THE JURY ON SMOKY HILL

THE JURY ON SMOKY HILL

By Jack Curtis

Cover art by Lino Saffioti

Pocket Books, February 1992

Sheriff Dave Cromwell was chosen to stop the gun-happy, liquor-fuelled Texas cowboys who were tearing up Ellsworth, Kansas. But when the good and proper townspeople reached the end of their patience, they decided to take the law into their own hands.

Dave had four prisoners in his jail when the men with white sacks over their heads came bursting in. A few hours later the four captives were hanging from the railroad trestle just outside of town. Knowing each of the twelve “jurors,” Dave turned in his badge. But the killings would not leave him alone.

One by one, the members of Ellsworth’s hanging party began dying. Dave Cromwell thought the executioners were getting pretty much what they deserved. The trouble was, now no one was safe in Ellsworth. Not until the cycle of vengeance was stopped… 

It's been a long, long time since I last read a book by Jack Curtis, an author who wrote for a variety of television series including Big Valley, Gunsmoke, Have Gun Will Travel, The Rifleman, and Zane Grey Theater. Why it’s taken so long to get around to reading him again I can’t say, especially when I really enjoyed the previous book I read by him, Texas Rules. Curtis put out both stand-alone titles and a five-book series about a man called Sam Benbow. Jack Curtis is a pseudonym used by author David Harsent.

The Jury on Smoky Hill is a fast-moving story that blends western and murder/mystery seamlessly. There is very little gunplay but there are plenty of killings. Most of the deaths take place off-screen but by doing this the author doesn’t give any clue as to who is murdering the hanging party. Those so-called jurors begin to point the finger of accusation at Cromwell who is trying to get a ranch up and running after handing in his badge. A gunfighter brought in as Ellsworth new lawman seems quite happy to take orders from the men behind the hangings. The main strengths of this tale come from the author’s ability to create a suspenseful storyline, tension in his characters and anticipation within his readers as we await the next death. Who will it be? Will the vengeance seeking killer succeed in taking out all the hanging party?

Even though the author doesn’t name his killer until the final scenes are ready to be played out, most readers shouldn’t have any difficulty working out who it is. This doesn’t ruin anything though, as you’ll still want to discover if this person kills all his targets or gets stopped before doing so.

The end of the book didn’t quite turn out as I expected as the author had a neat little twist waiting, one that finished the story in the best way possible for me. 

Hopefully, it won’t take anywhere near as long before I pick up another Jack Curtis book as it did between this and my previous Curtis book. 

HELL PASS

 

HELL PASS
By Lance Howard
Cover art by Sebastià Boada
Linford Edition, 2008
First published by Robert Hale, April 2007 as A Black Horse Western

The circus comes to the town of Angel Pass, but does it bring simple pleasure for the hard-working cowboys and wide-eyed children of the community – or something more sinister?

Fresh from a mission to discover the fate of his lovely partner’s long-lost brother and faced with a series of bizarre kidnappings and jewel robberies, ex-manhunter Hannigan endeavours to find out. But will the secrets of the past prove more disturbing than the revelations of the present?

This is the fifth book of seven that Lance Howard wrote about Jim Hannigan. You don’t need to have read any of the others to get full-enjoyment out of this one as it reads like a stand-alone novel. As far as I could tell, there wasn’t any mention of Hannigan’s previous adventures. 

Lance Howard fills this book with fascinating characters – how could you not when having the plot revolve around a circus that sees dwarves, snake dancers, strong men, fortune tellers and more play important roles in the story. A circus into which Hannigan’s partner, Angela del Pelado, will go undercover to try and find trace of the stolen children.

The story contains a flash-back to Angela’s life as a small child going fishing with her brother, Alejandro. It is he who goes missing later. After Angela and Hannigan try to find him, Angela gives up on the hope of ever seeing him again. But we, as readers, know what happened to him and one of the gripping storylines this book contains is wanting to know how Angela will react when she finally comes face to face with him.

Another story-thread that hooked me was the mystery of the missing children. Where were they? Why were they being stolen? 

Although Hannigan is billed as the main character it is Angela who seems to have the larger role in this fast-moving tale. Her need to find her brother. Her desire to be more than a partner in righting wrongs with Hannigan, she wants to be his lover. These, and more, are main features of the plot, as is the horror she will surely have to face by the end of the book.

Howard’s writing is smooth-flowing and easy to read. His plot moves forward at an ever-increasing pace. There’s plenty of action that includes gunplay and assassination attempts. There’s emotional turmoil that makes you share his characters feelings. There are different storylines that are on a collision course, and when everything comes together Howard brings it all to a satisfying conclusion. 

Lance Howard is a pseudonym used by Howard Hopkins, an author whose work I’ve always enjoyed. Hell Pass proved to be another very entertaining read which left me wondering why I’ve left it so long since I last read a book by him.

THESE MEN CHOSE HELL

FORT MISERY

THESE MEN CHOSE HELL

By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle, July 2025

Welcome to Fort Misery – where the lowliest dregs of the U.S. Army defend the driest patch of lawless desert against the most sadistic killers in the Wild, Wild West. Sometimes it takes a bad man with a gun to stop another bad man with a gun . . . 

They’re not what you’d call “the good guys.” They’re a mangy pack of despicable deserters, thieves, mutineers, and worse. But as condemned soldiers in an overstretched army, they were given a choice: death by hanging or serving out their time in a hell on earth.

These men chose hell.

Located at the farthest edge of the Yuma Desert, Fort Grierson is a magnet for trouble. Vicious attacks by marauding Apaches and gunslinging outlaws are practically a daily occurrence – and the men holding down the fort are hardly any better. Hence the nickname Fort Misery. When a group of professors show up at the fort in search of lost treasure, a series of gruesome murders begins. The men of Fort Misery will have to find the culprit before they all meet a terrible end . . .

This second book in the Fort Misery series has been a long time coming. Book one came out in February 2023 and I enjoyed reading it.

Captain Kellerman has a number of problems to deal with this time around, not least keeping his soldiers in line, one of whom believes he is Jesus, and dealing with the daily issues of running a fort. His new challenges include the threat of Apache attack. A group of archologists who are digging up his parade ground with President Grant’s permission. Have they unleashed evil spirits? Certainly, the weather has taken a turn for the worse and people are dying since their arrival. Then there’s the gunslingers camped out in the desert. What are they after? Can Kellerman trust them when he enlists their help to fight off the Apache? There’s also the beautiful girl who’s arrived with the professors who seems to be as attracted to him as much as he is to her. And then the murders begin. All the story threads ensure there is never a dull moment in this book.

The author switches regularly between various characters, although he mainly sticks with the officers within the army. The violence is vicious at times, especially the descriptions of the murders. The author also surprised me with one of the characters he killed off and at how soon he did so. Tensions are described well, particularly whilst waiting for the Apache to launch their assaults on the fort. There is also a fair amount of humour thrown in, mostly in conversation, that lightens the tone of the tale now-and-again. 

