Haunted Falls

The Nations #2

By Farmer and Stienke

Timber Creek Press, June 2013

US Deputy Marshals, under Judge Issac Parker, The Hanging Judge, patrol the Indian Nations--the most dangerous place in the world--in the late 19th century. Black Marshal Bass Reeves long-time partner, Jack McGann, goes undercover to ferret out some claim jumpers in the Arbuckle Mountains. He is bushwhacked and washed down the rapids and over Turner Falls. A restless spirit and a sacred white wolf send a fiery redhead widow to nurse him through his amnesia and other wounds back to health. Bass and his other partner, Jed Neal are sent to find the missing McGann, but are side-tracked into helping US Deputy Marshal Selden Lindsey track down Bill Dalton, the last of the old time outlaws.

Like the first book in the series, this is an extremely well written and tightly plotted tale based around truth and people who really lived and took part in the hunt for Bill Dalton.

To start with the book reads like two separate storylines; that of McGann’s recovery and of his fellow lawmen’s quest to bring in Dalton. Gunplay erupts regularly and there’s a particularly exciting, and lengthy, exchange of bullets at the cabin McGann fines himself in that brings the lawmen altogether. Action scenes are fairly brutal but this is counterbalanced by the often humorous dialogue between main characters.

The book will touch all your emotions, making you laugh, despise, urge on, warm your heart and tingle with sadness. Farmer and Stienke also include a budding romance amid all the bloodshed.

Then there’s the supernatural elements. This you’ll either love or hate depending on whether you believe there is a place for it in what is sold as a western novel. Personally I could have done without it, but having said that I did find the rest of the book to be really entertaining and look forward to the next book in the series.

Haunted Falls (The Nations) (Volume 2) Amazon.com
Haunted Falls: 2 (The Nations) Amazon.co.uk

The Nations

By Ken Farmer and Buck Stienke

Timber Creek Press, August 2012

THE NATIONS also known as "Indian Territory", "Robber's Roost" and "No-Man's Land", was regarded in the latter part of the 19th century as the bloodiest and most dangerous place in the world. It was a refuge for outlaws from all over the North American continent. There were only 200 Deputy U.S. Marshals made up of whites, blacks and Indian to police the vast area of 74,000 square miles under Federal Judge Issac C. Parker, known as the hanging judge. 

It is the year 1885. A notorious band of outlaws, known as the "Larson Gang", has been terrorizing Arkansas, Missouri and the Nations for years. When they kill five Deputy Marshals while rescuing Ben Larson, the vicious younger brother of the leader Wes Larson--it is too much for Judge Parker. He orders an all-out concerted effort to capture the Larson Gang and bring them to justice. "If they will not respect the law; then by God we will make them fear it."

This book is based on truth and the authors tell the story extremely well. The opening chapters follow the Larson Gang as they commit a number of violent atrocities which lead to Judge Parker sending Marshal Bass Reeves to round them up. The story then tells of the lawmen's attempts to track down and capture the gang. Other real-life characters have a part to play too, such as Belle Starr and Bud Ledbetter.

Backgrounds of the characters blend smoothly into this fast flowing tale and become a natural part of the story without coming across as bland historical passages. Dialogue is believable and often laced with humour. But for me the action sequences are particularly well done – and there are many of them – as much powder is burnt and lead flies wildly, missing its target more than hitting it. The authors don’t hold back when the bullets strike though, describing it brutally and graphically.

This is Ken Farmer and Buck Stienke’s first western and I can only hope it won’t be too long before they write another. If you like your westerns brimming with authenticity and hard-hitting action then I’d suggest you give this a try.