INTO THE UNKNOWN

WILDERNESS

Number 55 of 71 + 7 Giant Editions to date.

By David Thompson

Leisure, March 2008

Robert Parker ventures into the vast unknown to study new species of plant and animals in the name of science. He’s thrilled when a young half-breed named Zach King invites him back to his family’s secluded valley in the Rocky Mountains. But Parker’s about to find out he’s not the only newcomer. Three murderous prospectors have heard there’s a fortune in gold on the King’s land, and they’ll do anything to get it. They’ve heard how tough the King’s are, and they’re well prepared for that. But they haven’t counted on the grit of one determined greenhorn…

This is the second book in the Wilderness series to be written in the first person and it works extremely well. The story is told through the eyes of Robert Parker, a man who almost refuses to see danger in both man and beast, therefore putting him in many perilous situations. 

It was very interesting to see how Parker reacted and related to both Zach King and Blue Water Woman. In fact, it was great to see the latter taking such a central role. Even though Parker and Blue Water Woman come from very different backgrounds and cultures it soon became very apparent that they shared a common trait, that of their enjoyment of the natural world and a respect for the animals that inhabit it.

Of course, the story isn’t all about admiration for the wilderness it is also a story of greed and the lengths some people will go to in their quest to find gold, no matter who has to suffer in their hunt to find it. Something Parker struggles to accept and comprehend. It was fascinating to read that it wasn’t Zach King who teaches Parker the reality of this aspect of life but Blue Water Woman.

Into the Unknown has everything, touching moments of gentleness, savage moments of violence, and moments of humour. All this combines in a beautifully balanced and well written story that was a joy to read.

David Thompson is a pseudonym used by David Robbins and he still puts out books in this series today under his own name.

In October 2022, Piccadilly Publishing made Into the Unknown available as an ebook together with book 56 in series, In Darkest Depths, the cover of which you can see below.

SILVER FURY

THE TRAILSMAN

Book 138 of 398 + seven giant editions

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, June 1993

When Skye Fargo rode into the tiny town that called itself Serenity, it looked like a place that time and trouble forgot. It was just a huddle of ramshackle wooden buildings nestled in a remote Rockies valley where the men were lazy and the women were willing. A smooth-talker named Traute ran it with an iron hand in a velvet glove, and you didn’t want to cross this self-made king of the mountain. But the Trailsman found that out too late…after he had uncovered the vein of hellish evil under this peaceful paradise…and found himself stripped of weapons and hope in a trap that made death seem sweet…

In this extremely fast-moving tale, Fargo becomes fuelled by rage, a killing urge that will see him stop at nothing to wipe the town of Serenity off the earth and blast Traute to hell. Senseless deaths and being badly mistreated are what sends the Trailsman off on a killing spree. 

The author really piles on the problems and deadly situations for Fargo to have to deal with. Fargo doesn’t always come off best either, he on the receiving end of some vicious beatings, which of course heighten his resolve to take revenge on those responsible. 

Filled with memorable characters and tough dialogue, this is a book that has strong roles for both men and women. The story is filled with action that left me breathless. Descriptions of landscape and people give a great sense of time and place. The violence is often brutal and fairly graphic. As the Trailsman is an adult western series there are a couple of explicit sex scenes too. 

The author writing behind the pseudonym of Jon Sharpe for this book is David Robbins and he can always be relied on to provide the reader with a thrilling tale that should entertain all western fans.

TOMAHAWK JUSTICE

THE TRAILSMAN

Book 141 of 398 + 7 giant editions

By Jon Sharpe

Cover art by Jerome Podwil

Signet, September 1993

1860, Yellowstone country . . . where raw wilderness, natural wonders, and human bloodlust made for a killer combination

The two young Shoshone women seemed too good-looking to be real when Skye Fargo met them in the virgin wilderness. But they were real – real dangerous, as he soon found out. Their father was a chief looking for a vision in the Yellowstone, and looking for Fargo to cover his tail while the chief lifted his eyes to the heavens. For the sacred valley was swarming with the most bloodthirsty redskins in the West – and Fargo was in the middle of a tug-of-want between sisters who gave him no rest, and in the line of fire of Indians who gave no quarter and took no prisoners.

This book doesn’t have a big cast. Fargo is the only white man, then there’s the Shoshone and a band of Bloods. All of this tale unfolds in the wilderness and the author adds some terrific descriptions of the magnificent landscape to give the reader a great sense of place. Amid all the mayhem, Fargo gets a moment to reflect on the advancement of the white man and what it will mean for this wild yet beautiful country. Wildlife also has a part to play, and these creatures add some tense scenes to the story. 

