WESTERN TRAILS - June 1936

WESTERN TRAILS
June 1936, Vol. XXIII, No. 1
Magazine Publishers, Inc.
Editor A.A. Wyn, Associate Editor Harry Widmer
Cover art by William Fulton Soare

This pulp magazine first appeared in October 1928 and ran for 124 issues, this last issue being published in April 1949. I don’t believe there were any British editions.

The opening novelette is Kid Thunderbolt by Frederick C. Davis. This is the second of six stories he wrote for Western Trails featuring The Jingling Kid. When Jingle finds a notorious dying killer, Kid Thunderbolt, the lightning-fast gunman gives Jingle his guns, horse, hat and instantly recognizable vest and asks him to pretend to be him and help a young woman who has asked for his help. Jingle accepts these gifts and mission. Jingle is a no-account drifter, a young man scorned and ridiculed by others, but know under his new persona he relishes in the adulation he receives and finds a new confidence in himself and sets out to help Donna Dexter. 

The story is fast moving, contains mystery as to who is killing Donna’s ranch hands with knives in the back. It also seems there’s a traitor among Donna’s crew as the enemy seem to be one step ahead of them. There’s plenty of action – gunplay, a jailbreak, a town on fire and chase sequences. I was waiting throughout for someone to expose this new Kid Thunderbolt as an imposter and I got my wish. I haven’t read anything by Davis before this, and found Kid Thunderbolt to be a very entertaining read and look forward to reading another soon. 

Double-Cross Brands by L.P. Holmes is next. Holmes was a prolific author for the pulps with around 600 being published, most of which were westerns. He also had many paperbacks published too. Going by how many stories he wrote, and how long I’ve been reading westerns, it may come as a surprise when I tell you I haven’t read anything by him before. 

Double-Cross Brand features the much-used plot of a young man and a young woman in love with each other but unable to act on these feelings due to being son and daughter of families that have been involved in a very long-running feud that began before either of them was born. When Jerry Bennett is offered his father’s ranch with the provision that he keeps the feud going Bennett refuses the gift, saying he wants to end the feud so he can be with Arlie Condon. When calves belonging to each side are discovered wearing the oppositions brand accusations fly thick and fast and it looks like the feud isn’t due to end anytime soon. Jerry sets out to solve the mystery of the branded calves and end the feud. Yes, everything played out as I expected but I had great fun reading it and am now eager to try another story by Holmes.  

The third story is another novelette, Destiny Rides the Lobo Pass by Peter Germane. Peter Germane is a thinly disguised pseudonym used by Peter Germano before he switched to the now much better-known penname of Barry Cord. Under the Germane name he had around twenty stories published in a variety of western pulp magazines.  

Destiny Rides the Lobo Pass is a gritty tale with a dark theme of a father being set up to kill his son who he thought dies years ago. The son believes an outlaw is his father and rides with him and his gang. Both are extremely fast draws and the father has become known as Senor Death of the years. This twisting tale provides a gripping read as Germane builds the tension to snapping point. There’s plenty of gunplay, an exciting knife fight, and a kidnapping. Hatred fuels many of the cast of characters with Senor Death being driven by the thirst for revenge too. The story has a bittersweet ending. This has to be one of my favourite tales I’ve read by Peter Germano. 

Hellion’s Lash by Phil Richards is a short story by an author unknown to me. An escaped prisoner, Randen, tries to discover why his friend helped frame him for murder but is forced to kill him. This makes Randen even more determined to find the person behind his prison sentence. For such a short story, Richards involves a lot of people, meaning I had to pay attention to who was who and why they were included in the tale. The story involves a judge and his daughter (who’s sweet on Randen), lawmen, wealthy businessmen, prison guards (one who’s very handy with a whip), and bounty hunters. With so much going on I found it hard to connect with any of the characters but was intrigued enough to read on as I wanted to see how Randen cleared his name and who the bad guy was. Hellion’s Lash was an ok read but I doubt I’ll be hunting out more of Richards’ yarns anytime soon.

After Hellion’s Lash, and presumably just included to fill the second half of a page, comes an account of a tale of an extraordinary roping feat by a man called Don Manuel Acuna. This piece doesn’t have a writer’s name attached to it. This true story or completely fictional tale stretches belief a lot. If it is true then damn, it’s amazing. If fictional it’s ‘is that possible even in your wildest dreams?’

Next, we have a three-page true story King Fisher by Charles Kenmore Ulrich. This is subtitled Romances of the Old Frontier No. 21. As you’d expect this is told in a factual way and covers Fisher’s life from a young age until his death. The author adds some imagined dialogue which brings some life to this historical article that got me interested in reading more about King Fisher. According to an information box, Ulrich only wrote about people he’d met in person. 

Boot-Hill Carnival by Clyde A. Warden is a novelette featuring the author’s series character Bert Little. Warden wrote 78 stories starring Little, all of which were published in Western Trails.