For a good portion of the book, the author keeps the identity of the mysterious killer a secret but even when known I found myself waiting with bated breath for the next murder – how would it be done and who would be the victim? 

Everything builds to a dramatic finale that brought a close to all the storylines satisfactory, and in some case not as I thought they would. Like in the first book, the final paragraphs of this story seem to be setting up more problems for the soldiers of Fort Misery to deal with, and I for one am looking forward to reading about them whenever the third book appears. 

American readers can get a copy here 

British readers can get a copy here

LONGARM AND SEÑORITA REVENGE

 

LONGARM AND SEÑORITA REVENGE

Book 415 of 436 + 29 Giant Editions

By Tabor Evans

Cover illustration by Milo Sinovcic

Jove, June 2013

The name makes cavalrymen cower, hard cases head for the hills, and bandidos cry, “Vámones!” They call her Señorita Revenge. Savage and merciless, she and her band of kill-crazy Kiowa have been cutting down soldiers like blades of grass in the Texas Big Bend country north of the Rio Grande.

If any man can declaw this homicidal hellcat, it’s Deputy U.S. Marshal Custis Long.

But when Longarm arrives at the cavalry outpost, he finds a half-mad major, his batty, blond daughter, a horribly scarred captain, and a mouth-watering but mysterious maiden – each of whom is hiding a secret. As Longarm puts the pieces together, he draws ever closer to ending this beautiful buckskin-clad butcher’s reign of vengeance… 

Harsh landscapes and tougher characters – brutal characters in many cases. Seductive, stunningly beautiful women who can be as savage as any man should the need arise, and it does, often. Vicious action scenes. Plot twists that took me by surprise. A breath-taking stagecoach ride. This book has them all, and more. Longarm sure has to keep his wits about him or he’ll end up as one of the deceased. 

The story moves along at terrific speed. Chapters ending on cliff-hangers ensuring I’d keep turning the pages. Great characters, especially Señorita Revenge. Mystery behind her true identity – I had my ideas but I wasn’t quite right. Hard-hitting fairly graphic violence and a couple of descriptive sex scenes – the latter to be expected as the Longarm books are billed as adult westerns, but don’t let them put you off reading this book or you’ll be missing out on a great tale.

I’m being purposefully vague on the plot, and naming characters and their relationships to each other as I don’t want to spoil any part of this book for anyone who has yet to read it. 

The author behind the pseudonym of Tabor Evans this time around is Peter Brandvold and his take on Longarm has always been grittier than most of the other authors who wrote for this series. Think spaghetti rather than Hollywood western. 

After finishing Longarm and Señorita Revenge I was left eagerly wanting to hunt through my collection to dig out another of Peter Brandvold’s entries into this series and start reading it straightaway. Recommended. 

American readers can get a copy here

British readers can get a copy here

BULL'S EYE STAGE COACH

BULL’S EYE STAGE COACH

By Billy Hall

Robert Hale, March 2013

Marshal Dwight Stern and his posse are overseeing the loading of a shipment of gold onto a heavily armoured stage coach when they are ambushed in a surprise attack.

With Stern’s fiancée held in the grip of one of the attackers and a double-barrelled shotgun pointing at her head, there’s no time to play nice. With his hand on his gun and a prayer for the gunman to make a mistake and move the gun from Belinda’s head, all he needs is a split second….

The story starts some time before the incident the blurb outlines. We witness Stern laying the law down in his town and also share his concerns about a number of strangers who are arriving and looking for jobs, especially when one of the tries to befriend Belinda. Then there’s another stranger who implies he’s on Stern’s side, but in what, and can he be trusted?

It isn’t long before the robbery takes place and the outlaws get away with the gold and take Belinda with them. Stern races to save her but will he get to her before she’s ravished and killed? 

Billy Hall was the name Billy Hallsted used for his Black Horse Westerns. He had 39 published before he passed in May 2015. I read quite a few of his books and have always enjoyed them. Bull’s Eye Stage Coach proved to be another entertaining read.

Hallsted paced the story beautifully, moving from one tense scene to another making for some suspenseful reading. There’s plenty of gunplay in this tale too. The stranger who says he’s there to help Stern allowed the author to add some mysterious intrigue into the plot. All this combines to make this a difficult book to put down before I discovered how it all played out.

Luckily for me, I have a few more BHWs by Billy Hall in my collection that I’ve yet to read. On the strength of this one, I’m sure it won’t be too long before I pick up another.

American readers can get a copy here.

British readers can get a copy here.

WESTERN STORY - March 1949

WESTERN STORY

British Edition, Vol. VI, No.5

Atlas Publishing, March 1949

Cover art by William R. Leigh

This publication of Street & Smith’s Western Story is a partial reprint of the American issue from September 1948. The UK version first appeared in 1939 and continued, with slight changes to its title, until 1961. By my count, there were 167 issues. 

We start with the short story Light Up Your Six-Gun by Ralph Yergen. He’s a new author to me who wrote just over 100 stories for the western pulps. This quick paced yarn is about a cigar salesman, Horatio Oberlander Holyoke, who finds one of his best customers, Blaine, in jail accused of murder. Holyoke sets out to prove Blaine is innocent. Whist doing so, we find that Holyoke is very handy with a gun. Holyoke has to save himself from a death trap and the explanation of how he realized he was in grave danger is linked to his profession and that put a grin on my face. I also laughed out loud at the final line of the story, that even though I knew it was coming, I still found it funny. This was a very readable tale that left me wondering if Holyoke appeared in any of Yergen’s other stories cos I’d certainly like to read them if he did.

Peter Dawson’s novella, Retribution River, is next. Dawson is a pseudonym used by Jonathan H. Glidden, who had over 100 stories published in the pulps. His story is a land grab tale. A ranch owning banker, Cavendish, decides he wants more land and sets about driving other ranchers away. The main character is Pete Sarran and he teams up with another couple of men who’ve been driven out. Riding with them is a man named Brazos who none of them know. Brazos talks them into getting back at Cavendish by robbing his bank. The raid doesn’t go according to plan and Brazos rides off with the loot. Sarran was right to mistrust Brazos and sets out to find the double-crosser and there’s a surprise waiting for him when he does track down his quarry. I’ve not read many stories by Glidden, but I’ve enjoyed the handful I have, and Retribution River was just as good as any of them, even though it did have a predictable plot. 

Another novella follows, Mavericks of Moonrock Range by Rod Patterson, who is another author I haven’t read before. Patterson had over 200 stories published in western pulps. Patterson pulled me into his tale immediately with questions that needed answers. Clyde Desbrow sees a note in a newspaper telling him to return to his father’s ranch by a specific date if he wants to claim his inheritance. What he finds at the ranch shocks him but he intends to sort out the wrongs he sees happening in his home. Patterson’s writes well, his prose creating a dark tone to a story filled with tense scenes and intrigue. I can’t really say anymore without spoiling it other than to say I wasn’t a fan of the nick-of-time ending which made me think the author did this as he was running out of pages. This story, for me, would have been much better longer with a bit more explanation as to why certain characters did what they did. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this tale a lot and am eager to read more of Patterson’s work.

