is told in the first person through Steve Dancy,the books hero. But is he a hero? If he is he sure isn’t squeaky clean, in facta lot of the methods he uses to get his way aren’t that dissimilar to that ofthe bad guy, Washburn. Neither are above bribing, intimidating, or gunning downpeople before they have a chance to defend themselves as both attempt to gainpower. But do books need a white-hat hero? Not to please me, that’s for sure,as I like characters that have a darker side to their personalities.

After the first two or three chapters this book really tookhold and I found it difficult to put down as all the twists and turns kept meeagerly reading to find out what happened next. With all the plot developmentsthe story has a natural fast pace and before I knew it I’d reached the end,leaving me wanting to read the next in the series – as of this date there aretwo further Steve Dancy tales: Leadville and Murder at Thumb Butte.

The Way Station

2011-10-09T14:33:00.000+01:00

By Owen G. Irons

A Black Horse Western from Hale, September 2011

Cameron Black knows that it is time to pack away his guns.He and Virginia need to put their past behind them and when Cameron accepts ajob running a quiet way station in the desert, it seems like the perfect way toforget about old enemies.

But Cameron soon realizes it is never that easy to leavetrouble behind. A stagecoach arrives at the way station. On it is an outlawsmuggling fifty thousand in gold and a young woman named Becky Grant, who is onthe run from a rejected suitor. On their trail is Sheriff Beaton, Becky’swide-eyed suitor and rival bandits in pursuit of treasure.

Now, as a menacing dust storm gathers that threatens to keepthem captive in the way station, Cameron Black knows he must use his guns oncemore….

June 2009 saw the publication of an Owen G. Irons bookcalled The Outpost, which I reviewed here. That book ended with a question markover the future of two of its leading characters. The Way Station picks thatstory up and answers that question and once more Cameron Black and Virginiafind themselves fighting to stay alive.

Owen G. Irons brings together a great set of characters,each having an important role to play in the outcome of this story. As thedifferent plot threads bring everyone to the way station some of threadsentwine making this book difficult to put down before discovering howeverything will play out. This in turn leads to plenty of action as outlaws,lawmen, runaways, and bandits trying to go straight, clash.

The book is extremely well paced and all threads are neatlytied up by the end, once again strengthening my belief that Owen G. Irons isone of the best Black Horse writers working today. September was a treat forfans of this author’s work – real name Paul Lederer – as a second book waspublished under his other pseudonym of Logan Winters: The Killing Time.

Savage Texas

2011-10-07T10:54:00.000+01:00

By William W. Johnstone with J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle, September 2011

For renegades and pioneers, there is no place like Texas –as long as you have a gun and the guts to use it. Now, the Civil War is over.Carpetbaggers and scalawags rule Austin. Soldiers return to pillaged homes.Longhorns roam the wilds and the state is in chaos. Especially in a town calledHangtree.

Sam Heller and Johnny Cross are Hangtree’s newest citizens:Heller is a former Yankee soldier, a deadly shot, and a believer in right fromwrong. Cross is a gun for hire with dark dreams of wealth and power – at anycost. By fate and by choice, these two strangers will find themselves onopposite sides of the law and Hangtree will soon erupt in murderous violence.

Savage Texas is the first in a new series and, like manyfirsts in book and television much of it is taken up with introducing thereader to the many characters that live in this part of Texas. And what a greatset of characters they are. Set in 1866 we have some who are returning homeafter the Civil War, there is also the threat of Indian attack or outlaw at anytime. Carpetbaggers are running wild. The Union Army is struggling to controlanything. There is the ranch run by proud Mexicans….and many more.

The author tells his fast moving story by switching from oneset of characters to another regularly, takes time to fill the reader in on theirback-stories. It soon becomes apparent that not everyone is quite who theyfirst say they are, and a number of them are plotting to get their hands on thereward for finding a missing wagon and are planning to double-cross each otheronce it is found.

There’s plenty of action, from massacres, ambush, singlegunfighters taking on large odds, and a great final shoot-out in a canyon. Forthose who are interested in guns, Sam Heller carries an unusual sidearm – thinkof Steve McQueen’s character, Randall, in Wanted Dead or Alive.

Savage Texas proved to be an entertaining read thatleft me hoping it won’t be a year – which seems to be the time gap betweenbooks in many of the Johnstone series – before I get chance to read whathappens next.

