Blast to Oblivion

By Chap O’Keefe

Rough Edges Press, September 2016

In Denver, a shotgun blast brutally ends a man’s life and sets in motion a deadly chain of events that threatens Joshua Dillard, drifting detective and former Pinkerton agent. Hired by a beautiful woman to untangle the mystery of her brother’s murder and bring the killer to justice, Joshua’s investigation takes him to the raw and dangerous mining town of Silverville, where he finds a web of deception, greed, lust, and violence. Aided only by an eccentric hermit, Joshua will need all his cunning and gun-skill to avoid being blasted to oblivion himself!

Originally published by Robert Hale as part of its Black Horse Western line in 2009, Blast to Oblivion is the seventh (of nine) books following the adventures of Joshua Dillard. Included in this revised edition for Rough Edges Press, Chap O’Keefe has added an afterword titled From Deerstalker to Stetson that explains how this story was inspired by the classic Sherlock Holmes novel The Valley of Fear.

Having read many other Chap O’Keefe books I knew I would be in for an entertaining read with this one, and as it turns out it is one of the authors’ best. You don’t need to have read any of the other Dillard books as it is a self-contained novel that is full of twists and turns, great characters of both sexes, and moves forward at a terrific pace.

The mystery elements will keep you guessing as Dillard has to sort deception from the truth before a final dramatic shoot-out in a location that could become a death-trap for all involved.

If you missed this book the first time it was published then now is your chance to rectify that by grabbing a copy immediately as I’m sure all who enjoy well-told westerns stories will find much to appreciate in Blast to Oblivion and will then be on the lookout for the other Joshua Dillard tales.

Availabe as an ebook too.

Misfit Lil Rides In

By Chap O’Keefe

Black Horse Extra Books, August 2015

Originally published by Hale, July 2006.

A band of Apache bucks led by a charismatic hothead abandons reservation life to go on a bloody rampage. In pursuit with Lieutenant Michael Covington’s cavalry detail is civilian scout Jackson Farraday. But a showdown looms between the pair when Jackson is misled by Lilian Goodnight, a harum-scarum youngster who boasts the handle “Misfit Lil, Princess of Pistoleers.” After a clash with the Apaches and the slaughter of an Army paymaster and his escort, Jackson is fired. But his troubles are only just beginning when he’s framed for murder by crooked Sheriff “Wheezer” Skene. Can Misfit Lil make amends by saving her reluctant hero? 

This is the first in the Misfit Lil series written by Keith Chapman under the pseudonym of Chap O’Keefe, and it introduces the reader to a number of characters that will return in later books.

Even though Misfit Lil is the main character of the series this one features, and follows, Jackson Farraday’s misfortunes as much as it does Lil’s. Her infatuation with Jackson is a joy to read as are his attempts to keep her at arms-length and out of harm’s way.

There’s plenty of action and one or two surprises as Lil attempts to prove Jackson’s innocence and you’ll certainly share her frustrations as Covington always sees the worst in her and would rather slap her in jail than believe anything she has to say.

Keith Chapman also includes moments of humour, particularly evident in the explanation of how Lil got her Misfit name.

Misfit Lil Rides In is a very entertaining read that will make you want to read the rest of the series – there are seven books in total.

Keith Chapman also includes a bonus feature, Heroines of the Wilder West, which makes for a great read too.

The Lawman and the Songbird

By Chap O’Keefe

Black Horse Extra Books, November 2014

Originally published by Hale, November 2005

Pinkerton detective Joshua Dillard went undercover to a lawless Montana boom-town peopled by avaricious gold prospectors, ruthless bandits, fancy-pants rogues, and scheming dance-hall girls. In Cox City, he set his sights on arrogant, skull-faced Blackie Dukes and his bunch. But Alvin "Aces" Axford's safe at the Magnet saloon was robbed right under Joshua's nose. Who had spirited away Axford's haul of gold? Joshua had to buy that plucky songstress Kate Thompson had double-crossed the dangerous Dukes gang, luring him into a futile dance in a raging blizzard across the Bitterroot Mountains. It was one of luckless Joshua's most conspicuous failures. Not until seven years later did he return to Cox City, as town marshal. The time had come to solve the mysteries ... and to lay the ghosts of failure with a blazing six-shooter!