Colonel Andrew Dexter makes the mistake of trying to hire Little for his guns but Little refuses as he doesn’t kill for money. Unsurprisingly, Little gets involved anyway after an attempt on his life. This story is about making Barry Sanders pay for murdering the brother of Dexter, so this is a revenge tale that, of course, includes a pretty girl who is the daughter of the dead man. Little finds himself riding alongside a man called Cactus, who has a rep as a troublemaker. There’s plenty of gunplay as Little and Cactus try to track down Sanders. The story played out pretty much as I expected until the end where twist upon twist that took me completely by surprise turning a routine yarn into so much more. 

Boot-Hill Carnival was a very readable story with a memorable ending that left me looking forward to read more tales about Bert Little soon. One thing that confused me though was the title as Boot-Hill doesn’t feature in the story and neither does a carnival. Maybe the editors didn’t like Warden’s original title and changed it without reading the story? I guess that’s something we’ll never find out 90 years after this magazine was published. 

We then get two regular columns that I didn’t read. These being July Roundup of Western Trails which tells readers what they can look forward to in the next issue, and Stampede by Powder River Bill, which is a few pages of letters asking for pen pals.

Six-Gun Shadows by Carl Mck. Saunders brings this issue of Western Trails to a close. It’s a short story about a man called Andy Hall who steals the loot from outlaws. We meet him just after he’s run off with the money from a train robbery and is being hunted by the furious thieves, which is a big problem for Hall as he doesn’t have any bullets in his guns. Carl Mck. Saunders is a pseudonym used by Philip L. Ketchum and on the strength of this short story I would certainly read him again even though the twist in this tale was easy to spot coming and me not being a fan of ‘in-the-nick-of-time’ endings. 

This issue of Western Trails was a very enjoyable read with all the stories holding my attention well and it has me wanting to read my only other copy of this magazine as soon as I can. 

THE ORACLE OF THE MONTANA MOUNTAINS

 

THE BALLED OF A WESTERING MAN
Book 2 of 2
ORACLE OF THE MONTANA MOUNTAINS
By Bill Yenne
DS Productions, May 2026

If madness can be defined in an allegory, there are few allegories more apt than Gideon Safford’s blind obsession with crossing the Continental Divide on the cusp of a Montana winter. This westering man survives certain death in one blizzard only to find himself making a promise to brave further hardships— and bullets— to locate an enigmatic woman with eyes like a blizzard who has become an oracle.

The traveling Jesuit missionary who saves his life brings Safford to a Blackfeet camp on the Marias River. There, Safford hears the tale of a young woman who is believed by many to possess great, even magical, powers of insight. She was kidnapped and sold to people across the Divide, and her own people, especially her sister, want her back.

Because of her strange eyes, which once seen are never forgotten, this oracle has become a mysterious object of wonder, speculation and avarice on both sides of the Divide, a woman about whom people speak only in whispers.

This book is a reissue of one I always meant to read but never got around to doing so. This new publication sees it published under a new title – previously it came out as Eyes Like a Blizzard back in 2022. I do wonder if it had an earlier publication under yet a third title as this is what happened to the first book which originally appeared in 2019 under the title Vultures Over the Elk Fork Country. This was republished in 2022 as Death Stalks the Mountains. In 2025 it had another title change and is now known as Racing the Snows Across the Great Divide. I have no idea if any of the publications have seen the books rewritten in any way. You can read my review of the first book here.

Full of engaging characters, this book soon had me hooked as I wanted to know if the woman, Máakai, Safford had agreed to deliver a message to could be found, and if Safford did succeed in tracking her down would she really have magical powers? Yenne descriptions of Máakai are excellent and you can’t help but share the emotional turmoil she goes through.

The story challenges the thought of owning someone. To buy and sell people. It’s a story about greed. 

The book is fairly short. The plot moves forward at a swift pace, building to its conclusion with ever increasing tension as Safford and Máakai are pursued across the Divide by more people than they know about during which they have to struggle to survive a blizzard, before everyone comes together for a final showdown. The action scenes are well described and are fairly graphic at times. 

Does the white-eyed Máakai have magic powers? I guess you’ll just have to read the book to find out. 

It's been a long time since I read the first Gideon Safford tale and I’m very glad I finally read the second book as it proved to be a very enjoyable. I’ve seen mention of a third book, You Can’t Outrun Your Past, which was published in 2022. Hopefully that will be republished soon, and if it is, you can bet I’ll be reading it. 

American readers can get a copy here.

British readers can get a copy here.

STRONG MEDICINE

 

HOLMES ON THE RANGE
STRONG MEDICINE
By Steve Hockensmith
Rough Edges Press, July 2026

The A.A. Western Detective Agency rides into Galveston in 1894 Texas, a city of elegant Victorian mansions and dark waterfront secrets, when a wealthy businessman burns to death in his own warehouse under far-too-convenient circumstances.

With Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer on the case, Old Red’s obsession with Sherlock Holmes is finally put to the ultimate test. Their client’s household is crawling with suspects: a brilliant female scientist, an eccentric would-be snake-oil salesman, a volatile socialite, and a charismatic “healer” whose devoted followers will do anything she demands.

