HUNTER'S MOON

HUNTER’S MOON

By Ty Walker

Cover art by Prieto Muriana

The Crowood Press, November 2017

Hunter Lane Chandler returns to Rattlesnake Valley with fresh game to sell to the townsfolk only to discover the town is seemingly empty. In the sheriff’s office, he finds the veteran lawman has been killed. Then in the livery stable he finds the slaughtered body of the blacksmith.

Soon he finds that a deadly bunch of outlaws known as Corbin’s Raiders have not only killed several of the townsfolk, but have also taken schoolteacher Molly Drew with them.

Chandler sets out to rescue Molly. But he soon finds out that hunting men is far more dangerous than hunting animals.

Ty Walker is one of a number of pseudonyms used by author Michael D. George, his most famous perhaps being Rory Black, the name he uses for his Iron Eyes series. Under his own name and his aliases, he wrote over 100 Black Horse Westerns, most of which are series books. George also wrote a fistful of stand-alone titles and Hunter’s Moon is one of those.

George writes in a stylistic and visual way that brings to mind the gritty, harsh violent spaghetti westerns. Men, and women, kill without giving it a second thought. His stories often delve into the darker side of human nature and this one certainly does that. To say more about this aspect of the tale would be a major spoiler. All I will say is that it is fairly shocking.

Chandler makes for an interesting hero. He’s repulsed by what has happened to many of the townsfolk of Rattlesnake Valley and when he finds out Molly Drew has been taken – the girl he secretly loves – he swears to get her back and kill those responsible, even though he has never taken the life of a human being. Will he be able to squeeze the trigger when the time comes?

The author brings the book to a dramatic finale that takes place in the eerie red light of a blood moon giving the ending an almost surreal feel.

Specific Black Horse Westerns can be hard to track down these days, as they were produced for the library market rather than book stores, but they do turn up second-hand regularly. If you’d like to read this one you’ll find it easier to get a copy if you don’t mind reading ebooks, as The Crowood Press made most of those they published available in electronic as well as paper form.  

British readers can get a copy here

THE TOMB OF IRON EYES

IRON EYES

Number 22 of 31

By Rory Black

Hale, 2015

Infamous bounty hunter Iron Eyes has the scent of his prey in his flared nostrils and is determined to add yet another notch to the gun grip of his famed Navy Colt.

Iron Eyes never quits even when the odds are stacked against him.

Yet the closer he gets to where he knows the outlaw is holed up, the more guns are turned upon him. Refusing to submit to the lethal lead of the men paid to stop his progress, Iron Eyes forges on toward Cheyenne Falls and the fate he knows awaits him.

This is a fairly straight-forward track them down and kill them story. Having some gunmen waiting in Cheyenne Falls to take out Iron Eyes ensures there’s plenty of opportunity for some lively gunplay. There is also a twist in that someone has hired a professional gunfighter, Drako, to come to town and kill the bounty hunter and the author keeps the reason for this a secret from Iron Eyes and the reader until he is good and ready to reveal it.

Rory Black writes in a visual way, his words playing out like images on the silver screen, more in a spaghetti western style than those of John Ford. Black’s stories are as brutal as those European westerns, bleak, savage and full of stylish scenes. Iron Eyes isn’t a particularly likeable character, but he does command attention and you will want to know what happens to him next. Followers of this series will also be aware of Squirrel Sally, the girl who follows Iron Eyes and calls him her betrothed, even though Iron Eyes does his best to get rid of her. Sally has a part to play in this tale too and provides the occasional lighter moment to the story. 

Like the other books in the series, The Tomb of Iron Eyes is a quick and entertaining read and left me wanting to read more.

This beautifully produced hardback book might be hard to find these days as they were aimed at libraries and rarely made it onto the shelves of bookstores. They do turn up second-hand though. Piccadilly Publishing are putting this series out as ebooks, and The Tomb of Iron Eyes is number 21 in their run, for reasons unknown they’ve skipped a book. 

Rory Black is a pseudonym used by Michael D. George. 

The cover art doesn’t illustrate anything that happens in the story. Hale tended to use generic art for the majority of their westerns, something I always thought was a shame as they had hundreds of paintings to choose from.