I think I’m right in saying this is the fifth book in Chap O’Keefe’s nine book series about Joshua Dillard, but you don’t have to have read any of the previous tales to fully enjoy this one.

In this story it seems Dillard has more than met his match in Kate Thompson, who makes for a very strong female lead character who seems to be one step ahead of everyone else. Having said that the robbery she masterminds doesn’t quite go according to plan and the chase is on.

Chap O’Keefe once more presents the reader with a fast paced book that is filled with action and a twisting storyline. Never was it obvious how this tale would end and the conclusion does come as a fitting surprise.

As with all of Chap O’Keefe’s books I’ve read this one left me eager for more. If you’ve not read one of his books yet then may I suggest this as an excellent introduction to his extremely readable writing.

If you'd like to find out more about Keith Chapman - the man behind the pseudonym of Chap O'Keefe - then a great interview can be found in two parts here: Part 1 Part 2

Shootout at Hellyer's Creek

By Chap O’Keefe

Black Horse Extra Books, June 2013

Paid to mind other folks’ business, Joshua Dillard did it with a .45 Colt Peacemaker. But he also had a mission of his own, and when Butch Simich and his bunch stuck up the stage from Tucson he swung into vengeful action. 

Stirring it along came Dorothy-May Pennydale, spirited daughter of a whiskey-soaked way station boss. And in the thick of it from the start was Clement P. Conway from New York City, hack writer of dime novels – a greenhorn with guts plunging out of his depth. 

The fight led into treacherous territory, up against rogue marshal Virgil Lyons and saloonkeeper Dice Sanders, whose greed for women and money produced mayhem ... and the most violent gun battle the one-horse town of Hellyer’s Creek had ever seen!

Chap O’Keefe has assembled a terrific set of characters for this Joshua Dillard novel that begins with a stagecoach robbery and then never lets up with action until the end, which includes an excellent fight between two women.

Dillard isn’t above making mistakes, and after being captured by the stage robbers he’s left in a how’s he going to get out of that situation that will keep any reader turning the pages to discover the answer.

It’s assumed that Dillard is working for Wells Fargo throughout the story and this fact makes for a neat twist ending that also leads to a humorous reason for Dillard to ride on to his next adventure.

Shootout at Hellyer’s Creek should appeal to all those who enjoy traditional westerns filled with non-stop action, and at just under $3.00 / £2.00 how can you afford not to give this a try? 

Doomsday Mesa

Chap O’Keefe

eBook, 2011

Ex-cavalryman Yale Cannon rode to Antelope for two very different reasons: in search of an old sweetheart and to bring out Red Effingham, a gunslick killer the sheriff had locked up in the ranch town’s jailhouse. After a confrontation with two cowpuncher brothers on the outskirts of town, Cannon decided to move more warily, and to use one mission as cover for the other.

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

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

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

Being as this was originally published by Hale as a Black Horse Western it’s a fairly short read, and due to it’s length there is no space to waste, so the reader gets a fast paced, action packed book, one that I found difficult to put down before the end.

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

The Sheriff and the Widow

By Chap O’Keefe

ebook, 2011

First published by Hale in 1994.

As dangerous as unstable dynamite . . . that was Sheriff Ross Kemp's assessment of Jessica Blackwood. She was darkly beautiful, and she was married to the richest rancher around. Mysterious notes, a bizarre accusation and the bushwhack murder of her madly jealous husband shoved Kemp into the biggest trouble of his life. Tried and convicted on a trumped-up charge, Kemp was sentenced to ten years of living hell in the state pen. His only hope was Jessica's lovely stepdaughter, Ellen, but as Ellen began to uncover the truth she fell into deadly danger from Orson Rymer, gambler and blackmailer, and Snake McClay, evil-minded gunslick. It looked as if justice would never be done!