As blackmail, madness, and murder tangle beneath Galveston’s gleaming surface, the detectives must separate miracle from menace before the killer delivers another dose of strong medicine.

With threats closing in from every direction, can the Double-A Western Detective Agency smoke out the truth before the next victim goes up in flames?

The last full-length Holmes on the Range book came out in 2023 and a couple of short story collections followed in the same year. The latest novel, Strong Medicine, has links to the previous book in that the Amlingmeyer brothers have agreed to help one of the characters from Hunters of the Dead and are soon involved with a wonderful set of people and creatures as they attempt to solve crimes of murder and blackmail. 

Steve Hockensmith tells his fast-moving tale through the voice of Big Red whose observations on the investigation and life in general had me howling with laughter many times, as did one of the action scenes involving flying vegetables. Descriptions are excellent too and painted very visual images in my mind’s eye – the gardeners and their overseer being particularly vivid. 

I must point out that this is not a comedy western/murder mystery novel. It’s a captivating, twisting, thrilling story that includes humour. There are plenty of tense scenes, one involving scorpions and another seeing the Amlingmeyer brothers on the wrong end of a gun. 

I am purposefully being vague with details about the plot and characters as I just don’t want to spoil anything for those intending to read this terrific edition to the Holmes on the Range series. 

As usual, I gave up trying to work out the who and why of the plot as Steve Hockensmith is extremely good at pointing the finger at just about everyone the Amlingmeyer’s meet. Seemingly meaningless comments and actions will later be revealed as major clues to solving the mysteries facing the brothers, something they will do, no matter the cost to themselves. Oh, and could one of them be falling in love? And then there’s the question of whether nut-butter made from peanuts could ever catch on.

As you’ve probably guessed, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all readers who enjoy whodunit stories. 

American readers can get a copy here.

British readers can get a copy here. 

NO TEARS IN HELL

 

THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY COLT 2
NO TEARS IN HELL
By James Reasoner
DS Productions, June 2026

The path to justice winds through the Gateway to Hell. Fourteen soldiers are dead, the shipment of rifles they were guarding is gone, and those responsible are hiding behind whiskey, cards, and dirty money. 

Johnny Colt arrives in Harker City, where nobody asks too many questions – unless they’re prepared to pay for the answer. He is supposed to track down the killers and uncover the truth, but first, he needs to make them believe he is one of them.

Every man he meets seems meaner than the last, and a knife might be hiding behind every pretty smile in town. Texas Ranger Johnny Colt must risk everything under an outlaw’s name. On the border, the truth often comes out with a gunshot. 

Johnny Colt has a reputation of being a gunfighter and an outlaw. His uncle, Captain Esau Parker, employs Colt as a Texas Ranger. Johnny’s rep meaning he’s an ideal candidate for operating undercover. 

Once in Harker City, Johnny makes the acquaintance of Catherine “Copper” O’Malley, a stunning young woman who owns a saloon. It isn’t long before Johnny begins to wonder if she’s involved with the outlaw’s he’s determined to bring down. Soon, Johnny is invited to join the small army of bandits and his initiation into the gang makes for one helluva memorable part of the book.  

After that life gets much more complicated and dangerous for Johnny. Each new character he meets seems to offer a threat. Even though Johnny has his suspects there’s still the reasons for the soldier’s slaughter to uncover. 

James Reasoner has long been one of my favourite western authors and here he comes up with another fast-paced and gripping read in No Tears in Hell. Johnny is a likeable protagonist. There are many other great characters in this tale too; Blackwood, El Cherubin, Copper, and Serafina are just a few of them. The story builds extremely well and includes elements of mystery that kept me turning the pages. There’s plenty of action before we get to the final showdowns that tie everything up neatly. I was also left hoping Johnny will meet one of the survivors in a future book.

No Tears in Hell is a book that I believe all western fans will enjoy reading, so it gets a big recommendation from me. 

American readers can get a copy here.

British readers can get a copy here.

COLONEL DEATH

 

CANYON O’GRADY
Book 14 of 25
COLONEL DEATH
By Jon Sharpe
Cover art by Jerome Podwil
Signet Books, July 1991

Canyon O’Grady had his gun hands full of trouble. U.S. Cavalry Colonel Judson Kilgore had led renegade troops out of Texas and down south of the border. O’Grady was sent as a one-man army to stop the kill-crazy colonel and his crew from carving out an empire of evil. Even worse, the big redheaded U.S. special agent also had a bevy of bloodthirsty banditos, a lost confederate colony, and an explosive spitfire to deal with. All O’Grady could do was give it his best shot – again and again and again…

Set in 1868, this story sees O’Grady having to face near unsurmountable odds. A lot of the book sees the author telling us of the atrocities Colonel Kilgore, soon to be known as Colonel Death, was carrying out and tells of men flocking to join his ever-growing army. How can one man, O’Grady, take on over one hundred men? 

As O’Grady travels into Mexico, he finds himself following a trail of corpses and ransacked towns. The locals are weary of Americans and O’Grady has to defend himself from those who assume he’s one of Kilgore’s men. 

