Riders of the Barren Plains

By I.J. Parnham
A Black Horse Western from Hale, July 2009

Jeff Steed rode into Carmon looking for work, but when he got caught up in a bank raid he found himself running from both Sheriff Cassidy Yates and the bank raider Blake Kelly. To escape from the net that was inexorably closing in on him he assumed the identity of a dead man. But as that man was the leader of a supply convoy, he had to undertake a hazardous journey across the Barren Plains to the silver miners at Bleak Point.

With the convoy being escorted by the lawman who had been trying to catch him and the bandit he double-crossed hiding out in the Barren Plains, can Jeff ever hope to survive?

Having read one of I.J. Parnham’s books before, and really enjoying it, I had high hopes for this. Would I be disappointed in Riders of the Barren Plains or would it live up to my expectations?

Right from the start the author gets his hero involved in a series of circumstances that has the reader wondering how he can come out of them on the right side of the law - never mind with his life. As the story progresses at rapid speed, Steed finds himself getting into more and more dangerous situations that see him trying to conceal his identity behind a fragile web of lies. Each time I thought I knew how Steed would solve a particular problem, Ian Parnham threw in yet another plot twist that kept this reader glued to the pages, making this book almost impossible to put down.

Having Steed riding with Sheriff Yates gave the author the opportunity to create some superb, tense, battles of wits as suspicion rises in the lawman’s mind. This isn’t Yates only problem as a headstrong girl searching for her sister joins the party. As mistrusts strengthen and the shadow of the Dark Riders falls across them all, so Ian Parnham ups the pace, which includes well described fist-fights, knife fights and plenty of gun action, as secrets are slowly revealed and surprises sprung and solved.

Characterizations are beautifully developed and Ian Parham’s descriptive prose paints vivid imagery within the minds eye, so well you can share the fear and frustrations of Steed, taste the dust and feel the heat of the Barren Plains.

So, to answer my earlier question, yes this book did live up to my expectations and more, meaning Riders of the Barren Plains is my top choice of the BHW I’ve read this month, and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this book to fans of the western genre.

Readers may also be interested to know that Sheriff Cassidy Yates appears in a number of Ian Parnham’s books.

Riders of the Barren Plains has an official release date of today, July 31st, but is available now from many Internet booksellers. I suggest you get your order in asap before it sells out.

The Short Creek Rustlers

as by J.D. Ryder
A Black Horse Western from Hale, July 2009

Someone is rustling livestock from two of the largest cattle operations in Short Creek basin and everyone is busy pointing the finger at his neighbour. Elias Fagan, a drifting cowboy with experience working with the law, has agreed to look into the situation and quickly finds himself caught smack dap in the middle. It’s swiftly made clear that catching the rustlers won’t be easy.

Nobody is supposed to know anything about Fagan but before he even reaches Short Creek someone tries to ambush him. Then in town no more than an hour, he is savagely beaten. To add to his troubles outlaw members of the old Hole-in-the-Wall gang turn up and recognise him. Maybe, he realises, there is more going on than just cattle theft.

It’s action from the start as Fagan narrowly avoids being shot only to nearly drown whilst escaping his would be assassin, and from there the author piles on the problems of staying alive for Fagan, never mind the difficulties of trying to figure out who is behind the rustling. Fagan has plenty of suspects; the ranchers, who seem to be friends – even trail drive their herds together, the successful horse ranchers, the blacksmith, the girl who dislikes him from the moment she sets eyes on him, and more.

Of course I had my thoughts on who would turn out to be the person behind the rustling although I couldn’t put my finger on why. As I read on I kept changing my mind as the author dropped in a few more clues and false leads. In fact I didn’t work it out until J.D. Ryder decided to reveal all.

This book is a little longer than most BHW, using smaller print so it comes in at the same number of pages as the majority of BHW. The story flows well and moves forward at a fast pace making for a very entertaining read. There are a few surprises too, mainly to do with the fate of a couple of the characters.

I’d not read anything by J.D. Ryder before – this is his second book, the first, Sacred Hills Massacre came out in August 2008, and a third, The Branded Man, is due to be published in December 2009 – and, on the strength of this story, I’ll certainly be looking out for them.

The Short Creek Rustlers is officially published tomorrow, July 31st, but is available now from the usual Internet booksellers.