Fortress Iron Eyes

IRON EYES

number 24 of 30 to date

By Rory Black

The Crowood Press

Hardback, January 2016

Paperback, November 2018

Cover art by Salvador Faba

Tracking outlaws Dobie Miller and Waldo Schmitt into a deadly desert, the notorious bounty hunter Iron Eyes is closing the distance between them with every beat of his determined heart.

Yet the magnificent palomino stallion beneath his ornate saddle is starting to suffer. For years the deadly Iron Eyes has never been concerned about his horses, but since acquiring the powerful stallion, his attitude has changed.

Iron Eyes knows that the horse has saved his life many times, due to its remarkable strength, but now it needs water badly. Every instinct tells the bounty hunter to stop his relentless hunt for the wanted outlaws, but then his steely eyes spot something out in the sickening heat-haze. It is a towering fortress. Iron Eyes presses on.

Once again Rory Black has his hero up against far superior odds, for the abandoned fortress that lures Iron Eyes is already inhabited, not only by the two outlaws he is pursuing, but also by a band of men ready to trade with the Indians who inhabit the desert. These vicious men aren’t the only problems facing the bounty hunter for the two wanted men have gunned down some of the Indians and they want revenge and are planning an assault on the fortress. 

The author creates an air of tension well, his prose often dark in tone as Iron Eyes rides into more danger than expected. There is plenty of violent action before all the well-drawn characters come together for the bloody conclusion which sees Iron Eyes having to act fast to escape with his life.

Fans of this series will know that Iron Eyes is the object of unwanted affection from Squirrel Sally who follows him everywhere in her stagecoach. This time she arrives at the fortress ahead of the bounty hunter and her presence adds further complications to the deadly situation Iron Eyes finds himself in. Squirrel Sally also provides some moments of welcome humour to the otherwise vicious storyline.

Rory Black is one of the pseudonyms used by Michael D. George, an author who never fails to entertain and Iron Eyes is probably his best-known character. If you’ve never tried any of his work, then this could be the perfect place to start.

Black Horse Westerns are usually only available as hardbacks, now The Crowood Press are putting some out as paperbacks of similar size. The paperback versions are virtually half the price of the hardbacks. A lot of Black Horse Westerns have also been released in ebook format. 

Iron Eyes the Spectre

By Rory Black

The Crowood Press, December 2017

Having delivered the body of wanted outlaw Mason Holt to the sheriff at Diablo Creek, infamous bounty hunter Iron Eyes collapses, badly wounded, and his would-be sweetheart Squirrel Sally desperately tries to find a doctor to help him.

However, unknown to Sally, she is heading into a dangerous and uncharted desert where a mysterious tribe of Indians live. Then when Holt’s older brothers discover their sibling is dead, they vow revenge and set out after the man who killed him. Soon both outlaws and Indians alike realize how dangerous Iron Eyes is.

The Iron Eyes series began way back in June 1999 and has gone from strength to strength ever since. Iron Eyes the Spectre being the twenty-eighth book in the series. Rory Black is a pseudonym used by Michael D. George and under his own name and other pseudonyms he’s written many Black Horse Westerns making up a variety of series along with a few stand-alone titles. Whenever I want a fast, action packed read I’ll often reach for one of his books because I know for sure I’ll be getting just that.

Iron Eyes the Spectre starts with the wounded bounty hunter travelling unconscious in the back of Sally’s stagecoach. It isn’t long before Sally is fighting for their lives as the Indians attack. This makes for some tense reading as you have to wonder how a heavy stagecoach can outrun the assault.

Every now and again the author leaves Sally and Iron Eyes in a deadly situation to write a chapter detailing how the older Holt brothers find out about the death of their younger sibling. This discovery leads to a violent reaction that eventually sees them heading into the desert in pursuit of Iron Eyes.

The author is extremely good with his descriptions of both characters and action scenes. Iron Eyes attempt to free Sally from the Indians is both dramatic and entertaining. His plan desperate and foolhardy leading to a humorous exchange to finish the book that left a grin on my face and the hope that it isn’t too long before the next Iron Eyes adventure is published.