Next we have a novelette by Wayne D. Overholser called The Long Haul. Overholser had just over 400 western tales under his own name and a more under a variety of pseudonyms published in western pulps. The Long Haul tells the tale of a decision lawman Lance Gregg has to make: does he take in a wanted man as the law says he should or let him go out in a blaze of glory taking down other outlaws? That’s all there is to the plot, but it was enough to keep me turning the pages to see which choice Gregg would make. The tales ends with a swift shootout that brings everything to a satisfactory conclusion.

Walt Coburn’s Guns Across the Rio Grande is a novella that tells the story of The Rio Kid who has been falsely accused of murdering a Texas Ranger. The Ranger’s Captain, Jess Clayton, doesn’t believe the Kid, whose real name is Carlos McCarty, is the killer. Clayton helps the Kid escape from jail and then they set out to track down and bring to justice the real murderer which involves a cattle drive to tempt some rustlers to steal the herd. This is a fast paced read that includes some great action scenes. I enjoyed reading it, even though it was obvious how things would turn out. I did have to take my time with some of the speech as Coburn writes it as his characters say it, for example the Mexican Pepe says “Por Dios, ees een my blood to be a gon fighter!” I do find this kind of writing adds flavour to these stories so it’s welcomed by me if not excessively done as it can really slow a story down if you have to re-read it to understand what is being said. Coburn was a popular author for the western pulps and had around 800 stories published in them.  

The last tale is a novella by Michael Trent called Badlands Showdown. Trent had nine stories published across a variety of western pulps so is probably the least known of the authors featured in this issue of Western Story. Jim Dunstan, foreman of the Aurora Land & Cattle Company is determined to bring an end to the rustling in the area. Trouble is, it seems a friend is passing on information to the gang of outlaws which, as distasteful as exposing who this will be, Dunstan sums it up by saying “Guilt and friendship don’t go together.” In such a short story it was easy to work out who the bad guy was and who would get the girl, but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this story. 

This British issue of Western Story also includes the poem Chuckwagon Menu by S. Omar Barker and the very short column Range Savvy by Gene King, neither of which struck a chord with me.

This pulp magazine also contains a bit of information about cover artist William R. Leigh telling us he was an author as well as an artist. Leigh wrote short stories on Indian life that appeared in a variety of American magazines. The story The Western Pony both written and illustrated by Leigh was named as one of the fifty best books of 1933 by the American Institute of Graphic Arts.

Overall, I thought this was a good issue of Western Story as I enjoyed all the stories it contained. 

HANG A MAN HIGH

 

HANG A MAN HIGH
By Matt Chisholm
Panther Books, June 1959

They found him standing with a still-warm gun in his hand . . . his brother dead, shot through the back of the head; his brother Marve . . . whom everyone liked and trusted. 

The gold was gone from its hiding place, and now the finger of suspicion was pointed in Ben’s direction.

In that country, for that crime, they would demand that the Law HANG A MAN HIGH.

This is second of three books Matt Chisholm would write about Ben Hodge. As if the man didn’t go through enough troubles in the first book, the author plunges Hodge into more deadly danger which could see him with a rope around his neck again. 

Events of the earlier book, Hodge, are mentioned quite often in this one, and a number of characters from that story return for the sequel. Due to that I would suggest reading the first book before this one to get the greatest enjoyment from it. Hang a Man High can be read as a stand-alone title though as the author includes all the background you need to understand the relationships between the characters and the problems Hodge had to face in that story.

This is a tough tale that is filled with non-stop action. Hodge has to endure a number of brutal fist-fights that leave him a battered man. Even he doesn’t know where he finds the energy to go on, but he does know that if he doesn’t, he’ll be swinging from the gallows. Handguns, rifles and shotguns are all used regularly too. 

Hodge and his two friends, Pete and Ned, loyalty to each other is admirable, all ready to die for each other as they struggle to discover just who killed Marve. What’s equally puzzling is where the gold came from. Hodge certainly didn’t know it was hidden in his home and neither did his pards. It isn’t long before all three begin to wonder if they can trust anyone else as more and more people seem to be involved in whatever it is that is going on.

There’s a lot of blood and death before Hodge gets a break and begins to work out who is behind the death of his brother. Hodge, Pete and Ned will all have their parts to play in bringing down the culprits and will suffer whilst doing so before everything comes to a conclusion in a confined space. 

Peter Watts is the author behind the pseudonym of Matt Chisholm and he’s long been a favourite writer of mine and this book strengthens that thought. Hang a Man High isn’t as goog as the first Hodge book but it comes very close and is a western that I think all fans of the genre would find an entertaining read. Me? I’m looking forward to reading the third Hodge book, The Law of Ben Hodge, as soon as possible.

THE MADMAN'S BLADE

RAIDER

Book 13 of 42

THE MADMAN’S BLADE

By J.D. Hardin

Cover art by Miro

Berkley, July 1988

The victim’s father has already been to the Pinkerton Agency twice. Now he’s back a third time to hire himself a detective.

One look at the poor man’s face and Raider is hooked. He’ll track down the dapper-dressing dude who raped and killed the young girl. But finding the cold-blooded killer with unlimited cash and a brilliantly twisted mind ain’t easy. 

All Raider has to go on is the killer’s gruesome handywork with a blade, and a trail of murder that leads to a bloody showdown.

This book reads like a detective novel in a western setting. Raider, riding alongside the grieving father of one of the dead girls, is after a serial killer rapist. The lack of leads makes his task almost impossible. Slowly, little bits of information come to light but can Raider piece them together to track down and stop the killer before other girls fall victim to his blade?

The author, this time Frank Roderus writing as J.D. Hardin, switches between Raider and his quarry regularly. We share the twisted thoughts of the killer and find out why he’s murdering the girls. Raider’s frustration at failing to discover who the killer quickly comes over strongly. Even when he thinks he knows who is after, finding him is one hell of a challenge as the Pinkerton has no idea as to where the killer will strike next. I did feel, at times, Raider was a bit slow in working things out as one clue was very evident near the beginning of the story.

I was surprised to discover thoughts on mental health in a western and how much the story touched on issues we hear a lot about today. Child trauma being used to explain the reason behind the killer’s actions. As the tale developed, I started to think this plot is like something you’d see on TV’s Law and Order: Special Victims Unit – which was fine by me as that is one of my favourite programmes.

The Raider books are classed as being adult westerns so that means the stories contain explicit sex scenes. Surprising, Raider misses out on any of this although he does find himself in a position to indulge in the pleasures of the flesh at one point but turns her down. It’s the killer who enjoys sex, even though his unwilling partners don’t. This makes for some brutal reading at times. This particular story also includes some very crude language, especially in the opening scenes, after that it is used sparingly.

Although Raider doesn’t get involved in much action until the end of the book, I did find his efforts to find and stop the killer made for some gripping reading. Yes, the story did play out pretty much as I expected, which includes who finally finished off the killer but not the how. 

Frank Roderus can always be relied upon to provide solid entertaining reading and this book left me thinking I must read something else by him soon.