The Derby Man #4

THE PONY EXPRESS WAR
by Gary McCarthy
Bantam, August 1980

Look sharp, hit hard – that’s the Derby Man’s style. He’s a fast-moving mountain of muscle who throws himself into the thick of the West’s greatest adventures – like the Pony Express, a gruelling 2,000 mile race through hell. The pace and terrain are deadly enough but vengeful Paiute warriors and murdering saboteurs led by a sadistic giant threaten to turn the route into a trail of blood. Until one man has the brains and brawn and guts to save the Pony Express – the Derby Man.

Gary McCarthy once more involves his hero, Darby Buckingham, in events that helped shaped the West and became part of America’s history. At the urging of his publisher Darby finds himself witnessing, and becoming involved with, the formation of the Pony Express.

Many real-life people fill the pages of this exciting and fascinating story, such as the men who set up the Pony Express and those who rode for them. Not only are there the problems with setting up such a grand scheme but there are other obstacles to overcome, such as the fury of nature and that of the Indians, whose land they must cross, plus the men who want to see the venture fail for their own personal gains.

It’s a tale full of frustrations, bravery and ambition. A story told through the eyes of Buckingham who has his own problems to solve, such as his on-going relationship with Dolly Beavers – which provides some excellent battles of wits and laugh-out-loud moments.

There are many memorable moments in this book, such as the well written historical and courageous rides of Warren Upson and Pony Bob Haslam.

For me Gary McCarthy has managed to combine both fiction and truth in a gripping read that teaches the story of the Pony Express without the reader feeling he is part of a history lesson. This book has definitely left me eager to read more of the Derby Man’s adventures.

Rio Bonito

as by Abe Dancer
A Black Horse Western from Hale, July 2009

Joe Kettle possessed the grit and fighting blood of his father, and his father before him. And he needed it, for Wilshaw Broome – once a loyal foreman of the Standing K ranch – was using hired gunmen in his effort to seize the Kettle domain.

Supported by an ageing Hector Chaf and Ben McGovren, Joe sets out to win back his birthright. But each of the three men has his own special reason for going up against overwhelming opposition, and it wasn’t all to do with property and livestock.

To overcome Broome’s force, they would play a waiting game, take advantage of the hidden trails and scrub thickets along the Rio Bonito. Then, when the time was right, they would not hesitate to meet force with force and guns with guns.

This is the first book I’ve read by Abe Dancer and the first thing I noticed about it compared to most other BHW is its length, it is much longer, not in page numbers but in size of print. Dancer tells his story in short chapters, beginning in the past as he lays out the foundations of the various families that will play a part in the struggle to gain control of the Standing K. This involves a fair amount of gunplay and a couple of deaths are quite graphically described. This is also where someone’s trademark of cutting off earlobes is first mentioned.

The book has some good descriptive passages of action, landscape, and characters but also contains a lot of dialogue. The battle for the ranch is attempted through legal paperwork but it soon becomes evident this wont be enough and guns will have to back this up. The story is fairly straightforward and doesn’t offer much in the way of twists to the plot and finishes with a well written hand-to-hand fight that ties the story up well.

If you decide to buy a copy of this book I suggest you search for it by its title as it can be found listed as by two different authors – Abe Dancer and Caleb Rand. Both these authors are actually the same person, Carl Bernard (the pseudonyms being anagrams of his name). Another interesting fact about Carl Bernard is that he provides his own cover art for his books.

Rio Bonito has an official release date of July 31st but is available now.

Gunman's Walk

as by Clint Ryker
A Black Horse Western from Hale, July 2009

It was hard not to like young Kid Silk. Even Coder, the hard man of the gun, found the Kid good company on the trail, after riding to Mexico to bring him home.

But the Kid’s sister expected Coder to bring her brother back dead, and he knew he could die trying to prove her wrong. He was fated to follow a long, hard trail with many dangers on the way before he could accomplish his mission.

The above blurb gives the impression that most of the book is taken up with the journey back from Mexico but the opposite is true. After a violent introduction to Ryan Coder and him being hired to find Danny Wardlaw – it’s unknown at this time that he now calls himself Kid Silk – the main part of the story is taken up with tracking down the Kid. During this time there is plenty of action and during these confrontations the author makes sure the reader knows just how hard Coder is. This latter part is important as to strengthen the impact of the end of the story.