Bride of the Morning Star

2011-10-05T11:36:00.000+01:00

THE SPANISH BIT SAGA #19:

By Don Coldsmith

Bantam edition, May 1993

Bear Paws of the Elk-dog People married into the PawneeNation and adopted their rituals and customs as his own. But when they abduct ayoung maiden of the People, he is torn between past ties and loyalty to his newwife’s tribe. His dilemma is complicated by the secret arrival of his old allyTall Bull, who has come to rescue his beloved Calling Bird – with or withoutBear Paw’s help. Both realize that the Pawnee have already chosen her to be thebride of their most powerful god, the Morning Star, and at the end of theceremony she must die….

Set about five years after the previous book in the series,Return of the Spanish, this story tells of Bear Paws struggles to accept somethe traditions of the Pawnee, which in turn put a strain on his marriageand will, perhaps, bring about its end. The main problem that Bear Paws has to deal with ishuman sacrifice. In an author’s note at the beginning of the book Don Coldsmithtells of how this element of the story is based on fact and events in his storyare similar to what happened to the Piegan girl, Lance Woman, that took placein 1856 and is said to be the last attempt by the Pawnee to carry out thistraditional sacrifice to the Morning Star.

Don Coldsmith writes a gripping story that becomes a raceagainst time. Characters are beautifully depicted and I soon found myselfwondering if Bear Paw would be able to save Calling Bird, even with the help ofSpotted Cat, a warrior of the People, who it is said can make himselfinvisible. Superbly paced, I found this book impossible to put down and all toosoon found I had reached the end, and once more find myself eager to read thenext book in the series.

Mention must be made of artist Tom Hall who really doescapture the mood of the story well with his cover painting right down to colourand style of clothing and shape of the red crosses, along with the differentcoloured cross poles of the ladder behind the figures. Quite simply an excellentcover painting to front a top class book.

Longarm #394

2011-10-03T16:07:00.000+01:00

LONGARM AND THE HORSEWOMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE

By Tabor Evans

Jove, September 2011

Down West Texas way, a girl gang of gorgeous grim reapershas been leaving a bloody trail of bullet-riddled corpses. They call themselvesthe Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse, and they like to let men whimper a whilebefore they blast them to kingdom come. The Santa Clara town council would likenothing better than to string up the quartet of killers, but someone has tobring them in first.

That someone would be Deputy U.S. Marshal Custis Long.

But these bodacious banshees have plans for the lawman – andthey don’t include going quietly. Stripped of his defences, Longarm figures iffour wild women are going to try to take him out, he’d rather go with a bang…

From its opening scene of humiliation and brutal violencethis book grabs the readers attention and refuses to let go until the end isreached. And what a trail the storyline follows!

As one would expect from Peter Brandvold – yes he is theauthor writing behind the pseudonym of Tabor Evans this time – the book isfilled with action, only seeming to let up for action of another kind. Full oftwists and turns, Peter keeps the reader, and Longarm, guessing as to theidentity of the Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse: four women who will stop atnothing to achieve their goals. Are they just common outlaws out for what theycan get or is there a purpose to their rampage? Longarm has to fight hard tostay alive whilst struggling to find the answers and in doing so unveils somestartling facts before bringing this assignment to a very bloody end.

The story is told at great pace with many nail-biting lifeand death situations that are very visual in their telling. The four womenbeing excellent adversaries for Longarm.

This book is one that fans of Longarm, and/or PeterBrandvolds’ work, should make sure they don’t miss.

Doomsday Mesa

2011-09-30T16:22:00.001+01:00

Chap O’Keefe

eBook, 2011

Ex-cavalryman Yale Cannon rode to Antelope for two verydifferent reasons: in search of an old sweetheart and to bring out RedEffingham, a gunslick killer the sheriff had locked up in the ranch town’sjailhouse. After a confrontation with two cowpuncher brothers on the outskirtsof town, Cannon decided to move more warily, and to use one mission as coverfor the other.

His delving for old time’s sake quickly met opposition, butintroduced him to suffragist schoolteacher Kate McDowell. Kate revealed thathatred between the cowmen and a settler community led by Abel Pryor, religiousfanatic, was coming to a showdown. With Effingham busted from jail, the clashwas set to be violent and bloody!

Chap O’Keefe has created an excellent set of characters forthis book, from tough, hard men to equally as strong women. All out to get whatthey want whatever the cost.