ARIZONA HELLCAT

HEAD HUNTER

Book 1 of 13

ARIZONA HELLCAT

By E. J. Hunter

Cover art by Diane Sivavec

Zebra Books, June 1987

A seventeen-year-old girl with green eyes and auburn hair is hardly the kind of law a gunslinger with a price on his head expects to find on his trail. But Charity Rose can ride anything on four legs and shoot as straight as any man. When her father is gunned down by Concho Bill Baudine’s gang – and then the sidewinders take turns with her – Charity vows to take her revenge with gunpowder and hot lead!

There wasn’t a woman born yet who could tough it out with hardcase outlaws, but Charity vowed she’d be the first. All it took was polishing her skills with her double-action handgun and using every trick she knew to get the revenge she wanted. She was a rat catcher and she’d ride hard to blast the deadly vermin that were loose in the territory.

I read a couple of the later books in this series years and years ago and I can’t really remember much about them, so any spoilers they may contain have been long forgotten by me. What I do remember is that there are some story threads that continue throughout the series, so I thought it would be fun to find out how it all began.

Arizona Hellcat is also twice the length of the rest of the books in the series. If I’m honest I reckon it could easily have had a lot of the content cut so it matched the size of the other books without losing anything important to the plot. For instance, Charity’s boyfriend, Tom, tries on numerous occasions to talk her out of going after the outlaws and this becomes very repetitive, especially as later in the book she returns to her home town and Tom tries again using the same arguments. 

The story begins with Charity tracking down and killing one of the men she seeks. We then flashback to the time of her father’s killing and her rape. Seeing how her ordeal affects her made for some compelling reading as does her attempts to better herself in the art of using guns. Later in the book we watch Charity learning to use her feet and hands as weapons in a lengthy scene, yet she never uses this form of fighting in this story, so that is another part of the book that could have been dropped. 

Even though the majority of the story is predictable and at times unbelievable, such as how many men think she’s a he due to how Charity dresses on the trail, two even make this mistake when viewing her naked from behind, I still found parts of it enjoyable, especially that Charity doesn’t always get her man. I also liked how Charity has a large dog that travels with her and obeys her commands to terrorize or kill people if need be.

I must also point out that the Head Hunter books are classed as adult westerns so there is a fair amount of explicit sex within the pages, not as much as I was expecting, but enough to put people off who don’t like that kind of thing in their reading material. 

Did I find enough to like in this story to want to read the next book? I’ll probably give it a go sometime especially as it is shorter so won’t be filled with as much padding as I feel this one was but it won’t be anytime soon.

E. J. Hunter is a pseudonym for Mark K. Roberts.

UNWANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

UNWANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

By Gene Shelton

Cover art by Eric JW Lee

A Jove Book, March 1996

Framed for cattle rustling and horse theft by the corrupt banker who foreclosed on their employer’s ranch, Buck Hawkins and Dobie Garrett found themselves out of work, out of cash, and out of luck. So, they decided to try and live up to their reputation as wanted men. An idea easier said than done…

One step ahead of a hanging party, Buck and Dobie bungled a stagecoach robbery – and met Marylou Kowalski, a fiery young woman looking for excitement. She insisted they kidnap her. Soon, she had Buck and Dobie convinced that the three of them could pull off the ultimate heist: robbing the low-down banker who set them up. Now, if only they could learn to shoot…

Having read, and enjoyed, Gene Shelton’s four book series the Texas Horse Trading Co., I was looking forward to reading Unwanted: Dead or Alive, the first of two books featuring Buck Hawkins and Dobie Garrett. 

I was surprised to find that the opening chapter didn’t really grab me. Nothing much happened apart from descriptions of Hawkins and Garrett’s life as cowboys, struggling to find cattle in the snow. I’m glad I continued to read though as with chapter two the story really picked up. Complication upon complication befell our now out of work cowboys.

Our two leads couldn’t be more different. Garrett is impulsive, all for charging into any situation without giving it a second thought. Hawkins is the exact opposite, careful and needing to spend time considering their options. One thing they agree on is the need for money, so Garrett talks Hawkins into becoming an outlaw. Holding up people and stealing their money can’t be difficult, can it? 

What follows is a series of attempted robberies, a trading post run by a woman, a stagecoach and more. Their major problem is that they only have one gun between them and that doesn’t work, so bluff is the name of the game and they soon learn that being an outlaw isn’t easy as none of their robberies go according to plan or result in riches. These attempts at a life of crime are exciting and often comical. In fact, a lot of the book has a humorous tone coming from situations and the banter between the main characters. Once they team up with Marylou, Hawkins and Garrett are forced to realize how useless they are. An attempt to rob a train emphasizing that point as does their lack of shooting skills.

Can they turn their lives around? Will their plan to get even with the banker succeed? Will they continue to be wanted for crimes they didn’t commit? Will Marylou ever see them as more than hopeless? These, and more questions have to be answered before the end of the tale.

After that first slow chapter, the pace of this book really picks up. Dialogue is lively and at times offers laugh out loud moments. The robberies are tense and the build up to the final confrontation with the banker is extremely well told. The final showdown providing some gripping reading that also tied up all the hanging story threads and left me eager to read the second book, How the West Was Lost, as soon as I can.

American readers can get a copy here

British readers can get a copy here

A GOOD DAY FOR A MASSACRE

 

SLASH AND PECOS
Book 2 of 6
A GOOD DAY FOR A MASSACRE
By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone
Pinnacle Books, July 2020

Life on the straight and narrow is easier said than done for a pair of crooks like Jimmy “Slash” Braddock and Melvin “Pecos Kid” Baker. But these reprobates are doing their damnedest to make an honest go of it. They’ve managed to safely deliver a church organ to a mountain parish when their sometime employer – Chief U.S. Marshal Luther T. “Bleed-‘m-So” Bledsoe – recruits them for a job only fools would take.

Marshal Bledsoe wants them to pick up a shipment of gold in the mining town in the Sawatch Mountains. Here’s the catch: Slash and Pecos’s wagon is just a decoy. When a ruthless gang ambushes the real gold shipment, it’s up to Slash and Pecos to go after the trigger-happy bandits. And they won’t be alone. A lady Pinkerton, Hattie Friendly – who is anything but – survived the ambush and is hellbent on getting the gold back. Even if she has to team up with a pair of ornery old cutthroats like Slash and Pecos….

The author has come up with a very engaging pair of lead characters in Slash and Pecos. They’re tough, they bicker and can get into all kinds of trouble without trying. Their outlaw days are over and they’ve been granted an amnesty, trouble is not many people know about this. Teaming them up with Hattie makes for some lively exchanges of dialogue which often had me laughing out loud.

The story is fast paced and action packed. The body count is high. As well as knives, pistols and rifles, Gatling guns are used to devasting effect. Slash and Pecos get thrown in jail too by a lawman who doesn’t know they are free men now. As well as Hattie, there are other strong roles for female characters. Slash is looking to pop-the-question to one of them….if he can conquer his nerves. Trouble is he might just have a love rival.