Eventually O’Grady meets Mercedes, a young woman who has seen her father and brothers die at the hand of Kilgore. She wants revenge and insists she will accompany O’Grady on his mission. O’Grady doesn’t want her along, but circumstances see her join him. Of course, she’s very attractive and O’Grady enjoys some explicit action with her. 

The final showdown is fast-paced and takes place over a few skirmishes and the defence of and an attack on a fortified town. 

Jon Sharpe is a pseudonym. Book twelve saw Chet Cunningham stop writing for the series (he’d written all but three of the previous books up to then). Book thirteen saw a new author come on board and I believe this book, number fourteen, is yet another new writer. I’m not sure who it is but I have seen it mentioned that it was Mark K. Roberts. I’m not familiar enough with his writing to confirm whether this is true or not. 

Colonel Death is a longer story than the previous book. Not in page length but in the size of the print and that the chapters start a few lines down from the end of the previous one rather than on the next page. To be honest I did feel the story rambled a bit at times, especially during the first half or so, but it still held my attention as I wanted to find out how O’Grady would succeed in his mission. The story is very straight-forward with little in the way of twists. Overall, I found this book to be an ok read.

SHORTY

 

SHORTY
By Clifton Adams
Fontana Books, 1969 and 1976
Originally published in 1966

When Shorty Gibbs rode into Hardrow Texas with a bullet wound in his skull and a grudge against the man who put it there, he was surprised to hear he was supposed to be dead and his murderer had already been strung up by a mob.

But he was even more surprised when he realized that most of the population was sorry to hear about his recovery and were anxious to run him out of Hardrow, dead or alive…

Shorty Gibbs is a small man with an even shorter temper that boils over before he has time to think about the consequences, and most of the time that’s fine with him. Figuring out who shot him and why sees his short fuse get him into all kinds of trouble and often at odds with the town marshal, Tooms. Gibbs holds the lawman partly responsible for the situation he is now in – jobless, homeless and disliked. 

Clifton Adams sticks mainly with Gibbs’ thoughts as he attempts to solve the mysteries surrounding his attempted murder. Why would someone want to kill him and steal his mail pouch? Why had an innocent man been strung up? How is the old sheepherder who’d saved his life involved – if indeed he is? Why does a group of ranchers want him out of town? It’s these questions and more that kept me eagerly turning the pages as bursts of violence hint at the shocking revelations to come in a tense final showdown when Gibb’s and a couple of others face a much larger force. 

I’m purposely being vague about the plot of this fast-moving hard-boiled tale of guilt and the changing world so as not to spoil it for anyone. You’ll definitely start having your own ideas about what is going on as I did, but Adams will soon throw you off track as he springs twist after twist to his engaging plot. 

Shorty is another extremely good read from Clifton Adams, an author who rapidly climbs higher and higher on my favourite western author list with each book I read by him. 

SILENT STALKER

 

FRONTIER SCOUT 5

SILENT STALKER

By Lane R. Warenski

DS Productions, April 2026

Caleb Miller—known across the frontier as Night Tracker—has built a hard reputation as Chief Scout for the 2nd Cavalry out of Fort Laramie in Nebraska Territory. As his young wife prepares to give birth, Caleb makes a choice that could cost him everything: leave the danger of the plains and return to Springfield so their child can be born near family.

The thousand-mile journey home is anything but safe. Caleb agrees to escort orphaned twins, Clara and Cloe, across wild country stalked by outlaws and war parties. Along the way, they encounter Gray Owl, the Silent Stalker—a young Pawnee warrior who seeks Cloe for his wife. Bound by circumstance and mutual respect, Caleb and Gray Owl forge a bond that soon turns into true friendship.

In Springfield, Caleb briefly dons a sheriff’s badge before accepting a perilous freight run to Santa Fe. Hostile tribes and highwaymen soon learn why Night Tracker earned his legendary status so young. 

I’ve not read anything by Lane R. Warenski before so was looking forward to trying this much praised author. I found his writing style flowed smoothly and his descriptive prose painted visual images of the landscapes, towns and action scenes beautifully. Dialogue was handled equally as well.

As I started reading, I did wonder whether I needed to have read the previous books in this series to fully understand the relationships between the main characters. I needn’t have worried though as Warenski provides enough backstory to explain how these people knew each other and what struggles they’d face to make them who they were. I must admit to being surprised at how young Caleb Miller was as usually scouts with the kind of knowledge he has are depicted as much older men, so this made for a welcome change. 

Due to the nature of the story, long treks across the country and facing different situations, some of which could see the death of Miller and his family and friends, meant the tale came across as very episodic. A couple of times this felt like a new story had begun, especially when Miller starts out on the journey to deliver freight to Santa Fe, which was my favourite section of the story. Even so, everything is linked by the characters and the reasons they take on these new tasks. 

All the main storylines come to satisfactory conclusions, but one or two are left hanging so there will be continuance into the next book, assuming there will be one. 

Did this story make me want to read anything else by Warenski? Definitely. 

American readers can get a copy here.