As expected from a Chap O’Keefe book nothing is quite what itseems. As the story develops so do the schemes and doubt is thrown on theidentities of some of the characters – are they who they say they are? Surelythe plot can’t be quite as simple as cowmen v a religious group? I can answerthis last question with nope! But that’s all I’m going to say, as I don’t wantto spoil this plot twist.

Being as this was originally published by Hale as a BlackHorse Western it’s a fairly short read, and due to it’s length there is nospace to waste, so the reader gets a fast paced, action packed book, one that Ifound difficult to put down before the end.

And what of that end? All I will say is that Chap O’Keefehas yet another surprising revelation waiting, a sting-in-the-tail if you like,that finishes the book with a powerful bittersweet ending.

Riding the Pulp Trail

2011-09-28T21:18:00.000+01:00

By Paul S. Powers

Altus Press, 2011

Paul S. Powers was one of the foundation authors of thefamous pulp magazine of the 1930s and 1940s, Wild West Weekly. Now, herefor the first time, are twelve Paul Powers stories written in the years after WildWest Weekly stopped publication. Six of these stories were published inmagazines such as Exciting Western, The Rio Kid Western and ThrillingRanch Stories. The other six are brand new stories – never before published– that were discovered in 2009.

Contents:

Death is Where You Find It

To Steal a Ranch

Hangnoose for the Prodigal

Texa

Boothill is My Destination

Guns at Jailbird Ranch

By the Neck Until Dead

A Pard for Navajo Jack

Murder on the Hoof

Buzzards Hate Bullets

Judgement Day on Whisky Trail

Yellow Glass

Whenever I read old pulp stories I’m always a little worriedthat I’m going to find them hard going due to them being too old fashioned inwriting style for my tastes. Let’s face it I wasn’t born when most of the pulpmagazines were enjoying their heyday. The stories this collection contains areall from the late 1940s, way before I was born, so I must admit to being verypleasantly surprised to find that Paul Powers’ writing stands up well withbooks being written today. Yes, there are some terms used that you don’t seeanymore, but that all adds to the attraction of these tales from the past.

Each story features either a drifting cowboy or a lawman.All offer fast paced plots; plenty of action, and most include a twist or twoof some kind. Twists I mostly never saw coming. Each story is fronted by adouble page illustration like those found in those old pulp magazines, a nicetouch that adds to the flavour of these stories.

I found the book very easy to read, and as I finished onestory I found myself jumping straight into the next. I can honestly say thereisn’t one tale in this collection that I didn’t enjoy. Yes I have my favouritesas one would expect but not one really stood out as being a lot better than theothers, each and every one being of a similar excellent standard.

Praise must also be given to Laurie Powers who put a lot ofhard work into putting this collection together and getting it published.Laurie also writes an entertaining introduction to the book that gives thereader a brief and informative background to her grandfather’s experienceswriting for the pulps.

Definitely a book all fans of westerns shouldenjoy reading.

.45-Caliber Desperado

2011-09-26T17:35:00.000+01:00

By Peter Brandvold

Berkley, September 2011

Cuno Massey killed those deputy U.S. marshals all right, butonly because they were about to rape the women he was escorting to safety.Thrown into a federal penitentiary, he faces a death sentence – until thebeautiful Camilla and her cutthroat gang bust him out and head for the Mexicanborder.

Pursued by lawmen as brutal as the desperadoes he travelswith, Cuno rides a bloody trail, unsure where his allegiances lie, andwondering if he was better off waiting for the gallows….

Right from the very first line, “The bald giant’s first wasa battering ram” this book punches hard all the way until the end as CunoMassey finds himself riding a savage trail to freedom after being sprung fromprison in a violent jailbreak, even if freedom means becoming an outlawhimself.

Of course being on the run means the law will do its best totrack Massey down and here we see the return of the Sheriff Mason who putMassey behind bars in the previous book. But he isn’t the only lawman to make areturn appearance, for Peter Brandvold adds Spurr to the mix, the aging DeputyU.S. Marshal I last read about in another of Pete’s series - the second book inhis Colter Farrow series, The Killers of Cimarron, written as Frank Leslie. Ithought Spurr made for an excellent character in that book so was very pleasedto see him in this one.