Having only read two of the books in this series, Slash and Pecos have already made a strong impact on me and have become two of my favourite characters to come from the Johnstone’s. 

American readers can get a copy here.

UK readers can get a copy here.

.44

.44

By H.A. DeRosso

A Wagon Wheel Western, publishing date unknown

First published in the UK by Mills and Boon, 1957

Originally published by Lion in America, 1953

Dan Harland was a man with a reputation—a reputation earned through killing. He was a hired gun, and the speed of his .44 was the stuff of legend. He never enjoyed his work, but he did it well and the pay was good.

But even the money didn’t help when Harland was hired to hunt down a man who seemed all too ready to be killed. The look in that man's eyes as he died stirred something almost forgotten in Harland's soul...his conscience. All at once, Harland knew he couldn’t rest until he found the mysterious man who had hired him for the job—even if the trail led to his own grave.

H.A DeRosso wrote around 180 tales for the western pulp magazines but only had a small number of novels published. I believe .44 was his second full-length book.

There’s no getting away from the fact that this is a bleak story. It has the feel of a noir crime novel but never forgets that it is a western first and foremost. 

Harland is a reluctant assassin and is sickened each time he has to kill but his reputation is set and there is no turning back from his unwanted profession. When we first meet him, he’s tracking a man called Lancaster. Their showdown proves to be unforgettable. Lancaster is the faster draw yet does not shoot so Harland guns him down. Then the questions come. Why did Lancaster allow Harland to kill him? Who wanted Lancaster dead? Harlan sets out to find out the answers to those questions and to avenge Lancaster’s death.

The tone throughout is dark, very dark. Harland is a bitter man but he’s also determined. The story gets more complicated as we learn about Lancaster’s past and some stolen money. Why do people insist that it was them who hired Harland through a middleman? Harland refuses to confirm whether he did or did not kill Lancaster. There are two attractive females, one of whom is Lancaster’s wife, who both seem to want to see Harland dead. Is Harlan falling in love with Lancaster’s ex-wife and could he find happiness with her? The book contains plenty of action and Harland has to endure torture as he slowly pieces together the truth. 

This is a gripping read. Harland isn’t a heroic figure, he’s not a man you’ll even like. He is a fascinating character though and his grit is to be admired. You’ll want to know if Harland will find the person who hired him and what will happen if he does. The ending is as dramatic as it is bittersweet.

.44 gets a big thumbs up from me.

FAMOUS STORIES OF THE WILD WEST

 

FAMOUS STORIES OF THE WILD WEST

By Leonard Gribble

Cover art by Jack Hayes

A Universal-Tandem Target Adventure Book, 1973 – abridged version

Originally published by Arthur Barker Ltd, 1967

Leonard Gribble had over 200 hundred books published but is probably best known to western readers as Stetson Cody (Cactus Jim Clancy series) and Lee Denver (Cheyenne Jones series). He wrote under a number of other pseudonyms too.

In this collection of ten short stories Gribble writes about real people and events that helped shape the West. All but one of these tales features a full-page illustration by Laszlo Acs in a similar style to those found in pulp magazines.

Most of these stories cover a long period of time. As well as facts and dates, Gribble occasionally includes some dialogue and short descriptive action scenes. When you realize that each story is around fifteen pages long and how much information Gribble fits into each tale you have to praise him for keeping them entertaining as they could so easily have read like a history lesson. 

To people already interested in the American West most of the characters that have their lives, or part of, told in these stories won’t come as a surprise. Having said that, there are a couple of people who I didn’t know much about and Gribble’s story of one of them, Henry Plummer, has me eager to learn more about him. 

Famous Stories of the Wild West is a fascinating and well told collection of short stories that I would think most people who are interested in the history of the American West will enjoy reading.

Contents

The Worst of the Badman Sheriffs
The life of Henry Plummer.

A Great Bunch of Kids
Tells the story of the Pony Express – features a young Bill Cody and others. The cover painting shows the young Cody.

The Coming of the Iron Horse
The challenge to join the Atlantic to the Pacific by rail. Again, features Bill Cody and includes the hunting of buffalo to feed the rail crews. 

When the Daltons Rode
As you’d expect from the title, this story is about the Dalton gang.

There’s Gold in them thar Hills
Tells the tale of John Sutter and the discovery of gold that started one of, if not the biggest gold rush ever.

The Man with the Quicksilver Draw
The life and times of John Wesley Hardin. 

The Legend of Wild Bill
The life and death of James Butler Hickok.

The Cheyenne Ride Out
Tells the tale of when Dull Knife and Little Wolf lead the Cheyenne away from the reservation and the U.S. Army’s attempt to track them down.

Gambler and Gunman
The story of Johnny Ringo. Includes the Earp brothers, Doc Holliday, Buckskin Frank Leslie and others.

Tall in the Saddle
This is about Bill Tilghman and his hunt for the Doolin gang. Heck Thomas features too.

A NOTCH WITH NO NAME

A NOTCH WITH NO NAME

By Walt Beaumont

A Cleveland Western (No. 1470) from Cleveland Publishing – year unknown.

Although I’ve been aware of the author name Walt Beaumont for a long time this is the first story I’ve read by him. I found his style very easy to read and the pace of the tale was excellent as it built to the inevitable showdown and I was never quite sure how it would end.

The story starts with a wedding, one that the families of the bride and groom are opposed to. There is a long running feud between them. The marriage takes place and the expected fight comes when both families find themselves in the same bar.

Beaumont tells his tale through the Brannigan family, with the main character being Scott Brannigan who is doing his best to keep the peace, to end the long running animosity. 

There’s a third family involved too. Frank Haskell wants to buy some of the Brannigan land, but Scott’s mother, Kate, refuses to sell. Scott is involved with Haskell’s daughter Greer which further complicates matters. More problems arrive in the form of two drifting gunhands who see a way of making money out of the troubles revolving around the Brannigan’s, the Allen’s and the Haskell’s. If that isn’t enough, Steve Brannigan is having an affair with the Sheriff’s wife.

At first confrontations are dealt with by bitter words or fists. Then the killings begin and members of both the Brannigan and the Allen families fall victim. Words of unfounded blame see Kate Brannigan lead her family in an all-out assault on the Allen’s. Only the deaths of her long-time enemies will satisfy her. 

A Notch with No Name is a fairly straight-forward feud western that contains one or two easy to predict twists but does include a couple of surprising deaths. The dialogue is lively and the feelings of hate and despair comes across strongly. The fight scenes are well written too. As to who would be alive at the end became impossible to predict.

After reading this book and being thoroughly entertained I was left looking forward to reading more of Walt Beaumont's work soon.

THE GAVEL & THE GUN

 

PREACHER’S LAW 
Book 3 of 7
THE GAVEL & THE GUN
By Dean L. McElwain
Leisure Books, 1987

Blackmailed into working for Isaac Parker, the notorious hanging judge, J.D. Preacher found himself with a tin star on his chest and a whole lot of trouble on his hands. His job: bring in some of the thieving, murderous scum that were raping the territory and the judge would clear his name.