British readers can get a copy here.

GUNPOINT

 

GUNPOINT

By Jeff Pintabona

Veritas Entertainment, February 2026

In Gunpoint, everyone has a price.

Some men just refuse to pay it.

Gunpoint is a town on edge. Five men are found dead outside a line shack, cut down with brutal precision. Whispers spread fast, and one name keeps surfacing: Mort Totten, a legendary gunfighter with a fifty-thousand-dollar bounty on his head. As killers flood the territory looking to collect, Marshal Lin Cannon is tasked with keeping Gunpoint from tearing itself apart. He's faced down outlaws before, but Totten isn't like the others. He doesn't miss. And he doesn't leave witnesses.

Meanwhile, two relentless lawmen are closing in from another direction, following a trail of blood, lies, and betrayal that leads straight to Gunpoint and straight toward an inevitable collision.

As private bounties, corrupt power brokers, and old vendettas converge, the line between lawman and gunman begins to blur. In a land where justice is often decided at the muzzle of a revolver, every man must choose what he's willing to kill and die for.

Gunpoint is the much-anticipated sequel to The Killers of Yellow Rock, a novel that I great enjoyed, a book that left me wanting more. You don’t have to have read that first story to appreciate this one as the author gives you all the backstory you need to understand what has gone before.

Dixon and Totten have gone their separate ways, with the former now wearing a lawman’s badge. Trouble is there’s a massive bounty on both their heads. Dixon needs to put an end to this, so rides to find Totten to see if he’ll help approach the person who has put up the bounty and get it removed as the constant strain of being on edge and having to face an almost endless stream of people wanting to try for the life-changing bounties is taking its toll on body and health. 

Finally meeting up outside the town of Gunpoint they find themselves swept up in the death struggles that are taking place within that community that seem to revolve around Marshal Lin Cannon and his brother. Cannon has a reputation as a town tamer but soon pure hatred will drive his actions, not the law.

Like with the first book, I am keeping my descriptions of the plot vague so as not to spoil the many surprises this very fast-moving tale offers. It’s a gritty read full of lightning-fast gunmen who get to display their talents often. There are difficult choices to be made, especially for Dixon when he’s asked to forget he’s a lawman and become a gunman and help kill some men. This challenges his code of honour. Can he be both? 

Pintabona kept my attention easily with plenty of what-will-happen-next situations all taking place under clouds of gunsmoke. His action scenes are edge-of-the-seat stuff and come thick and fast, all being extremely well described. The final showdown during a thunderstorm will stay in my memory for a long time. 

The final two words end with a question mark. One I need an answer to. It doesn’t mean the story doesn’t come to a conclusion because it certainly does, but it also implies there could well be a third book on the way. For me, that can’t come fast enough. 

American readers can get a copy here.

British readers can get a copy here.

WESTERN STORY - October 1953

 

WESTERN STORY
British Edition, October 1953, Vol. VIII, No. 10
Atlas Publications
Cover art by Norman Saunders

From the March 1953 issue the British Edition of Street & Smith’s Western Story Magazine had a name change to Western Story on the front cover and spine but the inside named it as Western Story Magazine. The October 1953 issue is subtitled incorporating Star Western Magazine. All the stories and cover art are taken from the American June 1953 issue of Star Western Magazine, which you can see below. 

This issue opens with the novelette Rough, Tough – and Kissable! by Art Lawson. I’ve not read anything by this author before so was keen to give him a go. Drifter Hugh Warden finds himself mistaken for an Association man brought in to investigate cattle rustling. Warden denies this is who he is, saying he’s just passing through on the way to his niece’s wedding, but is he telling the truth? Whilst in the area Warden gets himself involved with two very different women; one who’s tough and seems to want to kill him, and the other being a homely girl a man could settle down with. Art Lawson has created some great characters for this story that contains some lively action scenes and includes some neat twists to the tale – even if I did see a couple of them coming. Of course, Warden gets the girl at the end, but which one? Sorry, I can’t give that away here as it would be a major spoiler. On the strength of this story, I would read Lawson again. 

Next comes another novelette One Hell of a Blonde by Frank P. Castle. Iris arrives to lay claim to Bob Drummond’s ranch, saying it’s hers even though he has the deeds for it. Iris is not the only problem Drummond has. His neighbouring rancher, Sellers, wants his ranch too, and is trying all kinds of dirty tricks to get it. Why he wants it is anyone’s guess, and the author keeps the reason a secret until the very end, thus ensuring I kept turning the pages. This is only my second read of a story by Castle, and like the last one, I enjoyed it a lot. The mystery element, cracking dialogue, well described fight scenes, and some later surprises made this a memorable tale.  

The Devil’s Daughter by Will Cook is the first short story. A wagon train is heading across the mountains as winter snows threaten to cut them off. Elder Mercy won’t listen to advice and also orders a pregnant woman, Victoria, who’s been rescued from the Arapahoe, one of whom is her baby’s father, to be cast out into the snows to perish for having been with a heathen. One man, Mel Holden, stands up for her and ends up leaving the train with her. Soon the wagons are in difficulty and Mercy has to ask Holden for help if any of them are to survive. Will Holden help a man who can banish people and leave them to die without a second thought? Cook’s story raises some interesting questions and I enjoyed seeing how they would be dealt with. I did feel it was a shame the story wasn’t longer so they could be explored in more depth. As it was, I found the tale to be a satisfactory read. 