As well as struggling to stay alive Cuno Massey has to fightwith some tough personal issues regarding his new lifestyle. Can he be happyliving as an outlaw? Can he gun down people in cold blood, be they lawmenchasing him or those he is robbing? And what of Camilla? Can he accept this newside to her? These questions all see Peter Brandvold further developing thecharacter of Massey and as they aren’t all answered ensures that the readerwill be eager for the next book in the series: .45-Caliber Crossfire, out inApril 2012.

If you’ve never read a Cuno Massey book then this could wellbe a good place to jump into the series as it seems to be a new beginning forMassey. Peter Brandvold includes enough memories of Cuno’s past so a new readerwill have some idea as to Massey’s background.

For me, Peter Brandvold just keeps getting better andbetter.

West of Pecos

2011-09-20T20:34:00.000+01:00

A Ralph Compton novel by DavidRobbins

Signet, February 2005

Looking for a new life two men andtheir families trails cross. One a former Confederate soldier is leaving behindthe memories of a dead wife and looking to build a new life with his two sons.The other man is a former Union soldier, a man whose brought his family west inhopes of setting up a cattle ranch. These two families will have to forget thebloodshed of the past and fight side by side as their future is threatened byIndians and outlaws.

Another terrific story from DavidRobbins, full of grit and determination. Action a-plenty balanced by moments ofhumour. There is a strong theme of family love and unity as the struggles for anew life play out. Having said that though my favourite character was thedrunk, Three Fingers Bob, a complexed man of tall tales of the true harshnessof the reality of living a hard life in a pretty much lawless land.

As new love blossoms for some sodoes the odds against the survival of the former soldiers and their families asthe brutal bandit Vasco Cruz and his gang threaten to bring a very bloody endto their dreams and lives.

Do they survive? That’s not for meto say but for you to find out and in doing so you’ll find yourself immersed inthe gripping power of David Robbins ability to hook a reader not only with histrademark cliff-hanger chapter endings but also with an exciting andcaptivating storyline.

The Big Gundown

2011-09-16T17:54:00.002+01:00

THE LONER #4

By J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle, February 2010

Using an old cannon that once belonged to Napoleon’s army,an outlaw gang has been bringing trains to a halt and then robbing them. NowEdward Sheffield – one of the owners of the railroad – wants to hire ConradMorgan, known as The Loner, to wipe the gang off the map. The Loner isn’tinterested, especially when Sheffield’s hot-blooded wife tries to seduce himinto going after the gang’s leader, Gideon Black – a renegadeex-colonel-turned-outlaw. But when the gang turns their big gun on a town,killing several innocent people, The Loner has to choose sides. The best way totake them out? Become one of them. And that’s when The Loner uncovers someunsavoury secrets – and finds himself caught between the middle of two ruthlessforces…

The use of a cannon makes for some terrific battle scenes inthis action packed book, in particular its use in holding up a train. Conrad’sstruggle to survive this attack makes for some very exciting and visualreading.

This story also sees Conrad’s attire becoming more like thatdepicted by the cover artist. The silver banded hat being used in a novel andeffective way in a scene that reminded me of the use of a silver lined cloak inthe spaghetti western They Call Him Holy Ghost. Great stuff both.

The author uses plenty of cliff-hanger chapter endings andthis technique makes the book very difficult to put down as the need to knowwhat happens next ensures the reader keeps turning the pages. Even though thisis a self-contained story the book finishes with The Loner and someone elseriding on towards their destiny, but the only way to find out whether they arestill together in the next book is to read it, something this kind of endingalways makes me want to do straight away.

Overall this is a very good western, written superbly, andon it strengths, and those of the previous three books, this series has becomemy favourite of those to come from the Johnstone family stable.

The Trailsman #359

2011-09-12T20:15:00.000+01:00

PLATTE RIVER GAUNTLET

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, September 2011

When a frontier army fort is ordered to pull up stakes andmove, Fargo’s scouting skills may not be enough to protect the massive militarymanoeuvre. Even though there are wanton women, blind-drunk buffalo hunters, andhighfalutin officers on the march, the real danger is the pack of perilouspredators waiting for the Trailsman to let down his guard….

The above blurb is taken from the back of the book and itdoesn’t really tell you much about the true contents of this story. True, allthe elements mentioned do play some part in the tale but are mainly just thebackground to the main theme of the story.

Fargo receives a message from long time friend, Texas Jack,asking for his help. How can the Trailsman turn down a request from someone whoonce saved his life? So Fargo finds himself involved in a crazy scheme tocapture some of the Wests’ most dangerous wildlife so they can be put on showin a Wild West Extravaganza.