100 Golden Eagles for Iron Eyes

By Rory Black

The Crowood Press, September 2016

Bounty hunter Iron Eyes is heading south to Mexico in search of outlaws Bodine and Walters, but is himself being hunted down by his erstwhile sweetheart Squirrel Sally. Then Iron Eyes learns that Sally has been kidnapped by landowner Don Jose Fernandez, and rushes to her aid. But Sally, Iron Eyes and the outlaws are all just pawns in a much larger game, with an enemy more deadly than they can imagine, and Iron Eyes has to use all his courage and skill to survive.

The 26th book in the Iron Eyes series offers everything long time readers of these books would hope for, a fast pace, plenty of violent action, and one or two twists to the plot. 

As we have discovered in the past, we once again find out what the only thing is that Iron Eyes fears, yeap women, particularly Squirrel Sally and her devotion to him and her desire to be his woman. No matter how much he tries to lose her she somehow manages to trail him wherever he goes, which scares the hell out of him.

We also find out something else about Iron Eyes, that perhaps he does have a heart, some kinda feelings, that see him not just gunning down Don Jose Fernandez for kidnapping Sally when they first meet but see a plea reach into his blackened soul – and that is all I can reveal about this part of the story so as not to spoil it for those intending to read it.

There is also a neat twist right at the end that could see a turnaround at the beginning of the next book, and again I can’t say what that is here.

What I can say is that for fans of Iron Eyes then make sure you read this book, and for those who have ever never read about this deadly bounty hunter then this is as good a place as any to start and I’m sure it will have you looking for the previous novels. Me? I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series. 

Scattergun Smith

By Max Gunn

Hale, November 2015

Scattergun Smith is not in the habit of leaving unfinished business. When he sets out after the infamous outlaw Bradley Black, his search leads him across dangerous terrain, and every fibre of his being tells him that he is travelling headfirst into the jaws of trouble. But Smith is like a hunting dog and will not quit tracking his prey.

Black has not only wronged the youngster Smith, but has killed innocent people, and has to pay. Scattergun is determined to catch and end the life of the ruthless outlaw before Black claims fresh victims. It will take every ounce of his renowned expertise to stop Black, and prove why he is called Scattergun Smith.

Scattergun Smith is named after the twin scatterguns he carries, one holstered on each hip, and these weapons see plenty of action as Smith not only has to deal with Black and his companions but a handful of gunmen sent to take him out by a person unknown.

Smith is more than capable to take care of threats to his life in human form but it’s a deadly dust-storm that proves to be his deadliest foe. This storm being the backdrop against which most of this story is played out. The author describing the power and destruction of the storm extremely well.

The author also keeps the reason Smith is hunting Black a secret for much of the book, at times I wondered if this was to remain a mystery completely, but no, all is revealed eventually.

Max Gunn is a new author name to front a Black Horse Western but I reckon I could take an educated guess as to who the writer is behind the name due to how he describes his characters as much as anything else. Let’s just say if you like the Iron Eyes series of westerns by Rory Black you’re sure to enjoy this one.

The Gun Master

By Rory Black

Hale, June 2015

Rex Carey arrives in the township of Willow Creek on his way to visit an old friend. Unknown to him, the infamous Zane Black is staying in the same hotel.

Soon Carey, known throughout the West as the Gun Master, clashes with Black and blood is spilled. Black had been planning the perfect bank robbery and was awaiting his brother and gang to execute his plans.

As Forrest Black rides with his men into the remote settlement, he has no idea he is about to find his brother dead. He sets out to find the killer and his outlaw gang collides brutally with Carey. Who will come out on top?

Up until now Michael D. George has used the pseudonym of Rory Black for his Iron Eyes series only so this is the first time he’s put out a book about someone other than Iron Eyes under that pen-name. My initial thoughts were why when he writes under a variety of other names too, and could this be the first book in a new series?

Those familiar with this authors work will find everything they expect in this very fast moving tale; savage outlaws, a lightning fast hero, plenty of deaths, and a writing style that paints vivid imagery within the mind, in particular the final showdown that can easily be imagined as playing out before you on a cinema screen.

As I read this I became certain the Gun Master was to become a new series but the surprising ending made me doubt my thoughts, so I guess time will reveal whether Rex Carey will ride again. If he does I’m sure I will be reading his next adventure.