When Olga was old enough to be courted, one rough-handed suitor brought her a box of candy, a second brought her a ring, and a third – and the gentlest – six .45 bullets! This is the blurb for the next short story, Bride for an Outlaw Bride! by Frances H. Ames. It certainly had me intrigued enough to want to read this story. The three men arrive within minutes of each other at Olga’s home on her sixteenth birthday to ask, or take, her as a wife. Olga’s parents get them all to sit down for a meal that is filled with tension that threatens to erupt into violence. This it does, although that happens outside the house and the victor claims Olga. This is the second story I’ve read by this Ames and I enjoyed it as much as the previous one. His ability to build suspense is excellent and his fight scenes are well written. I look forward to reading more of his work soon.

The last tale is another short story, Girl of Outlaw Valley by Theodore J. Roemer. A girl, Rita, is taken from a stagecoach during a robbery. The gang leader, Quant, wants her for himself so decides to take her to their hideout. Already having a woman waiting there for him, he tells one of the gang members who hates women to pretend the stolen girl is his, as Quant knows his woman will kill both him and the girl if she suspects anything. Quant aims to come to Carlson’s cabin one night and take Rita. I’ve not read anything by Roemer before and I will say he certainly knows how to build an air of impending doom. The fear Rita feels comes over strongly. As the story progresses, I was soon wondering if Carlson would protect the girl, especially as it seems she knows who he really is and why he hates women so much. Everything comes together in an exciting moment of violence that brought the story to an end I expected. Roemer’s tale finished this issue of Western Story with another entertaining read. 

As you’ll see from the cover art below of the original Star Western publication it shouts Big Romances of the West above the title. That statement is a little misleading as there isn’t any more romance in these stories than can be found in other western pulps. I guess the only thing it tells you is that someone is going to end up riding into the sunset with the female lead. In such short stories I’m always amazed how people that have never met each other before so readily commit themselves to each other and fall in love so quickly without really knowing anything about the other person. Due to this I often find the falling in love elements a little hard to believe, but I can look past that and enjoy these pulps for what they are. 

Overall, this issue of Western Story was very readable and I enjoyed all the stories with Frank P. Castle’s tale being my favourite. 

BLOOD MOON

THE TEXIANS
Book 4 of 5
BLOOD MOON
By Zach Wyatt
Cover art by Bruce Minney
Pinnacle Books, April 1985

While Josh Sands has been eating dust on a wild horse round-up, Comanche raiders have cut a bloody trail as far south as San Antonio. With the Texas Rangers depleted, the Indians are growing in boldness and power. Now it’s up to Sands and his rag-tag bunch to come to the aid of the republic. Along with the undermanned Rangers, they’re going to make a daring foray into the heart of Comanche territory – to stem the tide of terror and destruction – and give the Texians back their future.

Whilst the previous three Texians books have revolved around documented missions that really happened, this story is much more loosely based on historical events. With no funding to support them, the Texas Rangers have virtually disbanded, with many of the men let go. Josh Sands is one of those men. The Comanche take advantage of this situation and pretty much raid and pillage unchecked. Blood Moon tells of the struggle of the small band of Texas Rangers and volunteers to stop the raids whilst facing much larger odds. 

A lot of the early part of the book follows Sands and his friends during their attempt to set up a horse ranch and round up wild horses, including a stallion, to start this project. Whilst doing this Sands has to deal with a couple of Comanche raids and his frustration at being let go from the Rangers. His heart isn’t in the ranch, or horses, but belongs to the Rangers. During this part of the story, we meet some characters that first appeared in the previous book, War Devils. 

As you’d imagine, stories that are based on real events include real people too. Sands is fictional, but he’s friends with Captain John Coffee Hays and will eventually team up with Hays and his remaining rangers to track down and stop a much larger band of Comanches. They are joined by another real person in the Lipan Apache chief Flacco and a small number of his braves. The final battle features a charge into the enemy lines by Hays and Flacco that becomes legendary and the author explains why this happened in a humorous way. This final battle makes for an exciting conclusion to this fast-moving tale.

Blood Moon isn’t quite as good as the previous three books but it is still a very entertaining read and left me looking forward to reading the next book very soon. 

Zach Wyatt is a pseudonym used by George W. Proctor. 

BLOOD ON THE WIRE

 

THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY COLT
BLOOD ON THE WIRE
By James Reasoner
DS Productions, 2026

The open range is dying, strangled by fences, greed, and men willing to kill to claim what was never theirs. Johnny Colt rides into the middle of that war carrying a reputation he didn’t ask for and a gun he knows how to use. He’s fast, dangerous, and determined to live by his own rules – but the West has other plans.