Preacher believed in justice at the end of a rope – but only when he was judge and jury. That was Preacher’s Law.

It took me a long time to track down a copy of this book, so I’d already read the other four books that carried the author name of Dean L. McElwain - the last two books came out under the author name of Barry Myers. By the time I picked up The Gavel & The Gun I was eager to fill in the gap as the books have strong continuation running through them. The books don’t just feature Preacher, there are other supporting characters that appear in more than one novel. This one brings back someone who Preacher believed was dead. 

Even though there is a plotline that runs through the entire book, the story is fairly episodic and a lot of time passes before the end is reached. Although Preacher is the star of the series, he doesn’t take centre stage for much of this story, the author writes about other characters as much as, or more than, Preacher. 

Preacher is a hard man and can come across as quite cold at times. He’s lightning fast with his guns and will stop at nothing to achieve his aims. And for God’s sake, don’t call him the Widow Maker as he really doesn’t like the moniker that he picked up in the first book. 

McElwain includes enough information to tell new readers about Preacher’s past such as why he has a bounty on his head and it is this that Preacher is hoping Parker can remove. There are plenty of people willing to take on Preacher to try and claim that bounty and the identity of one of them comes as a surprise.

As well as Parker, a lot of other real people get mentioned or make appearances in this fast-moving story. The James brothers, Hec Thomas, Doc Holliday, The Earp brothers, and Bat Masterson to name but a few. 

This period of Preacher’s life comes to a fitting and satisfying conclusion and the author uses the last few pages of the book to explain what happened to Preacher and some of the other characters during the last couple of years of the 1870’s. Having already read book four, The Last Gunfight, I can tell you that it picks up not long after the end of The Gavel & The Gun. I will also add that the series is best read in order if you can. 

CANNON'S GRAVE

 

THE BADGE
Book 16 of 24
CANNON’S GRAVE
By Bill Reno
Cover art by Shannon Stirnweis
Bantam Books, April 1990

Emmett Kolfax is as vicious an outlaw as the West has ever seen. Hard as nails and ugly as a bulldog, he hides behind a bandanna and a hail of bullets, leading his gang on bloody killing sprees. But not even Kolfax can hide from the law – when the lawman is United States Marshal Joshua B. Cannon. Fast with a Colt .45, Cannon’s brought down dozens of cutthroats, and figures Kolfax will be just one more…until Kolfax hits on a plan to lure Cannon to his grave, one that puts the woman Cannon loves at the mercy of the ruthless desperado.

Most of the books in The Badge series are only linked by the fact that the main character wears a badge of some kind. One or two of these lawmen do feature in more than one book, but generally they are stand-alone titles, and Cannon’s Grave is one of those.

We’re introduced to Cannon and his abilities in the first chapter. The method he uses to take down some outlaws is something that I haven’t read that often, if at all, in a western and I had to wonder if this skill would be used again to bring Kolfax to justice.

The author switches between his characters regularly so he can reveal just how brutal Kolfax is. Kolfax also treats his own men harshly and it’s impossible to know when his temper will overflow in violence. This man, and his gang, are surely going to be difficult for Cannon to bring down.

Some of the story plays out like many other westerns, such as Cannon going undercover as an outlaw into the Hole-in-the-Wall to get close to Kolfax. Someone there recognizes Cannon but can’t place him. You know this man will remember who Cannon is at some point and this adds some good tension to this part of the book.

Reno does have a few surprises in store though, such as where the title of the book comes from. This is the reason Kolfax heads for the Hole-in-the-Wall only to find he isn’t top dog there and he gets a taste of his own medicine from the man who rules the roost.

The book is paced well, contains a lot of action including a couple of savage fistfights, and throws in a couple of neat plot twist before good triumphs over bad as expected. Cannon’s Grave isn’t my favourite book in the series but it certainly kept me entertained and left me looking forward to reading the next book soon. 

Bill Reno is a pseudonym used by Lew A. Lacy.

BAD NIGHT AT THE CRAZY BULL

 

BAD NIGHT AT THE CRAZY BULL
By John Dyson
Hale, February 2015

After a night of gambling and hooch-spiked drinking at the Crazy Bull Hotel, young rancher Glen Stone wakes up to find himself in bed with Katrina, one of the hotel’s gaudy-girls, who informs him that he has won her as his lawful wedded wife (courtesy of a local judge) on the previous evening.

With Katrina protesting volubly that she has no desire to perform the chores expected of a rancher’s wife, the pair set off for Glen’s spread along the banks of the Snake River near Jackson, Wyoming. There he has to face the bitter reproaches of his long-time intended, young Susan Cousins, and the wrath of her rancher father, Abe.

Katrina’s presence at the ranch attracts the attentions of some of her old admirers, among them some roaming Comancheros, and Zane Hollister, an ageing road agent who hope to set up as a roadhouse owner on his ill-gotten loot. He, in turn, is being pursued by tough old Sheriff Matt Alison, a lawman who tends to shoot and then wish he’d asked some questions first.

Will the arrival of horse preacher Repentance Rathbone, man of God but also very much a man of the world, vanquish the mayhem and restore harmony to the lives of the ranchers in Wyoming?

This book starts in a humorous tone giving the impression that it could be a comedy western, but as the story progresses the amusing conversations and scenes fade into the background – they don’t disappear completely – and the book becomes a more action-packed read. 

There’s a fine mix of characters, from the good although flawed Stone, the one you’ll feel sorry for (Susan), those you’ll love to hate (Katrina), the out and out bad guys with Hollister being the man on the top of the heap here, the man of intrigue (Rathbone), and others such as the old lawman Alison and a slimy lawyer, Levick. All their lives will combine as the story races towards its final showdown.

I’d class this book as a traditional western that is predictable in how it plays out, although Dyson does have a small twist that emerges near the end. Dyson being an English author writing westerns for an English publisher does include a number of British terms which will jar a bit with those of us who are used to reading American authors. I was also surprised at how much erotic (not explicit) imagery Dyson wrote into this story as that is usually something I don’t expect to find in Black Horse Westerns. 

John Dyson wrote around fifty westerns for Hale, which includes the Black Pete Bowen series, mainly under his own name but also used the pseudonym of Henry Remington. I’ve read a handful of his books and find him a bit hit or miss. Bad Night at The Crazy Bull fell into the category of a fun entertaining read but it didn’t make me want to rush out and find another of his books anytime soon.

THE SAVAGE HILLS

 

BANNISTER
Book 2 of 11
THE SAVAGE HILLS
By D.B. Newton
Cover art probably by Jerome Podwil
Berkley Medallion Books, February 1964

Jim Bannister was still on the dodge, still worth $12,000 to the man with guts enough to try to take him in to his death.

Bannister knew he had to stay out of trouble, but he didn’t think befriending a 17-year-old kid would lead him into a trap from which the only way out was a sixgun . . . 

But the kid had a nervous trigger finger and then Bannister found himself accused of murder, only this time it was for a killing he hadn’t done . . . 