The Gun Master has an official release date of June 30th but is available now.

Dead Man Draw

By Walt Keene

Hale, November 2014

Legendary Will Bill Hickok and his close friends, retired lawman Dan Shaw and veteran gunfighter Tom Dix, have no idea what they are facing upon arrival in the sprawling town of Dead Man Draw. But it doesn’t take long to discover that the place is crawling with hired killers.

The intrepid trio are soon face to face with more deadly guns than they have ever encountered, each one trained on the fearless men as they move through the settlement. The tension is about to break. Shaw and Dix are angry but Hickok is more than angry – he’s dangerous.

Dead Man Draw is, I believe, the ninth book in Walt Keene’s series featuring Dix, Shaw and Hickok, and it’s only the second I’ve read. As in Gun Fury Hickok doesn’t have a major role until some way into the story. He appears in the prologue and it’s during this that a couple of major questions are voiced that kept me reading to find out their answers.

Dix and Shaw, virtually penniless, take on roles as lawmen in Dead Man Draw, without really wondering why they’ve been offered the jobs. It soon becomes obvious that the men who’ve hired them, and those who oppose them, don’t give a damn about the real law and it seem all are motivated by greed.

With Hickok’s arrival in town the three team up and take on the bad guys in a bloody showdown that includes a couple of twists and also brings forth the answers to the questions set at the beginning of the story.

Walt Keene is a pseudonym used by Michael D. George, a writer whose Black Horse Westerns written under a variety of pen-names are very popular. A couple of his other series are perhaps better known than this one, but on the strength of this very entertaining book maybe Dix, Shaw and Hickok should be up there with the likes of Iron Eyes (as by Rory Black) and the Bar 10 series (as by Boyd Cassidy).

The Hunt for Iron Eyes

By Rory Black

Hale, March 2014

With the scent of prey in his nostrils, infamous bounty hunter Iron Eyes has gone, leaving Squirrel Sally alone in a remote town. But Sally is not that easily abandoned, and sets out after him, whipping her six horses furiously in pursuit.

As Iron Eyes closes in on outlaws Joe Hyams and Buster Jones, deep in dangerous terrain, Sally realizes there is another chasing Iron Eyes; the one-armed Wolfe is also hot on his heels….

In this, the twentieth Iron Eyes book, the relentless bounty hunter is pursued by a character every bit as determined to get the job done as Iron Eyes is. Wolfe won’t let anything, or anyone, get in his way of fulfilling his desire for vengeance. The latter being about the only difference between these two savage killers; as Iron Eyes’ says to a lawman, ‘I never waste bullets on folks that ain’t got bounty on their heads’.

Rory Black switches between the three main characters regularly, and it soon become apparent that Wolfe maybe just the man to finally kill Iron Eyes. Squirrel Sally has played a role in the last few Iron Eyes books and her love for the brutal bounty hunter is hard to understand but adds an intriguing element to the storyline, and this tale might just answer how Iron Eyes feels about her (you’ll have to read it yourself to find out as I’m not about to spoil it for future readers here).

The Iron Eyes’ books are quite dark in their tone and are filled with brutal action. Iron Eyes is not an easy character to like, but Rory Black’s anti-hero is a fascinating person that captures the imagination and always has me coming back for more as I really want to see what will happen to him next.

The books are short, and flow effortlessly, building to their violent conclusions in an ever increasing pace. Rory Black’s prose often painting very vivid imagery in the minds’ eye.

Rory Black is a pseudonym used by Michael D. George, and in my opinion he has written one of the best Iron Eyes books yet. The final dramatic showdown will long stay in my mind and has left me eagerly looking forward to the next book, which I believe is called My Name is Iron Eyes and that should be published in August. 

The Hunt for Iron Eyes buy from Amazon.com

The Hunt for Iron Eyes (Black Horse Western) buy from Amazon.co.uk

THE VENOM OF IRON EYES

By Rory Black

Hale, March 2012

The notorious gang led by Peg-Leg Grimes is headed to the remote and peaceful town of Cooperville to rob the bank of its recently obtained horde of golden eagles. On the way there one of the gang, Laredo Cole, slaughters a village of innocent Mexicans.

