EASY COMPANY AND THE BULLWHACKERS

EASY COMPANY AND THE BULLWHACKERS

Book 30 of 31

By John Wesley Howard

Jove, July 1983

The army’s been paying a pretty penny to haul government freight across the dusty plains, but now the quartermaster has a new plan: turn Easy Company into hard-driving teamsters…

So, while Second Lt. Taylor sets out to train his soldiers to be bullwhackers, angry teamsters plot sabotage. In the meantime, Lt. Matt Kincaid has an even bigger problem: someone’s selling army guns to hostile Indians, and Easy Company is taking the blame!

I don’t know who wrote behind the pseudonym of John Wesley Howard this time around, but it more than matches the quality of this overall excellent series. The author includes all the main characters we’ve come to know throughout the series. This book follows two plots, each as gripping as the other, with the author switching between them regularly. 

There are a couple of extra minor storylines too. The first of which sees a couple of soldiers trying to sell goods that have been thrown out by the army to the friendly Indians that live by Outpost Number 9. The other, features Four Eyes Bradshaw and his desire to get married. Both these story threads add some humorous moments to contrast with the more serious tone of the main problems facing Easy Company.

There’s not a lot of gunplay in this book, but there really doesn’t need to be as the main storylines easily kept me turning the pages to find out whether some of the soldiers of Easy Company would become bullwhackers and to discover who was selling the guns to the Indians, that latter of which hooked me with its mystery elements. 

You can jump into this series anywhere as there aren’t any plots that move from book to book, it’s just the soldiers that link the series together. Easy Company is an adult series, so you will find some explicit sex in the stories but there wasn’t that much of it in this book.

The closing scene left me with a big grin on my face and the feeling of having been thoroughly entertained, adding to the many warm memories of the Easy Company series I have as I’ve now read all thirty-one books. If you enjoy army verses Indian stories, and don’t mind a bit of sex in your reading matter, then I’d recommend searching this series out.

EASY COMPANY AND THE GYPSY RIDERS

EASY COMPANY AND THE GYPSY RIDERS

Number 29 of 31

By John Wesley Howard

Cover art by Samson Pollen

Jove, June 1983

When the roving band of gypsies arrived in the Wyoming Territory, their strange way of life was not welcomed. But “Easy” was sworn to protect them the same as everyone else.

Lt. Matt Kincaid has enough on his hands defending the gypsies. But another stranger invades the territory – an eccentric Englishman – who starts to slaughter buffalo for pleasure. Kincaid knows the Indians will never stand for that, and when the Arapaho launch a savage attack, “Easy” is in deep trouble.

The author of this book has created an excellent mix of characters that cause all kind of problems for Easy Company. To start with it is mainly the gypsies that the soldiers of Outpost Nine have to deal with. Many of these incidents having a touch of humour to them. I felt Captain Conway’s exasperation as each gypsy said his name was John Smith as they won’t divulge their real names to whites. One of the gypsy children also adds a touch of mystery to the tale as he was obviously not born a gypsy, so who is he?

The Englishman, Sir Fletcher, seems harmless enough until it’s revealed that he’s really come to Wyoming to carry out a scientific experiment. What this is both shocking and amusing, but something that will certainly lead to retaliation from the Indians. 

After a brief attack by Indians on the gypsy caravan at the beginning of the book there’s not much gunplay until near the end. Everything in-between builds to an action-packed assault on Outpost Nine by the Arapaho.

The Easy Company books are often referred to as an adult series, so you may be surprised to know that there isn’t any explicit sex to found in this story. Yes, it’s hinted at but that it.

I don’t know who wrote this book, but I found it to be an easy read. I did feel there was a bit too many character tales of their pasts that had nothing to do with the story and due to this they felt like padding. The author utilizes most of Easy Company’s main characters so if you have a favourite, you’ll find them playing a part in this tale. There’s also a new soldier, and like in other books of the series you just know he’s going to be the cause of trouble and his exploits bring about the humorous final lines of the book.