Dwight Bennett Newton presents his readers with a tough, traditional western in The Savage Hills. Jim Bannister is a capable, yet flawed hero. He’s a man who makes mistakes that could cost him his life. Perhaps a little too trusting such as with the kid he befriends who will later double-cross him . . . or does he?

The story races along and as more and more characters are introduced so the chances of Bannister being arrested increase. Each new set of characters have their own problems that Bannister finds himself sucked into. Then there’s the suspicious lawman and the gang of rustlers who don’t want anyone else settling into the hills they call their own. As each plot element blends into another it soon becomes apparent that the author is setting everything up for one savage showdown that should resolve everything . . . although as the pages began to run out, I did have to wonder how this would happen and I also questioned how all the ‘good guys’ could live happily ever after. I needn’t have worried as Newton finished everything off neatly, if a little too perfectly for some of the characters. 

I found this book to be as equally enjoyable as the first one in the series and hope to read the next book soon. 

THE HELLION

 

ABILENE

Book 11 of 16

THE HELLION

By Justin Ladd

Cover art by Gordon Crabb

Pocket Books, December 1989

Two miles west of Abilene, Nord Madden’s gang guns down Donald Rutledge in cold blood. Two thousand miles away in New York City, an aspiring actress named Beth Rutledge finds out that her father is dead – and starts back to Abilene.

In Abilene Marshal Luke Travis is going after the killers, but the county sheriff is getting in his way. Someone is cutting down members of the gang, and Nord Madden is preparing for war. Travis and his deputy are looking for a slender gunman with a lightning fast .38. Beth Rutledge avows her notorious brother is behind the gun – and he won’t stop until he’s won his revenge!

This book’s plot isn’t as straightforward as the back cover blurb makes it sound. The author has a number of surprises in store, some that long-time followers of the series will not want to miss out on. Affairs of the heart will play their part too for more than one Abilene townsperson. Travis will also butt heads with the county sheriff which could prove very dangerous to his position in Abilene. Someone else on the town council wants to bring the future that is already happening back east to Abilene and that means there’s no place for an outdated lawman and marshal’s office, so political confrontations are set in motion. All this, and more, are secondary plotlines that may play a part in bringing the main storyline to a close, but it’s the race to find the Madden gang and the gunman who is killing them off that takes up the majority of the book.

Pacing is excellent and even though the reader will have some idea as to who is gunning down members of the Madden gang the author has a surprise or two waiting to add a new twist to the tale. The characterization of the new visitors to Abilene is first-rate and you’ll soon be caring about what happens to them. Development of long-time characters continues and these storylines left me looking forward to the next book in the series to see how their lives play out. The many action scenes are top-notch too.

Justin Ladd is a pseudonym for James Reasoner who is one of the best western authors writing today and I’ve yet to read anything by him that I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed. This book, in fact the whole series, is highly recommended by me.

EXCITING WESTERN - October 1953

 

EXCITING WESTERN
British Edition, Vol. II, No. 9
Atlas Publishing, October 1953

The British edition of Exciting Western started by taking it contents from the American pulp of the same name with the occasional stories sourced from other American western pulps. As time went on most of the stories came from other western pulps. This is the case with this issue of Exciting Western as all the contents, except one, were taken from the Spring 1953 issue of Thrilling Ranch Stories. The other tale, Fiddle-Foot was taken from Exciting Western, March 1953. 

The opening novella is Rustler’s Run by Lewis B. Patten. Burt Norden is doing his best to look after his mother whose gone into a state of depression since her husband died. Burt is sweet on one of the neighbouring rancher’s daughters, Lucy, but the path to true love isn’t running smoothly. Lucy’s mother is dying and another young man, Mitch Riorson is showing interest in her. Mitch is always picking fights with Burt and they are getting more vicious each time fists fly. It seems it won’t be long before one kills the other. On top of all this is the mystery of missing cattle. Patten’s portrayal of human emotion is first class and his action scenes are well depicted. The story was a little predictable, but even so, still made for an exciting read.

Next comes the short story Fiddle-Foot by Ben Frank (real name Frank Bennett). Freddy had some strange help: a stuffed gorilla, a pet skunk – and Stella’s red-hot skillet! This tale is told in a light-hearted tone throughout and contains quite a few amusing scenes. It tells the story of how the Foster Memorial Museum came to be in the basement of the Courthouse in Mumblepeg. It involves a couple of old-timers, an attractive housekeeper, and a stolen windmill, as well as the already mentioned gorilla, skunk and skillet. This story would fall into the category of comedy westerns, and I felt that it was the perfect length for this type of tale, any longer and it would have outstayed its welcome. 

Paul Randell Morrison’s novelette Grip of the West followed. This is set in the time of automobiles and telephones, but once the opening scene is played out, I could easily imagine it as a western taking place in an early time period. The main character is well-to-do Gary Cortland who, whilst drunk, is dumped on a train heading west as a prank. Cortland ends up working on a ranch, saving the day when a river threatens to burst its banks, and falls in love with the rancher’s daughter, Peggy. Cortland also discovers that he enjoys the harder life of a cowboy than living in a city where everything is done for him. All through the story I was waiting to see if Cortland would get revenge on his two friends who put him on the train and how he does that was amusing and just. Entertaining.

The fourth and final tale in this issue of Exciting Western is the short story The Ranger Takes a Wife by Frank P. Castle. Flounces and frills, ruffles and lace – To her they were pretty. To him a disgrace! Tough rancher Chris Talley decides he needs a wife to keep house and do chores. A homeless girl struggling to survive fits the bill and after a quick wedding they are married. That’s when differences in their outlook to life emerge, things Chris can’t accept. There’s also the Guerra family who Chris believes are cattle thieves. More trouble erupts when his wife Loretta befriends Victoria who is one of the Guerra clan. This is a tough tale that contains some harsh dialogue and scenes. I was never sure how this tale would end. The conclusion was a little to perfect as Chris changes his viewpoint all too suddenly. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the story and would like to check out more of Castle’s work.

The last page is taken up with the article Rope Rascality by Ferris Weddle. I usually don’t read these parts of the pulps but I did this time. It proved to be a collection of tall tales of when a lasso was used, a couple of which made me smile. 

Overall, this was an enjoyable issue of Exciting Western. For me, the best two stories were those by Patten and Castle.

GALLOWS GHOST

GALLOW GHOST

By Barry Cord

Ace Books, 1967

The man Hell rejected. When the cold swept over the Texas Badlands, it brought something even more deadly with it: a force so violent and evil that even the harsh winter was nothing compared to it

A lone rider came out of the infamous outlaw hideout in the Tenejos hills. That rider called himself by the name of a man who had been hanged twenty years before – and he was riding now to bring vengeance and terror on those who had brought him to the gallows.

This slim, strangely dapper gunman rode into the rangeland and left death and destruction on his trail – but there was one man he especially wanted. That was young U.S. Marshal Colby Jackson, the son of the man who had done the hanging.

But how could Colby shoot it out with a man who was already dead?