Unknown to the gang the bounty hunter, Iron Eyes, is in town with Squirrel Sally to collect the reward on a gang of outlaws. When the bank explodes into matchwood Iron Eyes vows to get the money, and the outlaws, for Grimes has made one mistake, he has stolen Iron Eyes’ prized Palamino stallion to make his escape….

Rory Black opens this book with a very visual scene of a stagecoach arriving in Cooperville, a stagecoach filled with the dead and being driven by a skeletal man, and this terrific beginning sets the mood superbly for the story. A tale filled with horror and death.

This book is the sixteenth tale in the Iron Eyes series and follows on from events in the previous story, although you don’t need to have read The Skull of Iron Eyes to enjoy this one. Iron Eyes teamed up with Squirrel Sally in the last book and bringing the stagecoach of dead to Cooperville is the task they set out to do at its conclusion.

Iron Eyes is a brutally efficient killing machine who stops at nothing to track down his quarry whom he usually dispatches with a cold emotionless savagery. So imagine my surprise when Iron Eyes allows that hard exterior to crack and is moved to tears whilst cradling a dying baby. Maybe, just maybe Iron Eyes is human after all.

Rory Black is a pseudonym used by Michael D. George for his Iron Eyes books, a series that has a huge following. If you’ve not read one before then this could be a good starting point as it has a great mix of savage action, superbly drawn characters, and touches of humour as Iron Eyes attempts to escape the attentions of Squirrel Sally, and I for one will be eagerly looking forward to the next book to see if he has finally managed to achieve this.

The Venom of Iron Eyes has an official release date of March 30th but is available now from the usual Internet bookstores.

The Skull of Iron Eyes

By Rory Black

A Black Horse Western from Hale, March 2011

In a remote forested valley, six miners, led by the once famous magician Will Hayes, strike pay dirt. As it turns out, a fortune in golden nuggets is hidden throughout the length of the dense landscape, waiting to be gathered up and taken back to civilization. A small isolated tribe of natives are the miners’ only obstacle but Hayes has a dastardly plan….

All goes well for Hayes and his ruthless followers until they make the mistake of killing a child and casting her body into the river. What none of the miners realize is that the body will be found by the infamous bounty hunter Iron Eyes. He vows to discover who killed the little girl and he won’t stop until he sees justice done….

The above blurb, taken from the back of the book, is a little misleading, as it implies most of the story will be about Iron Eyes’ hunt for the killers of the little girl, in fact this doesn’t happen until about thirty pages from the end. In the earlier parts of the book the author explains the events that lead up to the discovery of the girls body.

Rory Black moves from one set of characters to another chapter by chapter as he brings all these people along their various trails to where they will meet for a final, spectacular, showdown. We follow Hayes and his gang, witness how they use magic to fool the natives into believing they are gods, although not all the Indians believe this to be so. Iron Eyes is tracking a group of outlaws of which two escape and leave Iron Eyes blind. It’s when Iron Eyes recovers enough to follow these two fleeing outlaws that their trail leads to the dead girl.

There’s plenty of action, often fairly graphic in description, and the story moves along at a great pace. There are a couple of sequences that stretch belief a little, but nevertheless make for entertaining reading. The finish of the book doesn’t seem to end that well for Iron Eyes, and left me wanting to know more, so lets hope it isn’t that long before another Iron Eyes book hits the shelves.

The Skull of Iron Eyes is the fourteenth book in the series, and is officially released at the end of this month, although it should be available from the usual Internet sources now.

Iron Eyes is Dead

by Rory Black

A Black Horse Western from Hale, November 2010

The town of Desert Springs lay on the edge of a vast ocean of sand – an oasis which had started to draw the dregs of Texas down into its profitable boundaries. Yet none of the ruthless characters who had been gathering there was anything when judged against the infamous bounty hunter, Iron Eyes, who had trailed a dangerous outlaw into the midst of the remote settlement.

But Iron Eyes was wounded. He had battled his way through a band of Apaches in his quest to reach this place. With an arrow through his chest and a bullet hole in his leg, he had lost more blood than most men could afford to lose. As the town’s doctor fought to save his life a call went out: “Iron Eyes is Dead!”