Not one of the best books in the series, but certainly very readable and entertaining. 

EASY COMPANY AND THE DOG SOLDIERS

EASY COMPANY AND THE DOG SOLDIERS

Number 27 of 31

By John Wesley Howard

Jove, April 1983

When self-styled preacher Ethan Deal whips his wagon through the gates of Outpost Number Nine, trouble rolls right in behind him. He has the sacred blood of a Cheyenne “Dog Soldier” on his hands, and now the whole tribe is screaming for vengeance.

What “Easy” doesn’t need is the murderous Jellicoe clan wreaking havoc on the tawny plain and a wagon train of westward bound settlers heading right into their clutches.

A rugged test for Lt. Matt Kincaid’s courage and the most unlikely plan ever devised could be “Easy’s” only chance to head off an all-out massacre.

Like the majority of books in this series, this one contains a great mix of interesting characters having to deal with deadly situations mixed in with the everyday running of the Outpost Number Nine. If you’ve read any of the previous books then you’ll find a lot of familiar soldiers and Outpost staff tackling the next set of problems that the army finding themselves facing.

There are plenty of violent confrontations mainly involving the Jellicoe clan, although the soldiers are involved in combat too. The more savage elements of the tale are nicely balanced with humorous situations and comments, mostly revolving around a visit to the Outpost by Captain Conway’s mother-in-law. Mrs Dodgson’s attempts to bring culture to the Outpost provide many laugh-out-loud moments, as do some of the Dog Soldiers who are contraries, braves who do everything backwards.

A lot of the storylines are resolved as you’d expect but that doesn’t mean the book isn’t enjoyable. I appreciated it as much as any other Easy Company tale. I might not place it up there with the very best the series has to offer but I did find it an entertaining read and I look forward to reading another soon.

Easy Company and the Blood Feud

By John Wesley Howard

Jove, March 1983

The Wilsons and the Blantons fled the Texas drought together, the best of friends. But they arrived in Wyoming as warring enemies – and now, Seth Wilson and Maybelle Blanton must hide their passionate love in the night’s darkness.

To make matters worse, the Sioux are attacking the night patrols and a buffalo hunter is shooting Indian cattle in their pens. It’s up to Lt. Matt Kincaid and Easy Co. to stop all the shooting and bring peace to Thunder Basin – before there’s nobody left!

Book 26 in this excellent series involves a number of separate incidents, all taking place at the same time, that are only linked by Easy Company having to resolve them all with as little bloodshed as they possibly can. Frustration, deadly confrontations, and a medicine show complete with an enticing young lady, means there isn’t a moments peace for the men of Easy Company.

By having so many problems to deal with, the author is able to utilize most of the soldiers who make up Easy Company, along with scout Windy Mandalian, so if you have any favourites you’re sure to find them having a role to play in this book.

The author behind the pseudonym of John Wesley Howard this time is Paul Lederer, and he sure knows how to write a fast-moving tale that holds interest from the first page to the last. Action scenes are tough, frantic and exciting, dialogue is snappy and believable, and everything is tied up neatly.

The more deadly situations are nicely balanced by the girl from the medicine show who soon has a number of soldiers believing she wants to marry them, this leads to some very funny moments and also allows the book to end on a comical note. 

Overall, this is a very satisfying and entertaining read that has left me eager to discover just what problems Easy Company will have to face in the next book as soon as I can.

Easy Company and the Bible Salesman

By John Wesley Howard

Jove, February 1983

Book 25 of the series.

During the ritual of the Sun Dance the young Northern Cheyenne braves tested their manhood. It was a sacred time, but it was also a time when the hatreds of the year could boil over into open warfare.

When a wild-eyed, Bible-thumping fanatic sets his band of two armed men and eight very disarming women right in the middle of the Cheyennes’ ceremonial grounds, trouble is certain.

Lt. Matt Kincaid has a feeling that there’s more to this “preacher” than meets the eye as he and scout Windy Mandalian move fast to head off an Indian uprising.