This very fast-moving story begins with a one-man massacre, and it’s not just people he kills. Livestock is slaughtered too and a line shack destroyed. And the killing spree doesn’t end there. One of the acts of this dead man is to kidnap a young woman to bring Marshal Colby Jackson to him and it isn’t long before Jackson is gunned down – but he survives and wants answers. Who is this mystery gunman and why does he want to kill Jackson and others? Is he really a spirit returned from the dead wanting revenge? Will the lawman be able to find and free the kidnapped girl? 

Barry Cord’s tale becomes more and more gripping as the lawman tries to track down a ghost. At times the story takes on a very dark tone as some of the scenes depict cruelty in very visual prose. The author switches between characters regularly often leaving them in dangerous situations when changing to someone else. Cord does let the reader know what’s going on partway through the story but that seemed to add more tension to the tale rather than giving away too much. At no time did I predict the outcome of the story and I was never quite sure who would be left alive at the end of the book.

Barry Cord is a pseudonym for author Peter Germano and Gallows Ghost is an excellent example of why I like his work so much and once again I was left looking forward to reading another of his books very soon.

My copy of Gallows Ghost is part of an Ace Double and it is backed by Room to Swing a Loop by Stephen Payne. 

SIX GRAVES TO SUNRISE

 

SIX GRAVES TO SUNRISE

By Brett McKinley

A Cleveland Western (No. 1149) from Cleveland Publishing – year unknown.

As you can see from the cover image the author is announced as being Brett McKinley, inside it states that it is by Emerson Dodge. Before anyone wastes anytime trying to work out just which of them actually wrote Six Graves to Sunrise I’ll tell you that McKinley and Dodge are both pseudonyms for the same person; author Paul Wheelahan. 

Six Graves to Sunrise is a well-written traditional western the moves forward at a gallop. The plot turns up often in westerns; that of a man, Shannon, accused of a murder he didn’t commit and his hunting down of the real killer to clear his name. There’s a touch of love interest too, although that only takes up a very small part of the story. Wheelahan regularly switches between Shannon and his lawman friend, Gault, as they both hunt down their prey, eventually teaming up to do so. Wheelahan also tells of what Cherneck, the real killer, is doing. Cherneck joins forces with another cold killer, Lucky Kelso, and a couple of other outlaws. Each time we read about them the bodies pile up – which made me question the title as there are a lot more than six people who die as the trail leads to the town of Sunrise. There’s a sub-plot too in that Gault has history with Kelso.

Character studies are good and the action scenes are described vividly, especially the attack on an iron payroll wagon. There is one little mistake, and if you blink, you’ll probably miss it. A mule becomes a horse momentarily before becoming a mule again. 

Like other books I’ve read by Paul Wheelahan Six Graves to Sunrise proved to be an entertaining read. 

Paul Wheelahan has had over eight hundred westerns published under a variety of pseudonyms. 

SLOCUM BURIED ALIVE

 

SLOCUM BURIED ALIVE

Book 424 of 430 + 17 Giant Editions

By Jake Logan

Cover illustration by Sergio Giovine

Jove, June 2014

Passing uneasily through the dried-up town of Espero, Texas, John Slocum learns soon enough that his apprehension is justified. After a not-so-friendly welcome at the Six Feet Under Saloon, he’s given the choice between a bullet or a bit of employment: Escort the town mortician’s strikingly pretty bride-to-be from a train station at Dexter Junction – in exchange for a hefty sum.

But with someone after the gunslinger and the mysterious beauty, Slocum reckons that the undertaker neglected to tell him the whole story. There’s treachery in store for Slocum upon returning to Espero, a place where men have been known to land in an early grave… much too early…

The author had me hooked right from the start and soon added more questions that needed answering, along with mystery upon mystery. Are any of the characters Slocum meets really who they say they are? The undertaker’s bride-to-be, Miranda Madison, is certainly hiding something… and who is the man trailing her? The mortician is definitely acting strangely. What is his game? He doesn’t act like a completely sane man either… especially when he announces his wedding gift to his wife-to-be will be a newly made coffin! 

The book contains plenty of action, and some truly horrific scenes as the undertaker’s sinister acts are slowly exposed. Slocum has to endure being buried alive, a fate many of us fear, and this part of the book will stay with me for a long time, as will the truth behind the undertaker’s plans and that of Miranda. 

I believe the author behind the pseudonym of Jake Logan for this book is Robert Vardeman and here he has come up with a very memorable plot. It was also great to see that he includes a fair bit about Slocum’s past; explaining how he became a man wanted by the law, and how he’s still willing to commit crimes so he can survive. 

Slocum Buried Alive proved to be a very entertaining read and I’m now eager to dig out more of Vardeman’s entries into the series to see if they’re just as good as this one.

American readers can get a copy here

British readers can get a copy here

ALL MY SINS REMEMBERED

 

BLOODY JOE MANNION 5

ALL MY SINS REMEMBERED

By Peter Brandvold

Wolfpack Publishing, October 2022

When the savage bounty hunter Ulysses Xavier Lodge comes to town wanting to spark one of Jane Ford’s pretty doxies at the San Juan Saloon & Hotel, Jane and two bouncers give the bear-like giant the bum’s rush. Incensed, Lodge returns and shoots Jane, grievously wounding her.

Jane and Bloody Joe had been on the outs, their marriage dissolved, but now with Jane’s life teetering on the edge, Joe realizes how much he really loves the pretty redhead and what a fool he’s been. Enraged and knowing he can do nothing for Jane in town – she’s in a coma and only time will tell – Joe takes to the vengeance trail, shadowing Lodge high into the Sawatch Range.

Bloody Joe has faced some formidable foes, but none like Ulysses Lodge. With a snowstorm bearing down, Joe and Lodge go head-to-head in the high, stormy rocks where an angry wildcat might just have the final say…

Peter Brandvold sure puts Bloody Joe through the wringer in this one. Fuelled by rage, Joe is going to suffer both mentally and physically during his pursuit of Lodge, a man who seems to be one step ahead of the lawman at all times. There are some particularly vicious scenes of brutal violence ahead, one of which sees Lodge taunting Joe with a gruesome note that maddens the lawman even more, makes him more determined to bring Lodge to justice.

Back in town, there’s a problem for deputy Henry McCallister to deal with when he falls in love with a very attractive school teacher. Who are the rough looking men who seem to know her? What do they want? Things get even more complicated for Henry when his former girlfriend, Molly, gets involved. 

And what of Bloody Joe’s daughter, Vangie? She’s keeping watch over Jane, praying for her recovery and is struggling with her feelings towards a new doctor in town who is doing his best to keep Jane alive.

Peter Brandvold regularly switches between the three storylines, often leaving one or two sets of characters in a perilous situation when moving onto others thus ensuring that the reader keeps turning the pages. The plots evolve well, offering exciting action sequences, twists, and lively dialogue. Emotional turmoil plays a big part too, and you’ll feel the suffering and confusion along with the characters. Hanging over all this is the question of whether Jane will live or die…

All My Sins Remembered is another terrific entry in the Bloody Joe Mannion series that left me eager to read the next book as soon as I can.

American readers can get a copy here

British readers can get a copy here