Once Coder has found, and freed the Kid from his Rurale captors, the trail home can begin, both men unaware that some vengeance seeking bandidos are planning to ambush them and a group of Rangers haven’t given up on their mission to bring the kid in for justice. This, of course, leads to lots more fast moving gun action that finally exposes some truths about the Kid, which in turn leads to a different side of Coder being revealed, making for a moving ending to the book.

Does Coder manage to bring the Kid home alive to prove that Danny’s sister’s views about him are wrong? That’s something I’m not going to answer, just say that if you choose to read this book you should enjoy finding out for yourself.

Clint Ryker – presumably a pseudonym – is a new author to me, and is a writer I shall be keeping my eye on. Gunman’s Walk is Ryker’s fifth BHW. It has an official release date of July 31st but is available now.

Ruff Justice #2

 NIGHT OF THE APACHE
as by Warren T. Longtree
Signet, September 1981

The Arizona desert – home to Casqual and his Apache raiders. Fearless and merciless, they struck like lightning, killing settlers and disappearing back into the sheltering desert. The local cavalry troops seemed helpless to stop them. So Ruffin T. Justice was sent to catch the renegades and put an end to their senseless slaughtering.

But for Justice the desert held many other perils besides Casqual. Traps as treacherously alluring as the welcoming arms of an auburn-haired beauty and as deadly dangerous as a bullet in the back…

Ruff Justice is a scout for the US Army in this adult series that ran for 28 books, the first being published in September 1981 and the last October 1986. I believe the author behind the pseudonym of Warren T. Longtree is Paul Lederer.

What seems to be a pretty straightforward assignment soon becomes much more involved when Justice arrives at Fort Bowie, Arizona, and finds the fort’s commander, Colonel Lasseman, resents his presence. In fact he soon finds himself ordered to stay behind while the army attempt to track down Casqual. Something is definitely suspicious here but Justice’s endeavours to discover just what is going on are thwarted every time. In fact so much so he leaves the fort and sets himself up as the new Indian Agent on the nearby Reservation in the hopes of unravelling the mystery.

The book is fast moving and has plenty of action before Justice manages to work his way through all the entwined twists and turns of the plot to solve, and deal with, just what is going on in this part of Arizona, which includes the reasons he’s not welcome at the fort, a slave mine, and the problems at the reservation.

All in all an exciting and satisfactory read.

Interview: Mark Bannerman

Mark Bannerman is the pseudonym used by Tony Lewing. With around twenty books to his name, Tony has found himself unable to produce any new work for sometime, but has agreed to talk to Western Fiction Review, thank-you Tony.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

I loved writing essays at school, turning most of them into stories. Later on, I took a correspondence course on being a writer and thereafter it became a hobby that incorporated my interest in the American West. I have accumulated a considerable library of reference books about the old frontier and writing in general.

What was the first novel you had published and if this wasn’t a western what was your first western?

The first book I had published was a Western called Grand Valley Feud, a tale of conflict between cattlemen and sheepherders. I originally wrote this in 1959 but it was too long for Hale. In 1995 I shortened it and resubmitted. This time it was accepted. Thereafter, when I retired from the Army, I wrote full time.

Being an Englishman, why did you choose to write westerns instead of any other genre?

I owe my interest in the American West to my grandfather who, when I was a child, took me to see countless cowboy films. I became an avid fan of Hopalong Cassidy, the Lone Ranger & Tonto, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Buck Jones and so on. My grandfather read nothing else but Western books and his enthusiasm for the genre rubbed off on me. More recently I have visited Western America on several occasions. I have ridden the Western trails, visited old Indian strongholds and Army forts, battle sites, ranches and museums. In researching Ride into Destiny, I explored the site of Fort Phil Kearny, walked the trail of Fetterman’s debacle and followed the route taken by John Portugee Phillips as he set forth to carry word of the tragedy to the outside world. I have paid homage at the graves of Fetterman, Red Cloud and Captain Jack.



Which writers influenced you?

In 1951 I read Will Henry’s No Survivors, a brilliant book about Custer, Crazy Horse and Fetterman, and this proved a profound influence. I loved the first person narrative and blend of history and fiction and determined to try my hand in a similar vein, starting with short stories.

