Where Legends Ride

edited by Matthew P. Mayo

Express Westerns, November 2007

Where Legends Ride is a collection of 14 short stories, written especially for this book, by a group of authors who nearly all write for the Black Horse Western series published by Robert Hale of England. There’s a mix of long time writers, who’ve had many westerns published by Hale, to those new to the genre.

As to be expected from such a collection there’s a wide mix of tales and styles to be found in this book. You’ll find up-lifting stories, those that cover much darker themes, and the traditional western tale. Plots include high-noon showdowns, lynchings, raging prairie fires and scrub-country manhunts, not to mention one or two excellent twists to the end of some of the stories.

One thing they all have in common is that they are all fast moving tales filled with action that should appeal to all western readers.

For me it was a chance to try authors new to me, such as Matthew P. Mayo, Ross Morton and Derek Rutherford. All stood up well to those who’ve been around for a while and have become long-time favourites of mine, like Jack Giles, Lance Howard and Ben Bridges.

Where Legends Ride is a fine example of a western anthology and really doesn’t contain any weak stories. All those involved in this book should be justly proud of themselves and I look forward to their next collaboration.

Table of contents:
The Prodigal Chuck Tyrell
Easier Than Working Gillian F. Taylor
A Time to Live Jack Giles
Pretty Polly Duane Spurlock
The Ballad of Jessie Barnett Lance Howard
Bubbles Ross Morton
Once Upon a Time in Mirage L.J. Parnham
The Man Who Tracked a River Derek Rutherford
Crazy She Called Him Roy Carlton
Stretch-Hemp Station Ben Bridges
Desert Surrender Kit Churchill
Hecate P. McCormac
Snows of Montana Matthew P. Mayo
Hard Times for the Pecos Kid Lee Pierce