The fast flowing, easy-to-read story, proves to be a very entertaining book. Descriptions of action and landscape paint vivid imagery and the characters will soon have you shouting for them to be triumphant, or for their demise.

The story is fairly straightforward, with the good and the bad being clearly defined, yet there is an air of mystery too, as when the time comes for the Boyd Blackwood to die the author carefully avoids telling the reader who actually squeezed the trigger, therefore making you wonder if it was who you’d think it would be.

The book contains some excellent set pieces, such as a prison break that leads to a massacre. In turn these events become a race against time, although those involved never know this. There is also a surprising – and somehow fitting – death for one of the main characters, a type of death that you don’t read about that often in westerns.

Everything comes to a violent conclusion that ties all the plot threads up neatly.

The Sheriff and the Widow is available now a great, giveaway price, so how can you not afford to add this to your collection?  (At the time of posting this review the book is being sold for $0.99 or £0.86)

Western Fiction News

With the surge of ebooks finding their way onto Kindle and like devices, here's a couple that are worth considering as additions to your collection:

TENDERFOOT 

by Terry Coffey

A tenderfoot, who calls himself Ulysses Noman, is searching for outlaw Bart Matthews. Noman says he’s an attorney looking to pass some news to Matthews. Matthews wonders if this stranger who seems out of his element, is in fact a bounty hunter looking to turn him in?

This short story is well written and is told in the first person from the viewpoint of Bart Matthews. The tale offers some mystery into the true identity of the stranger; is he who he says he is or a bounty hunter as Matthews fears? This question is the hook that kept me reading to find out the answer. Events didn’t turn out quite how I thought they would and the ending provided a neat conclusion that left me hoping Terry Coffey might try his hand at a full length western novel someday.

Tenderfoot is available on Kindle now for just $1.38.

                                                

THE SHERIFF AND THE WIDOW 

by Chap O’Keefe

As dangerous as unstable dynamite . . . that was Sheriff Ross Kemp's assessment of Jessica Blackwood. She was darkly beautiful, and she was married to the richest rancher around. Mysterious notes, a bizarre accusation and the bushwhack murder of her madly jealous husband shoved Kemp into the biggest trouble of his life.Tried and convicted on a trumped-up charge, Kemp was sentenced to ten years of living hell in the state pen.His only hope was Jessica's lovely stepdaughter, Ellen, but as Ellen began to uncover the truth she fell into deadly danger from Orson Rymer, gambler and blackmailer, and Snake McClay, evil-minded gunslick. It looked as if justice would never be done!

This book is on offer at the giveaway price of $0.99 (£0.86). Look out for a review soon.

Chap also has two other ebooks available: Liberty and the Law Badge, and Misfit Lil Cheats the Hangrope.

Anyone remember a series that came out in the early 1970's about "Buffalo Hunter O'Brien" by Ralph Hayes? All those who've said yes will be pleased to know that O'Brien is about to ride the trail once more in a book to be published by Hale under their Black Horse Western banner on October 31st 2011.

FORT REVENGE 

by Ralph Hayes

When buffalo hunter O'Brien is wrongly accused of rustling by ranch hands and has to kill the rancher's son to defend himself from hanging, he thought his life had already taken a bad turn. However, within a day's 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 not the man for Sarah, but can O'Brien save Sarah as well as dealing with his own troubles from the past...

December 2011 will see the publication of The Trailsman #362: Range War, and this book carries the first in another cover style change for the series; the eighth by my reckoning.

Western Fiction News

The latest issue of Black Horse Extra is now online here.

As usual it contains a great mix of articles, including a look at the costs of producing ebooks. 

Chap O'Keefe writes about creating a believable series character.

Hoofprints, as usual, provides a number of short, entertaining, articles covering a variety of western topics.

Gary Dobbs ponders the revival of the western movie.

David Whitehead and Alfred Wallon talk about their second book collaboration.

Author David Robbins has given his blog, 'The Write Life', an overhaul, and is adding regular new posts that look at books and films, many of which are about westerns.