But is this truly the end for the legend known as Iron Eyes?

Seriously wounding his hero near the beginning of this fast moving book allows author Rory Black to develop his plot and other characters whilst Iron Eyes is fighting for his life, lost to the world in a coma. The doctor who attempts to save the bounty hunter, Doc Hardy, being very memorable as are the two lawmen, Marshal Bale and his deputy Joshua. In fact Iron Eyes isn’t in the book that much, but when he is does he leave a lasting impact.

There’s plenty of action as the owner of the new casino plots to double cross an outlaw, an opportunistic thief tries for a better life, the lawmen struggle to find who is behind a string of murders, and others try to finish Iron Eyes off whilst he can’t defend himself.

Rory Black is one of the pseudonyms used by Michael D. George, and he definitely knows how to pace a book and build his story to an exciting and bloody finale, which sees all the plot threads tied up neatly.

Iron Eyes is Dead is the thirteenth book in the Iron Eyes series and is available now from the usual Internet stores. The fourteenth book, The Skull of Iron Eyes, is set too be published in March 2011 and I'm definitely looking forward to that.

Iron Eyes Makes War

as by Rory Black

A Black Horse Western from Hale, October 2009

The infamous bounty hunter, Iron Eyes, is forced to chase the wanted outlaw Joe Brewster down into an arid desert even though he has been badly wounded in a showdown with Brewster’s brothers.

Losing his pony, Iron Eyes is forced to follow on foot. To his surprise, he discovers an oasis in a valley. Iron Eyes trails the outlaw into the valley and soon finds that a few families are living there under the threat of death by Don Miguel Sanchez and his army of vaqueros.

Will Iron Eyes leave or fight until the bloody showdown?

Rory Black is a pseudonym used by Michael D. George for his Iron Eyes books, and this is the twelfth in the series. You don’t have to have read the previous books to enjoy this story.

Iron Eyes makes for a dramatic hero just by his appearance alone, his emaciated build and his scar-covered face make for a memorable character. One thing that many readers may not like about Iron Eyes is his views on and treatment of horses – so if you’re a horse lover you may prefer to skip this one. For those of us who do read this we get an action packed story of a single man taking on massive odds, although he does get some unexpected help. We also see a touch of tenderness from Iron Eyes – a man who is presented as a cold killer who cares nothing for others – with his words to a child, perhaps there is some kindness within him after all?

The book is easy to read and thunders along at a rapid pace building well to its savage finale that should provide a satisfactory read for most western fans.

I mentioned Iron Eyes’ appearance earlier, and this really makes me wish Hale could afford to commission cover paintings for its books, as I’m sure artists could come up with some truly spectacular images of this skeletal man.

Iron Eyes Makes War has a publication date of October 30th, but it is available now from many Internet booksellers.

Spurs of the Spectre

 as by Rory Black

A Black Horse Western from Hale, 2001

This is the second book to feature the bounty hunter known as Iron Eyes.

Quite why infamous bounty hunter Iron Eyes is drawn to the border town of Rio Vista he doesn’t know. He sure doesn’t need to hunt anymore outlaws as he’s carrying enough money to settle down and live the good-life. But this small fortune also means he has no reason to exist as the only thing he’s good at is killing. When asked by a Priest if he’ll help a small Mexican village that has become prey to marauding bandits it looks like a quick and easy way to die.

A book that draws the reader in easily, even though it takes awhile to get to any action, as it builds to it’s explosive finale. A plot in which you can’t help but see references to The Magnificent Seven, although here it’s one against seventeen.

Black (real name Michael D. George) seems very good at creating visual descriptions, particularly of his two leading characters; Iron Eyes and bandit leader Manillo. At times you wonder who is the cruelest though, as lovers of horses will not like Iron Eyes’ treatment of them.

My favourite part is when Iron Eyes first sees a cross with the figure of Christ upon it. He asks the Priest who this man is and why he is there? The explanation means nothing to Iron Eyes, he just reckons it’s something the Apache have done.

So an easy to read book with a not very original plot, but an interesting lead character in Iron Eyes that will have me keeping a lookout for other Iron Eyes novels.