LONGARM AND THE PIRATE’S GOLD as by Tabor Evans
Jove, May 2004
He’s quick on the draw, a cow-punch, and a ladies man. But Custis Long will be the first to admit he’s no sailor. So when duty brings him to the Texas coast to investigate the fishy disappearance of a loaded ship, the landlubber reckons he’ll need a crash course in the maritime arts. And if a voluptuous boat owner wants to teach him, all the better…
Tales of Bloody Tom Malone, a murderous Gulf pirate, have kept many a sailor planted on solid ground lately. Locals claim they’ve spotted his black masts – even Bloody Tom himself – searching for his legendary treasure. But the cutthroat’s been dead around eighty years – and Longarm’s answers may well lie in the depths of the ocean…
Hunting down the ghost of Bloody Tom Malone is not the only problem facing Longarm, as the town of Corpus Christi often becomes a battleground for sailors and cowboys, at least in the sea-front bars. It isn’t long before Longarm makes enemies on both sides that he needs to watch out for too.
Soon it becomes evident that there is more going on here than just a ghostly pirate sinking ships. Longarm struggles to unravel the mystery while staying on dry land, he much prefers a horse to a ship, but you just know he’s going to end up on/in the sea!
James Reasoner (writing as Tabor Evans), once more provides an entertaining read, includes those characteristics of Longarm - speech and memories - that other authors sometimes forget.
Good to see sailors and pirates featuring in the book as it makes a pleasant change from the usual totally land based adventures.
A very enjoyable read.
9 comments:
Did the pirates sing? James is the only guy I know who's introduced singing pirates into a western.
This may be my first comment on your blog, though I have certainly stopped by before, and will add you to my blogroll. I just wanted to mention that I second your opinion on James Reasoner's writing of the Longarm novels. His authentic approach and attention to details of the old west really separate his books from the others. I will defintely check out this Longarm. And Bill Crider's comment is a hoot :)
306!!!!!!!!!! How many were there?
Hi Bill, singing pirates? Just gotta find that one! LOL
David, if this is your first comment then thanks for taking the time to do so. James definately writes some of the best Longarm entries, they usually have some great twists to them.
Gary, Longarm first hit the shelves way back in October 1978 and is still being published today. This month's (Jan 09) is #362. There are also 26 Giant Editions to date. A full list of titles can be found in the files section of my Yahoo group Frontier Times.
The singing pirates, to the best of my memory, are in the stand-alone novel HELL-FOR-LEATHER RIDER, published by Zebra Books 'way back when, under the pseudonym Jake Foster, written in collaboration with the fellow who originated that pen-name. (I don't know if he wants to be identified or not, so I won't.)
Oh, and the song the pirates sing is supposed to be sung to the tune of the Gilligan's Island theme. Lest anyone mistake me for a lyricist, though, I believe I swiped the song (with permission) from a book my buddy Kerry Newcomb wrote. And of course when I say "swiped", I mean "paid homage to".
...and no prizes for guessing what I've just bought? ;)
I'm going out to look for this book...sailing and cowboys, oh my.
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