Near the end of 2008 Jove published two Longarm Doubles: Deputy US Marshal, and Longarm of the Law. The first of which contained the first two Longarm books, Longarm, and Longarm on the Border, the second following this pattern with book three, Longarm and the Avenging Angels, and book four, Longarm and the Wendigo.

This May sees the publication of the third Longarm Double: Frontier Fury. This contains original books number five: Longarm in the Indian Nations, and book number six: Longarm and the Loggers.

Finally an apology to those of you that use Internet Explorer. It's been brought to my attention that the post below this one, and a similar post I did at the end of the previous month, don't display correctly in IE. I'm not sure why IE shows all the book covers in a single line instead of in rows of threes, as seen by people who use Firefox or Google Chrome. I am trying to correct this but at the moment am drawing a blank. If anyone has any ideas please get in touch through the email address you can find in the 'About Me' section.

Beat to a Pulp

ROUND 1

Edited by David Cranmer and Elaine Ash

2010

Looking at the cover, with its terrific artwork by James O’Barr, you might be wondering why this collection of short stories is being featured on a blog about western fiction? Simple answer, it contains a number of western stories, and authors whose western work is regularly reviewed here write many of the other tales. A full list of stories and authors can be found at the end of this review.

When sitting down to write this review I thought maybe all I need to do is just ask Bill Crider for permission to copy his wonderful forward to the book and post it here, as I don’t see how his words can fail to encourage any reader into diving straight into this excellent collection of stories.

The twenty-seven tales within cover a broad range of genres, taking in westerns, crime, sci-fi, fantasy, pirate, ghost and war. Of course there are stories here that I like better than others but all are extremely well told. Most explore the darker side of life, of human nature, and after reading the first two or three I gave up trying to guess how each story would end, as many finish with neat twists, Patricia Abbott’s story leaving me laughing out loud.

I enjoyed finding out what type of story the western writers I regularly read had decided to write, some turning to genres I knew they write in alongside their westerns, others – mainly those who write Black Horse Westerns (and there’s a few of them in this collection) – providing welcome surprises in their subject matter.

Some of these stories have been published online, others are appearing here for the first time – one being a recently discovered unpublished story by Paul S. Powers who had many tales published in the pulps of old.

The book ends with a fascinating look at the history of pulps by Cullen Gallagher and short profiles of all the authors.

David Cranmer says in his introduction, “I am optimistic we have put together a collection that has something for everyone.” I would say you definitely have succeeded David, and I, for one, am already looking forward to Round Two.

Beat to a Pulp: Round One is now available here, or can be bought from Amazon.

Contents:

1. Maker’s and Coke Jake Hinkson

2. A Free Man Charles Ardai

3. Fangataufa Sophie Littlefield

4. You Don’t Get Three Mistakes Scott D. Parker

5. Insatiable Hilary Davidson

6. Boots on the Ground Matthew Quinn Martin

7. Studio Dick Garnett Elliott

8. Killing Kate Ed Gorman

9. The Ghost Ship Evan Lewis

10. The Strange Death of Ambrose Bierce Paul S. Powers

11. Heliotrope James Reasoner

12. The Wind Scorpion Edward A. Grainger

13. Hard Bite Anonymous-9

14. Crap is King Robert J. Randisi

15. The All-Weather Phantom Mike Sheeter

16. Pripet Marsh Stephen D. Rogers

17. Ghostscapes Patricia Abbott

18. Off Rock Kieran Shea

19. At Long Last Nolan Knight

20. A Native Problem Chris F. Holm

21. Spend it Now, Pay Later Nik Morton

22. Spot Marks the X I.J. Parnham

23. Hoosier Daddy Jedidiah Ayres

24. Anarchy Among Friends: A Love Story Andy Henion

25. Cannulation Glenn Gray

26. The Unreal Jesse James Chap O’Keefe
27. Acting Out Frank Bill

Western Fiction News

EDGE first appeared in 1972 and continued until 1989. The EDGE series ran for 61 books and the half-breed teamed up with one of George G. Gilman’s other anti-heroes, Adam Steele, in 3 more books. The series sold in excess of eighteen million copies.