The story is superbly written, full of very visual prosedescribing tense confrontations between man and beast, some of which result invery bloody scenes. The author, in this case David Robbins writing as JonSharpe, also includes a large amount of laugh out-loud dialogue and situations.

With memorable characters and exciting action drivingthis more unusual storyline for a Trailsman book, I can only close my commentsby saying that if you are a fan of this series then make sure you don’t missthis one. To those who don’t read this series but enjoy westerns about manverses beast then maybe it’s time to consider getting to know the Trailsman.

Short story competition

2011-09-10T16:41:00.001+01:00

Do you enjoy writing western short stories?

Then this could be the competition you're looking for.

Rope and Wire has just begun accepting submissions for its second annual western short story competition. More details on how to enter can be found here.

Caleb Thorn #4

2011-09-07T15:48:00.000+01:00

BLOODY SHILOH

By L.J. Coburn

Sphere, 1978

Thorn’s Raiders were the most feared seek-and-destroy uniton the Union side in America’s bloody Civil War. A gang of condemned criminals,they had been reprieved only to be sent on savage suicide missions against theConfederacy. They were led by Caleb Thorn, the young born killer with apersonal mission of vengeance against the South.

But now, on the orders of his commanding officer, Caleb hadbeen temporarily separated from his band of desperadoes. His murderous skillswere needed this time not on a guerrilla raid into enemy territory but in thethick of one of the most viciously savage pitched battles of the war: the masscarnage that was Shiloh…

L.J. Coburn is a pseudonym used by two authors, LaurenceJames and John Harvey, and the latter wrote this book. Caleb Thorn is theshortest series written by the group of English western writers now knowncollectively as The Piccadilly Cowboys.

I always thought it was a shame there weren’t more of them,but at the time I read a quote from an author (possibly from Terry Harknett)who said writing a western series set in the America Civil War would be afinancial disaster. Strange when you consider that the Caleb Thorn series musthave been born from the fan praise for Harknett’s own Civil War flashbacksequences in his highly successful Edge series written as George G. Gilman. Butthen again as Caleb Thorn only made it to five books then perhaps he was right?

As well as having it’s origins in those Edge Civil Warbooks, this series also seems to borrow from the film The Dirty Dozen, in asmuch as the small group of soldiers that Caleb rides with are all viciouscriminals saved from an immediate death sentence to fight for the Union.

The books are extremely violent, and all of Thorn’s Raiders,including Caleb, take pleasure from killing Rebels – or anyone else who gets intheir way. Throughout the series a number of story threads continue from bookto book, and Bloody Shiloh sees a grudging respect form between Thorn and hiscommanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Jansen - Thorn killed Jansen’s son in aduel and is thus hated by both Jansen and his wife. This story also developsThorn’s relationship with Caroline Jansen, one that will lead to a bloody momentof madness that will have dire consequences for all involved, making this booka must read for followers of the series.

The rest of this story is fairly routine, and other than theCaroline Jansen storyline, doesn’t offer any surprises, even the identity ofthe traitor is easy to work out. Having said that the book does offer anentertaining read with extremely well written battle sequences.

Fans of the Piccadilly Cowboy’s work should not missthis book, indeed this series, if you can find them today as they are some ofthe harder PC books to find. Anyone else who enjoys books set in the AmericanCivil War and/or westerns of the more brutal kind should consider picking thisone up if you’re lucky enough to find a copy.

Wind River

2011-09-03T16:10:00.000+01:00

By James Reasoner

Harper, June 1994

Buffalo hunter Cole Tyler used to ride with Jeb Stuartleading wagon trains across the West. Now he’s riding the very first train intoWind River, its cars packed with saloonkeepers and swampers eager to make akilling. It is a historical occasion, but no sooner does the train roll intotown than mayhem erupts.

Within minutes, a prominent citizen lies dead on theplatform. Within hours, Cole Tyler is buffaloed into wearing the marshal’sstar. And within days, he is facing down thundering stampedes and a ruthlesskiller, as Wind River becomes a town with its own brand of justice.

This is the first in a series that ran for six books. Theymay carry a single author’s name on the cover but were actually written byJames and his wife, Livia Washburn (who does get mentioned on the copyrightpage).