This book begins with a number of different story threads that gradually become linked by preacher Jeremiah Henson, the author switching between his excellent mix of characters at regular intervals ensuring I continued to read in the need to find out what happened next to each of them. In fact for the first half or so of the book Easy Company have little to do as it’s their scout who takes centre stage for this part of the very fast moving story.

John Wesley Howard is a pseudonym and this entry in the series was written by Kenneth Bjorgum, and he easily swept me up in his tale of mistrusts, lies, and broken promises, that soon become a frantic race against time to prevent an Indian war.

I’ve always enjoyed reading the Easy Company books and this story matches the quality of those before it, once again leaving me eager to read the next in the series.

Easy Company #24

EASY COMPANY AND THE COW COUNTRY QUEEN

as by John WesleyHoward

Jove, January 1983

Cattle king Pete Matthews sent his daughter and a herd of cows to build a new ranch. Trouble is she builds on land the Arapaho claim is theirs. If that isn't bad enough her men are using poisoned meat to kill off the local wolf population, and some of the Arapaho's animals start dying too. As the Indian's gather to wipe out the Cow Country Queen, Easy Company find themselves with the job of keeping the peace.

This is the 24th book in the series and it packs in all the characters you'd expect to find in an Easy Company adventure, along with an Indian uprising and evil whites. Author James Wyckoff – writing as John Wesley Howard – is therefore able to balance the more brutal side of the story with a few humourous moments featuring Malone, Wolfgang Holzer and other members of the mounted infantry that make up Easy Company.

It's as Easy Company try to track down and stop the "wolfers" using poisoned meat that it becomes evident that there's more behind the arrival of the Cow Country Queen than just building a new ranch, and it's this mystery element that will keep the reader hooked until the end.

This is a well written book, although with a fairly basic plot, that makes for a decent entry into the Easy Company series.

Easy Company #20

EASY COMPANY

and the TWILIGHT SNIPER

as by John Wesley Howard

Jove, September 1982

Wyoming is baking under the hottest spell of the summer, the heat and dryness of the land fraying tempers and making the life of the soldiers of Easy Company almost unbearable. And to top it all, at twilight, someone is shooting at the patrolling guards, a sniper who leaves no trace of his presence. At the same time Lt. Matt Kincaid is in the gold rush town of Monument trying to put an end to the violence and killings in this town of dreamers and gunslingers, a job that may just cost his life.

I’ve always enjoyed the books in this series and The Twilight Sniper is no exception. It’s combination of action and humour combine to make a satisfying read. I particularly enjoyed the pranks two of the soldiers kept playing on each other as the endless heat drove them towards madness.

This is really a book of two storylines, that of the sniper and that of the troubles in Monument. Neither story merging with the other but rather complimenting each other. The author behind the pseudonym of John Wesley Howard this time is Paul Lederer and by using this method of two stories, is able to make use of many of Easy Company’s regular characters, so if you have a favourite chances are he’ll be included at sometime during this story.

If you want an entertaining read then give this a try.

Easy Company #19

EASY COMPANY and the INDIAN DOCTOR

as by John Wesley Howard

Jove, August 1982

A wounded rustler, who turns out to be a woman, the arrival, by mistake, at Easy of a ‘green’ army doctor and stirred up Sioux all link to provide Easy with more than enough trouble. Seems the rustlers have more than rustling on their agenda and getting the women out of the outpost is one of them, this involves a traveling photographer. The son of the Sioux chief ends up on the white doctor’s operating table and if he dies war is inevitable...could be if he lives too!

The author (Kenneth Bjorgum in this case) of this book puts the men of Easy into some tough situations and you just have to wonder at how they’ll come out on top. Many of the series' regular soldiers and wives play important parts in this story that seems to get more complicated as it goes on.

I found the book to be a fast easy read. The author must have done quite a bit of research into operations as these are covered in detail. The urgency to solve the problems faced by Easy are nicely balanced with the humorous banter between the soldiers and civilians, most notably the photographer.

All in all this is an entertaining book and a good entry into this series.