Today these westerns are much sort after, particularly the latter books in both series – the final EDGE book often commanding a three-figure sum on auction sites.

Now EDGE is available to buy once more as ebooks. The covers carry new artwork from the artist, Tony Masero, who painted the UK covers all those years ago.

The first book in the series, The Loner, is available now for just £2.01 ($3.11). Get it direct from the publisher Solstice or sites such as Smashwords. The books will also be available from other major Internet booksellers soon.

The latest issue of Black Horse Extra is now available, and as usual features a wonderful mix of articles and comments. Chap O’Keefe introduces readers to one of his series characters, Joshua Dillard. Matthew Mayo talks about how his hopes to see his books published by Dorchester have taken a blow with the publisher’s announcements to switch to ebooks, and Greg Mitchell continues his examination of the artwork of Frederick Remington. Along with these there is the usual selection of news items that cover a broad variety western topics.

Sky Movies magazine has done a four page feature to tie in with their Westerns Week at the end of September. Picking some of their favourite stars from the western genre they’ve named them thus:

The Anti-Hero – Clint Eastwood

The Deputy – Dean Martin

The Loner – Gary Cooper

The Icon – John Wayne

The Cowgirl – Jane Russell

The Villain – Lee Van Cleef

The Gent – James Stewart

Along with this they’ve picked five must see western moments and these are:

The Duel –The final showdown with the winding down musical pocket watch in For A Few Dollars More.

The Exit – Wayne’s Ethan walks away from the home at the end of The Searchers.

The Gunfight – The final bloody shootout that ends The Wild Bunch.

The Punch-Up – The fistfight in Blazing Saddles that spills from the western set into other sets and buildings.
The Song – As the heroes await death in Rio Bravo.

Liberty and a Law Badge

as by Chap O’Keefe
A Black Horse Extra book, January 2010

Crazy Bob McGill played Peeping Tom at Devil’s Lake and his old heart was pierced. The young woman Sheriff Dan Vickers had brought to share the isolation of his fishing retreat was McGill’s sweet daughter, Liberty. What McGill didn’t learn was that Liberty had been blackmailed. Her self-sacrifice was to preserve the dubious security of marriage to a spineless rancher Tom Tolliver, caught changing a cattle brand with a running-iron.

Meanwhile, Joshua Dillard, ex-Pinkerton agent and range detective, came to Montana working undercover for Vickers’ boss, cattle baron Barnaby Lant. He quickly clashed with Vickers’ deputies, supposed allies, and Vickers’ wife Sophie, on her own vengeance trail.

Then lynching and gunplay muddied the picture. Could Joshua bring justice to the range and save Liberty?

This is Chap O’Keefe’s 9th Joshua Dillard book, the previous eight being published by Hale under their Black Horse Western line, and the second book the author has published as a Black Horse Extra book, the first being Misfit Lil’ Cheats the Hangrope.

From the very beginning this book moves at speed and then races along like a runaway train heading for a collision and destruction. As Chap O’Keefe introduces more and more characters, so the plot deepens through twists and turns, and all sides are brought together for a final, exciting, clash of wits, guns and knives.

Chap O’Keefe’s writing style is very readable and soon sucks you into the plot making this book very difficult to put down. There are plenty of strong male characters and a couple of memorable women, namely Liberty and Sophie, who take two of the leading roles in this tale. And if it’s action you want, this story is brimming with it.

Liberty and a Law Badge can be bought directly from the publishers here. Fans of Chap O’Keefe’s work (real name Keith Chapman) – in particular those who follow his Joshua Dillard series – will be pleased to know that the end of this month also sees the official release of the eighth Dillard book, published as a Black Horse Western by Hale, titled Faith and a Fast Gun; this should be available from all the usual Internet book sellers now.