As Cole Tyler gets to grips with the idea of being a lawman,and being tied down to one town, so his life becomes more complicated, eachbout of trouble leading to new challenges, each new arrival seeming to bringmore problems with them, for instance cattle baron Kermit Sawyer and the youngwoman setting up a new cafe, Rose Foster.

The book is filled with colourful characters, many of whomay be hiding something from their past or their real agenda. It’s thesemysteries that drew me into the story and refused to let go until the end wasreached. The story is well crafted and superbly paced, chapters often endingwith a cliff-hanger or question that made it extremely difficult to put thebook down before I discovered how things were resolved.

The main story thread of murder, and a couple of sub-plotsare cleared up by books end, but one or two questions remain about certaincharacters that will have me reaching for the next book, Thunder Wagon, verysoon as I’m eager to see what happens next.

Footnote: All six books in the Wind River series havejust been released as ebooks.

Colorado Clean-Up

2011-08-31T15:19:00.002+01:00

By Corba Sunman

A Black Horse Western from Hale, August 2011

Provost Captain Slade Moran sets out from Fort Benson,Colorado, to investigate the disappearance of an army pay roll and its militaryescort.

The grim trail brings them to the empty roll coach and amurdered escort, with one soldier mysteriously missing. Captain Moran is led toMoundville where he is confronted by desperate men plotting to steal a goldmine.

Corba Sunman is another writer with over thirty Black HorseWesterns to his name, and one that I’ve only recently read even though ahandful of his books can be found in my collection.

This story is told from many viewpoints and features quite alarge cast of characters, nearly all of them on the wrong side of the law. Manyof the latter are set to double-cross each other at the first opportunity.Unusually for a BHW this story doesn’t contain any major female roles.

Corba Sunman tells the tale with ease. The story isextremely well thought out and often leaves the reader wondering what is goingto happen next, or how can they get out of that? The plot contains robbery,murder, jailbreak, double-cross and gunfights, before everything comes togetherin a fast and furious shootout that leaves many of the cast dead and brings thestory to a satisfying conclusion.

So, once more, I’m left looking forward to Corba Sunman’snext book and wondering just where I’ve stored the other books of his I have asI really do need to check out previous publications.

Colorado Clean-Up is officially released today and isavailable from the usual sources.

The Gallows Land

2011-08-29T15:43:00.001+01:00

By Bill Pronzini

Gunsmoke, 2005

Original published 1983

Roy Boone wanders aimlessly in the arid Southwest, a lifewith no meaning since the death of his wife. He is desperate for water, andstops at a ranch where Jennifer Todd gives him food and drink. Seeing thispretty young woman with her battered and bruised face, Roy is concerned for herwelfare. That night, he finds Jennifer’s husband dead and he believes that shekilled him. Then Roy is attacked by someone hiding in the shadows, and shortlyafter he is shot at by strangers. He has a lot to fret about, not leastJennifer – who has by now gone missing.

Bill Pronzini really grabs the reader’s attention in theearly part of this book as question piles upon question. Just what is going on?Who are all these people Roy Boone unwittingly finds himself tangled with? Whathas happened to Jennifer? And so it goes on; puzzle after puzzle that hook thereader with their twists and turns.

The book is written in the first person so furtherdevelopments are just as surprising to the reader as they are to Roy Boone. Thestory is told at a fast pace, although I did feel its momentum sagged a littleas it moved into the second half before picking up speed again for its excitingfinal fight that sees one of the characters meet a particularly gruesome death.

This book has been put out by a number of differentpublishers and this version adds some author information at the back. Here wediscover that this book has the same beginning as a (short?) story written byBill Pronzini called Decision.

Overall I found The Gallows Land to be an entertainingread that will certainly have me keeping an eye-out for Bill Pronzini’s otherwesterns.

Kato's Army

2011-08-27T11:37:00.001+01:00

By D.M. Harrison

A Black Horse Western from Hale, August 2011

Wells Fargo Agent, Jay Kato, didn’t want the job of taking aconsignment of gold to Green River Springs. The town held too many memories –bad ones.

His cousin, Duke Heeley, had threatened to kill him of heever came back to town, but he put aside his misgivings when he was offered agenerous bonus. After all, he only had to deliver the money to the marshal.

However, when the time came to step off the train, a hail ofbullets greeted him. Kato knew he’d have to raise an army to fight them all.