When rustlers, hired guns, and powerful interests clash over land and cattle, Johnny finds himself pulled into a brutal struggle where right and wrong blur as sharply as the wire cutting across the plains. Every fence post hammered into the ground brings more violence. Every ambush leaves another body in the dust. And the men behind it all believe intimidation and murder will clear the way for their empire.

They’ve underestimated Johnny Colt.

Blood on the Wire is the first book in a new series from one of the best western authors writing today; James Reasoner. 

In Johnny Colt, James has created an engaging character. Is he headed for a life of outlawry or will he stay on the side of the law? From the opening chapter it seems it could be the former as he is riding with a bunch of wire-cutters and cutting wire is against the law. There’s an ambush waiting to be sprung on Johnny and his companions from which Johnny only just manages to escape, finding himself the unwilling guest of a patrol of Texas Rangers led by his uncle. 

Johnny wants to track down the person responsible for the death of his friends and goes to work on a ranch owned by the man he believes ordered the ambush so he can find the proof he needs to bring down Atkinson. Things get complicated as Atkinson has a daughter that Johnny is attracted to. Johnny’s first meeting with Lydia being just one of the many memorable scenes within this book.

Pacing is excellent and it urges the reader to keep turning the pages. The book is packed with fascinating characters, gunplay, and twists waiting to spring surprises on Johnny Colt and the reader, which is why I’ve not revealed much about the plot as it would be difficult to do so without providing spoilers. 

Blood on the Wire proves to be a terrific introduction to this new series and it left me very eager to see what problems Johnny Colt will face in the second book. I can only hope it isn’t too long before it is released. On the strength of this book the Legend of Johnny Colt series deserves to have a long run.

American readers can get a copy here.

UK readers can get a copy here.

LATE FOR GETTYSBURG

 

LATE FOR GETTYSBURG
By Vance Tillman
Robert Hale, December 2013

Eugene Wyeth doesn’t seem to realize that the Civil War is over, and even his family can’t persuade him to surrender. With a price on his head, he assumes there is a bounty hunter around every corner. 

But, when his old comrade-in-arms, Rattlesnake Jack, is shot, Wyeth must risk exposure and ride into town to seek help. With the powerful Kirby Taylor and his gang of gunslingers determined to stand in Wyeth’s way, there is trouble looming, and Wyeth must examine all he has stood for and put his very identity to the test.

After the first attempt on Wyeth’s life the author hooked me well and truly with a mystery, that of a small black skull the would-be assassin carried. What is the meaning of this item? But, a few pages later the author explains all, which I found a shame, but it did allow Tillman the opportunity to switch to other characters to explain their motives and actions. 

As the title references a battle during the American Civil War it came as no surprise that there were a few mentions of combat and manoeuvres during that conflict. Events at Gettysburg being the reason behind the plot of this book. It was also interesting to read about the Ketchum hand grenade that one of the characters had in his possession and I looked forward to seeing it used. Unfortunately, I was let down as this never happened.

The story has a fast pace, building well to its final showdown. There’s plenty of gunplay along the way and a couple of robberies. The book includes a particularly tense scene depicting the escape of a young woman from her captor’s home. 

Overall, this was a readable story but not one that will make me hunt through my collection for the other Vance Tillman book I have yet to read. 

Late for Gettysburg was the third and last book Robert Hale Ltd put out under their Black Horse Westerns banner from the author named as Vance Tillman. 

DUEL IN PURGATORY

 

GUNN
Book 6 of 29
DUEL IN PURGATORY
By Jory Sherman
Cover art by Pino Daeni
Zebra Books, 1981

The stage is set for trouble when Gunn arrives in Colorado. He’s there to assist an old friend, Herb Oxley, but even Gunn’s helping hands are tied. The cattle owners are feuding over possession – and someone is tampering with the brands.

Before he gets a chance to intervene Gunn is nearly killed in an ambush by a lone sniper. He suspects that it’s an inside job, probably one of Oxley’s gang. That explains why Oxley’s beautiful young wife is being so flirtatious – or at least one the reasons why.

Gunn being ambushed is how this book begins. It’s one of the best parts of the story, tension filled, almost noir in its telling. It also sets up a mystery for Gunn to try and solve. Jory Sherman’s prose is a joy to read, at times poetic in its descriptions, hard hitting at times – one scene making me cringe, as I expect it will for most male readers. The book contains plenty of gunplay and one of the longest fistfights I’ve read for a long time. 

The violence is graphic and the many sex scenes explicit, the latter encounters taking up quite a few pages each. There are plenty of women eager to share their bed with Gunn but will they all get what they desire? I did think Mr. Sherman could have been a bit more imaginative when he described their eyes – most if not all have blue eyes. 

The plot isn’t overly complicated but it certainly kept me turning the pages, especially as I wanted to see if my suspicions on who was the mystery sniper was correct. Trouble is Jory Sherman is very good at pointing the finger at most of the book’s characters as being that person so I doubted myself a number of times and still got it wrong.