Misfit Lil Robs the Bank

as by Chap O’keefe
A Black Horse Western from Hale, September 2009

Misfit Lil’s misalliance with the reckless Texan cowboy Luck M’Cline began while her true friend, mature frontiersman Jackson Farraday, was away in the Henry Mountains. Lil’s crackshot skills saved M’Cline from the claws of a wounded man hating cougar but her actions earned her the enmity of M’Cline’s former sweetheart, Virginia Whitpath. An unladylike fighting showdown with Virginia on Main Street, plus shooting pranks in a saloon with M’Cline, put Lil at the mercy of another arrival. Mesmerist Dr Francois Guiscard, late of a Paris hospital infamous for the experimental treatment of madwomen, was entrusted with curing Lil of her behaviour problems.

Lil had wanted only fun. Could she regain her freedom when Dr Guiscard had devilish plans to capitalize on her unique abilities?

Chap O’keefe (Keith Chapman) pushes the boundaries of the traditional western in this, the sixth Misfit Lil story to be published by Hale. As expected the book moves forward at tremendous speed and sees Lil attempting to bring down Guiscard without the help of her hero Jackson Farraday. There’s plenty of action that includes a well- written catfight between Lil and Virginia.

There are two elements to the plot that provide extra interest, that move the story away from the traditional western tale. The first is the art of hypnotism, and Keith Chapman includes some fascinating facts about the history of the mesmerist. The second is the use of drugs to remove resistance and thus enable rape.

And what of Lil’s relationship with M’Cline? Sorry I’m not going to reveal how that ends – if indeed it does – but will say that the story ends with an exciting showdown in a setting that painted vivid imagery in my mind, and brought to mind those old horror films from Hammer.

So a western that blends the traditional with more challenging subject matter in a well paced plot that once more proves the Misfit Lil series is definitely worth reading.

Misfit Lil Robs the Bank is officially published on September 30th, but is available now from Internet booksellers, and as Chap O’Keefe westerns usually sell-out quickly, I’d suggest you order your copy as soon as possible.

Misfit Lil Cheats the Hangrope

as by Chap O’Keefe
A Black Horse Extra book, July 2009

The irrepressible Misfit Lil was riding for a fall. She'd chosen to intervene in the fortunes of a wagon train of emigrants led on wrong trails by Luke Reiner, their incompetent guide. And Reiner, hiding an outlaw past, didn't care to have Lil messing with his reputation. Lil's first mistake was in saving a bunch of buttons when the wagons were caught in a ferocious blizzard. Then she recommended her hero, frontiersman Jackson Farraday, to help out, which pitched him into a bloody fight with Reiner. Tangles tightened when the wagonmaster's pretty daughter, Honesty Petrie, took a flirtatious hand. . . . But worse was to follow. Jackson was accused of murder! Could Lil save him from the noose into which she'd run his neck?

The first book from Black Horse Extra is the never before published Misfit Lil Cheats the Hangrope. Misfit Lil has appeared in six other books and has become a favourite leading character for fans of Chap O’Keefe’s work.

The plot is very fast moving and features some superbly written set pieces, such as an breakout that’s made possible due to the use of a rat, and an ingenious method of escaping from a hangrope. The book has plenty of the more traditional action you’d expect to find in a western, which includes an exciting gunfight with outlaws set on wiping out the wagon train Lil finds herself involved with.

The main plotline, of murder, sees Chap O’Keefe explore a different type of killing than one would normally expect to find in a western, proving that there are still new storylines to be found in the genre. Even though I did suspect the right person of this killing I was way out with the how and why and the answers definitely provide a memorable conclusion to this book.

Misfit Lil Cheats the Hangrope can be bought directly from Lulu or Amazon US or Amazon UK (Amazon perhaps the cheapest option as it qualifies for free postage) and I’d urge you to consider buying a copy, not least because you’ll receive a well written and very entertaining western but if this book is successful then Black Horse Extra will publish more quality westerns helping to keep this genre alive.

Western Fiction News

As some of you may have already seen elsewhere, Black Horse Extra is publishing it's first paperback book: Misfit Lil Cheats the Hangrope as by Chap O'Keefe. If this venture proves successful it's hoped that more BHE publications will follow. If you'd like to order a copy, and take advantage of a 10% discount then do so now, as this offer ends early in August. You'll need this coupon code KHCHAPMANATCLEARDOTNETDOTNZPTZO which is entered at checkout. To order go here.