This is the second Black Horse Western by D.M. Harrison, thefirst being Robbery in Savage Pass.

Jay Kato’s ties to the town of Green River Springs providesome excellent confrontations with people from his past, particularly withBlossom Lessard. Blossom becomes the girl for romantic interest, but not withKato, he has bridges to rebuild with another woman. Along with trying to mendhis relationship with his cousin, Kato finds his social life a big problem, butthis is nothing compared to the difficulties of hanging onto the gold.

Green River Springs is more or less under siege by thewell-drawn bandit Three Fingers, a man with a sizeable number of outlawsbacking him. It’s when they attack the town that Kato has to rally thetownspeople into an army to defend their homes and in doing so the gold too.This leads to a great battle for the town. A fight you’d have thought would bethe end of the tale, but no, D.M. Harrison has further plot developments, likethe gold going missing.

Even though I did raise my eyebrows when it was mentionedsafety-catches were released from pistols, I found this to be a well-writtenstory that kept me turning the pages.

Kato’s Army has a release date of August 31^st butis available now.

.45-Caliber Firebrand

2011-08-24T17:08:00.001+01:00

By Peter Brandvold

Berkley, September 2009

Cuno Massey had always stayed on the good side of the law.But he’d never found himself stuck in the middle of a feud between a weary oldrancher and a band of Indians hungry for revenge. With warring bravessurrounding the ranch and a doomed man begging for help, Cuno’s the only riderleft who stands a chance to save the rancher’s daughter from a savage massacre.

Fighting arrows with bullets and tussling with grizzlybears, Cuno’s rescue ride is no pleasure trip. And when his wagon party comesup against a squad of territorial marshals looking to break some rules of theirown, Cuno’s got to do what it takes to defend the girl – and himself. Even ifit means defying the law and becoming a wanted man…

The sixth Cuno Massey book proves to be every bit as good asthose that have gone before it. It’s a tough, gritty and violent read that isfilled with attention grabbing, exciting action. The sequence with the bearmakes for tense nail biting reading. For all the savagery Peter Brandvold alsoshows a touch of the tender side of Cuno as he attempts to save the rancher’sdaughter and some children from chasing Indians.

For long time readers of this series who have witnessed Cunobattling to survive against all kinds of hardships, you will find yourselfwondering how he can possibly come out of this one alive. What I will say isthis book brings about some surprising endings to friendships begun in earlierbooks and finishes in such a way that it could also be the end of the line forCuno – or at least his current lifestyle.

The ending of this book makes me glad it’s taken me solong to getting around to reading it as I won’t have to wait too long to readthe next Cuno Massey story, as .45-Caliber Desperado is due out this September,which, although only a few days away, is still not fast enough for me as I’vejust gotta know what happens next!

In Need of Hanging

2011-08-22T16:44:00.000+01:00

By Billy Hall

A Black Horse Western from Hale, August 2011

For months Thad Palmer had been on Vince Long’s trail – atrail littered with raped, beaten women and people killed in cold blood. NowThad’s hunt led him into the very valley where his own sweetheart awaited hisreturn. He knew with certainty that she was the object of his quarry’s intentand his heart was already racing at the prospect of being with Coralee.

But as he emerged into the sunlight again bent on reachingthe budding settlement, he didn’t see the rifle barrel aimed at the centre ofhis forehead. Can Thad save himself and the life of the ones he holds dear?

In Need of Hanging is mainly a chase story as Thad Palmertracks the young killer, more often than not too late to save Vince Long’slatest victims.

The books begins by showing why Long became the crazy killerhe is. After that the book mainly follows Palmer as his hunt becomessidetracked a couple of times, one being warning a wagon train about a possibleIndian attack. At the same time he manages to save Coralee from becominganother of Long’s kills. This, of course, is the beginning of Palmer’s andCoralee’s relationship.

There’s plenty of action, some quite graphic in description.Pacing is handled well, building in increasing speed, sweeping the reader alongeffortlessly towards its well-crafted ending.

With over thirty Black Horse Westerns to his name, Billy Hallonce more leaves me wondering why it’s taken me so long to discover his work.Definitely an author worth taking the time to catch up on his back catalogue.

In Need of Hanging is officially released on August 31^stbut should be available now from all good Internet bookstores.