As the pages began to run out, I did begin to wonder if it would have a rushed ending, or would some of the plotlines spill over into the next book. Fear not though, Jory Sherman wrapped it all up well with some shocking revelations and brutality.  

Duel in Purgatory is another entertaining read in what, so far, has been a strong series. 

SUNDANCE

 

SUNDANCE
By Richard Telfair
A Gold Medal book from Fawcett, 1960
Reprinted by Frederick Muller Ltd., London, 1961

He’d been a gunfighter back in his wild, young years before he’d become half owner of the Hotel de Paree, before life had given him a second chance. Now things were quiet. He liked what he was doing – and he liked himself.

That was until the Broadhurst bunch hit town, wrecked his hotel and terrorized the town. What started as just a bunch of waddies looking for some fun erupted into something more dangerous.

It was only then that Sundance strapped on his gun....   

Hotel de Paree was a TV western series that ran for one season from 1959 to 1960. It starred Earl Holliman as Sundance. I have no idea if this book, Sundance by Richard Telfair, was an official tie-in novel or not as there’s no indication to the TV series anywhere on the cover or in the book. I’ve never seen the TV show, but from what I can gather it sticks faithfully to the TV series in some areas, changes some parts, and ignores others; for instance, there’s no reference to Sundance’s mirrored hat-band at all – a gimmick to make the show different to others westerns on TV at the time. Annette Deveraux is in the book but her sister/niece/daughter Monique doesn’t appear in the story and there is no mention of her either – I’m not sure of their relationship due to the internet naming her as all of these.

The story is straight-forward. Perhaps a little thin on plot, although it does contain a neat little twist during the cowboy’s raid on Georgetown to free their imprisoned ramrod. Gunplay erupts fairly frequently, but a lot of the time Sundance does everything he can to avoid having to use his gun. 

There’s a lot of tough talk and discussions between Sundance and Annette, the latter of which I felt held to story up at times. The author certainly came up with some engaging characters such as Marshal Bond – his belief in the law is impeccable, it’s just a shame others don’t hold it in such high regard. Then there’s the cowhand Cowl. The Texan, Tris Pony who Sundance has a tense confrontation with near the beginning of the story, and when they both walk away from this you just know they’ll have to face each other again. 

This book is worth considering if you’re looking for a quick easy fun read without a complicated storyline that plays out exactly as you’ll expect it to. 

Richard Telfair is a pseudonym used by Richard Jessup. 

KICKED OUT WITH A COLD SHOVEL

 

BLOODY JOE MANNION
Book 6 of 9
KICKED OUT WITH A COLD SHOVEL
By Peter Brandvold
Wolfpack Publishing, February 2023

Town Marshal “Bloody” Joe Mannion is on the trail of some of the most vicious killers he’s ever faced. It’s up to Mannion to single-handedly retrieve the loot a gang stole from a train. He manages to take down the gang and secure the loot only to find himself facing yet another band of vicious killers who want to lay their own grubby hands on the cash. Bloody Joe, however, has other ideas…and this ain’t his first rodeo.

When the gang tracks Joe to the ranch of Sam and Ilsa McDowell, he finds himself on the run again, with both McDowell’s as well as the loot. The only thing harder than trying to hold onto the loot is getting Sam and Ilsa to safety – especially when a neighboring rancher sets his lusty sights on the girl…

This time Peter Brandvold sticks with Bloody Joe throughout the story. There aren’t any secondary plotlines involving Joe’s wife, daughter, deputies or anyone else back in Joe’s hometown, Del Norte, as has been the case in previous books. Yes, he does occasionally switch to other people so he can tell us what the outlaws, rancher or Sam and Ilsa are doing when they are separated from Joe. 

What the blurb above doesn’t tell you is that Sam is a youngster and his sister Ilsa is in her late teens. Part of the appeal of this novel is reading how their relationship with Bloody Joe develops. As you can imagine, it isn’t long before Sam begins to idolize Mannion, something Joe and Ilsa aren’t too keen on. As the three battle through various deadly situations their bond gets stronger and stronger.

There are some excellent set pieces that include many exchanges of gunfire and a dramatic escape from a trap. With the various groups of people hunting for the loot or Ilsa there isn’t a moment of peace for Bloody Joe as bullets fly thick and fast. Mannion also takes some punishment throughout this tale, this time around it’s mostly physical rather than mentally. 

Ilsa’s beauty also adds to the problems she and Mannion will have to deal with as it’s not just the rancher who sets his sights on her and the only way to protect her is with more gunplay. Unfortunately, Ilsa doesn’t escape from all this attention unscathed and this leads up to a memorable moment near the end of the tale. 

Peter Brandvold introduces some great characters in this story, be they outlaws or otherwise, such as the two who help Joe and Sam when they are in dire need. It isn’t only humans who are going to stick in your memory though. Sam and Ilsa have a pet dog, King, who travels alongside his owners and Mannion as they desperately try to reach the safety of Del Norte. 

Kicked Out with a Cold Shovel is another great entry in the Bloody Joe Mannion series and is one I’d recommended to all fans of western fiction. 

American readers can get a copy here

British readers can get a copy here