More can be read about the publication of this book in the latest edition of Black Horse Extra along with other great articles related to the world of western fiction, including the thoughts of western writers Paul Lederer and Steve Hayes.

This Monday

Please don't forget to support Wild West Monday - this Monday, March 2nd.

Go into your local bookstore or library, ask about the westerns they stock, if they are not in a display of their own ask why not. Ask why they don't stock more and a greater selection of authors. If you can't get to these places then please make an effort to telephone one and ask similar questions. It is hoped westerns fans will be doing this worldwide.

Much more information can be found on:
The_Tainted_Archive

And while on the subject of the Tainted Archive, this Monday also sees the first post to serialize the long out of print Chap O'Keefe western The Sheriff and the Widow. Chap's westerns sell out within days and this is your chance to read one for free!

Misfit Lil Cleans Up

 as by Chap O’Keefe

A Black Horse Western from Hale, 2008

A senseless killing stopped Jackson Farraday from investigating an odd situation in the raw mining settlement called Black Dog. For answers he tricked Lilian Goodnight into spying at the High Meadows cattle ranch.

Lil was dismayed to find range boss Liam O’Grady running a hatwire outfit crewed by deeper-dyed misfits than herself. Then she was obliged to save ex-British Army major Albert Fitzcuthbert – sent to investigating High Meadows by its owners – from renegade Indians.

Everybody had secrets: Lil’s childhood friend Liam; his spouse Mary, and Fitzcuthbert’s cruelly humiliated young wife, Cecilia. Lil was facing problems only her savvy, daring and guns could settle!

Chap O’Keefe definitely knows how to tell a good yarn, he immediately hooks the reader by introducing a number of questions, the answers to which Misfit Lil will have to struggle to find.

There is plenty of action in this fast moving tale and Misfit Lil makes for an engaging lead character. O’Keefe also includes brief mention of her past adventures – this being the fifth Misfit Lil book – that makes me want to find those books and discover just how she and the other characters, already known to her, came to like or dislike each other.

It is also unusual to find the main character, in a Black Horse Western, being female and, for me, this made a pleasant change.

Mention must also be made of the excellent cover painting – the artist sure knows how to use light, shadow, and hints of colour to great effect. This scene ties up nicely with an exciting chase of a stagecoach by Indians within the story.

For those of you inspired enough by my comments about this book that you now want to go out and buy a copy, I have some bad news. The book was released on October 31st and sold out in twelve days! This must be some indication to how popular Chap O’Keefe’s westerns are.

I always like to follow bad news with good so I’ll remind you that Black Horse Westerns are first and foremost produced for libraries so there’s nothing to stop you going there and requesting a copy. I’m sure you’ll find it worthwhile.

The Outlaw and the Lady

 as by Chap O’Keefe

A Black Horse Western from Hale, 1994

Tod Larraby was a deadly shot, an ex-Confederate guerrilla with a reputation to match. But when he was tricked into shooting a crooked gambler in a Colorado mining town, a dubious price was set for his freedom. Lord Buckhampton, a bull-headed British capitalist with investments in the state, needed Larraby to guide him to his delinquent son, who’d vanished into the wildest parts of the Rockies with a half-breed whore from a Leadville bordello.

Against Larraby’s advice, Buckhampton insisted they take along his second wife Julia. But would Tod be able to complete his task and win his liberty faced as he was with death and deception?

Chap O’Keefe, really author Keith Chapman, has created some excellent characters in this book, Lord Buckhampton really comes across as a pompous man who you will be hoping will get his comeuppance soon after you meet him.

The book moves quickly from beginning to end, and has many action packed scenes. Throughout the tale there is a growing attraction between Tod and Julia but this can’t possibly become anything more than that can it?

There are plenty of surprises along the way too, some of the characters not quite being who they say they are, and a savage gang of outlaws add further hardship to the task of finding Buckhampton’s son.

For once we have a Black Horse Western with a cover that almost matches a scene within the story.

Definitely worth picking up a copy, if you can find one.