Diamondback

2011-08-19T15:54:00.000+01:00

By Pike Bishop

Pinnacle, April 1983

Diamondback. His real name is seen only on wanted posters,spoken only by bounty hunters. But as Cord Diamondback he’s blazed new fame asa judge-for-hire – with the fists, guns, and brains to make his decisionsstick.

He took the job in Dog Trail for the money – and the woman.But Diamondback has been double-crossed. And the sentence for that is death!

This Diamondback series lasted for nine books (a tenth wasannounced but Pinnacle folded before it was published) and a variety of writerswrote as Pike Bishop. Raymond Obstfeld being the author behind the pseudonymthis time.

I found the book to be a very entertaining read that movedforward at great speed. There’s plenty of action and a fair amount of humourtoo. It may contain a bit too much sex for some but this series did come out atthe height of the adult western and was aimed at that market.

Characterisation is very good, especially in the case ofCord Diamondback. The reason he changed his name and why he won’t take hisshirt off in front of anyone adding a sense of mystery to his background. Ihoped this would carry on throughout the series but the author had other ideasand the reader does find out the truth before the end. I also liked howDiamondback is given a catchphrase, something else that helps make him amemorable hero. Whenever asked how he knows so much about a particular subjecthe always says it interests him – which is often.

On the strength of this story I will definitely be huntingthrough my collection for the other books in the series.

Best book trailer ever?

2011-08-18T22:53:00.000+01:00

Is this one of the best book trailers ever?

The Prairie Man

2011-08-17T16:48:00.000+01:00

By I.J. Parnham

A Black Horse Western from Hale, August 2011

Tales about the spectre of the night known as the Prairie Man were told to frighten children, but one day those tales nearly led to a tragic accident for Temple Kennedy. His friend Hank Pierce saved his life. Temple vowed that one day he would return the favour.

Fifteen years later the two friends grew up to lead very different lives: Hank is a respected citizen while Temple is an outlaw. But, when Hank is wrongly accused of murder, Temple is given a chance for redemption. He vows to save Hank or die in the attempt.

However, in seeking to unmask the real culprit his investigation leads to a man who isn’t even supposed to exist: the Prairie Man.

Ian Parnham sure piles on the problems for his hero, Temple Kennedy. Not only does he have only two days to find the real killer, a task made increasingly difficult due to the fact the everyone else seems to think Hank is guilty, including the town lawman. Kennedy will also uncover, and have to deal with, the truth behind his parent’s deaths. And as for the Prairie Man, how can he catch someone who isn’t real?

The Prairie Man is a terrific character, who real or not, gives this story a memorable touch of supernatural mystery. As the story progresses more deaths are blamed on this spectre.

Ian Parnham keeps the suspense high by not revealing to the reader just who is responsible for what, and when Kennedy finds himself in jail the reader has to wonder how he can possibly save Hank, or himself for that matter. The book is action packed and also contains many moments of humour, particularly when Kennedy is trying to right his past wrongs.

The tangled story threads prove to have a strong grip, and I’d say any reader would find this book difficult to put down until all the answers are brought out into the open. Definitely a tale that captures the imagination, and one that will leave the reader eager to try more of Ian Parnham’s work.

The Prairie Man has an official release date of August 31^st but can be ordered now from the usual Internet sources.

Western Fiction News

2011-08-15T12:17:00.002+01:00

WESTERN BOOK READERS

A new Facebook group has been launched called Western Book Readers. It's only been going for a few days and already has over one hundred members, who are a mix of readers and authors. If anyone would like to join here's a link: http://www.facebook.com/groups/westernbookreaders/ If that doesn't work then email me and I can invite you. (My email can be found under the 'about me' section of this blog)

The latest issue of Black Horse Extra is now available and contains the usual mix of info and articles which include a few authors discussing The Rights and Wrongs of eBooks. Greg Mitchell also compares Real Cowboys with Reel Cowboys. Black Horse Extra is essential reading for all western fans.

Long time favourite fictional hero Morgan Kane looks set to appear in not one, but three English speaking movies and many of the books are to be released as ebooks, again in English. I really hope they get Kane's character right in the movies as his flawed character is one of the main appealing aspects of this series. For those who don't know Morgan Kane was written by Kjell Halbing under the pseudonym of Louis Masterson. Find out more about the films here.

Western Fictioneers have realeased a massive collection of all new western short stories in an anthology called The Traditional West. This is available now as an eBook but a paper version will follow shortly. Look out for a review soon.