Which western writers would you recommend?

Will Henry certainly. Others: Ernest Haycox (Bugles in the Afternoon), Jack Schaefer (Shane), Harvey Fergusson (Grant of Kingdom), A.B. Guthrie (The Big Sky), Wayne D. Overholser (Gunlock), Glendon Swarthout (The Homesman), Elliot Arnold (Blood Brother).

Which past western would you like to see back in print and why is this?

The Earthbreakers by Ernest Haycox – a wonderful book about the early settlers in Oregon, full of characters and the quirks of human nature.

How long did it take you to write a Black Horse Western, and how did you go about it?

Each book takes about eight weeks to write. I like my heroes or heroines to be up to their ears in trouble within the first chapter and thereafter to have the greatest of difficulty in sorting things out, ending in a climax that is not always predictable.

Are all your westerns stand-alone titles or do any of them form a series?

All my novels are stand-alone. My central characters face so much danger that I doubt they could survive a second outing.

You wrote a book called Bender’s Boot, which I enjoyed very much, based on a real killer family. Do any of your other books use real people/events as the main theme of the plot?

Yes.
Frank Riddle – Frontiersman and the large print version The Frontiersman are both reconstructions of the Modoc Indian War 1872-73 with all its real-life characters, and is written through the eyes of interpreter Frank Riddle. I was fortunate enough to travel to the Lava Beds, Northern California, to do my research. I soaked up the atmosphere of the various battle grounds, interviewed Indians and historians and stood at the spot where General Canby was murdered. Many of my other books touch on historical events and people, or are suggested by actual incidents. The Beckoning Noose (the Modoc War), Escape to Purgatory (the meeting between Billy the Kid and Governor Lew Wallace), The Early Lynching (mail order brides), Renegade Rose (the Oregon Trail), Man Without a Yesterday (Custer’s expedition in the Black Hills), Trail to Redemption (Civil War, buffalo hunters etc) Comanchero Rendezvous (post Civil War activities on the Staked Plains of Texas), The Pinkerton Man (Pinkerton Detective Agency), Galvanized Yankee (the battle of Shiloh and the Wagon Box Fight), Railroaded (the building of railroads), Lust to Kill (vigilantes), Blind Trail (Geronimo and the Apache Wars), Gunsmoke at Adobe Walls (The Comanche Wars), The Modoc Kid (Alcatraz), The Mavericks (illegal branding of Texas cattle) and Ride into Destiny (the Fetterman Massacre).

Three further books were character driven: Fury at Troons Ferry, Legacy of Lead and Hog Tied Hero.

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

Comanchero Rendezvous, Blind Trail, The Modoc Kid, Bender’s Boot and Gunsmoke at Adobe Walls. I particularly enjoyed writing these as I did when creating my humorous Western Hog Tied Hero.

You’ve written a few other books with such titles as Short Story World (a how to book), Ride into Destiny, Frank Riddle: Frontiersman, and Under Western Skies, please tell us a little about them.

I have had hundreds of short stories published on many different themes and I tried to pass on my experiences and techniques in Short Story World. Under Western Skies is an anthology of my early Western short stories which were mostly published in International Storyteller. Cornish Woman is a non-western and has proved my most successful book to date. Also published have been two anthologies of non-western short stories. I’ve discussed Ride into Destiny and Frank Riddle above.

Do you think paper produced books will ever be replaced with electronic books?

I think the appeal of paper-produced books will always remain. The attraction of a good cover and the general feel of a well-bound book will not diminish.

What is your favourite western movie and why?

Dances with Wolves is my all-time favourite as it portrayed Native Americans in a very authentic light. Another Kevin Costner film Wyatt Earp was also very good.

What do you read for pleasure?

I’ve read countless Westerns, fiction and non-fiction, and my other recent enjoyable reads have been The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, Alias Grace by Margaret Attwood and Star of the Sea by Joseph O’Connor. Also Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks and The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer.

Finally Tony, you've always been a good Western writer, your fans miss you, is there any chance Mark Bannerman will make a comeback?

Health problems have prevented me from writing recently, but I hope to regain my writing enthusiasm in the not too distant future.