Character studies are well crafted, and dialogue often has humorous undertones adding light-hearted moments to balance the more vicious elements. The many action scenes are at times brutally savage in their descriptions. Let’s not forget that The Trailsman is an adult western series so there are also a number of graphic sex scenes, not as many as in the early books, but a few more than in those towards the end of the series.

Jon Sharpe is a pseudonym shared by a variety of authors. This time it’s David Robbins writing behind that alias, and he has written a fast-moving, action-packed tale that surprised me with its twist ending and proved to be a very entertaining read throughout.

If you’re think of trying to find this book remember the number too, as it shares its title with an earlier entry in the series, book 39.

Stalked

WILDERNESS 71

By David Robbins

Mad Hornet Publishing, July 2020

Two families from the East want to make a new life for themselves in the Rocky Mountains. They think they can handle whatever the wilderness throws at them. They are wrong. Something is after them. Hunting them. Stalking them. Killing them one by one.

Enter Nate King. The Mountain Man known as Grizzly Killer. He is their one….their best….hope to survive. But even being the best is not always enough.

This is another terrific entry in the long-running Wilderness series that is filled with edge-of-your-seat moments. David Robbins really builds up the tension superbly as two green families are stalked by a kill crazy grizzly. A giant silver-tip that seems to kill for the sake of it, seems to enjoy tearing its victims into bloody shreds. 

The book doesn’t have a large cast. There are the two families, Nate King and his wife, Winona, along with their adopted daughter Bright Rainbow and three Ute braves. By the end their numbers will be greatly reduced. 

David Robbins creates a gripping sense of rising fear as the grizzly begins to stalk its prey. The kills are described in horrific detail, each ripped apart victim adding to the heightening terror that the two families experience, grief driving some of their decisions. 

The storyline isn’t completely dark in tone as David Robbins injects moments of humour to lighten the mood, mostly through conversation. The author also includes a comical visual during the musical instrument incident – a picture I got in my mind at this moment had me laughing out loud.

Can Grizzy Killer defeat his monstrous foe before all those he’s trying to protect die? Animal savagery against human prowess, teeth and claw verses tomahawk and knife. Finding out made for an exciting read, the story being a real page-turner as each chapter and scene ended on a cliff-hanger making it impossible to put the book down before the enthralling conclusion. 

A must read for all fans of the Wilderness series, and one that will be enjoyed by everyone who likes reading about the mountain man era or tales about battles between man and beast.

STRAIGHT SHOOTER

A Ralph Compton Novel by Marcus Galloway

Signet, June 2013

Outlaw Wes Cavanaugh knows that crime doesn’t always pay – at least not that much. That’s why he and his partner, Mose, are willing to buy information from Jimmy Stock on a job that’s guaranteed to pay off big.

Jimmy’s made a career of selling tips to bandits, but the job he sells Wes – a payroll train about to leave Omaha – requires more than information. It requires a straight shooter who can hit targets from a long distance away…and in the outlaw business, even a straight shooter can’t be trusted.

With the passing of Ralph Compton, Signet decided to keep his name alive by continuing to put out books under his name written by other writers, eleven of them I believe. Signet also decided to print the name of the real authors on the books too making it easy for readers to identify who had written each new book. Marcus Galloway’s name appearing on ten of them, placing him only behind David Robbins and Joseph A. West in numbers of books written under the Ralph Compton brand.

The above blurb is perhaps a little mis-leading as to the contents of this book. Sure, Wes and Mose buy information from Stock but this takes up only a short part of the novel, as does the train robbery. Wes and Mose don’t have enough money to give to Stock so steal it from a traveling gunsmith. Most of the story follows the fortunes of said gunsmith, Zeke Hayes and his helper, ex-boxer, Aldus Bricker. The central character is Aldus, and it’s his need to discover why the tone of the letters he gets from his childhood sweetheart, Bethany, has changed, that sees them cross paths once again with Wes and Mose.

During the journey to Bethany’s hometown, Zeke and Aldus find themselves in a deadly fight for control of a town and this is resolved in an exciting battle that is one of the highlights of the book.

There’s also a neat outcome to the train robbery that brings that part of the story to an almost underplayed and perfect ending.

I’ve only read a handful of Marcus Galloways’ westerns and so far I’ve enjoyed them all. They haven’t contained quite as much gunplay as a lot of the books I read, but that isn’t a criticism as Galloway certainly knows how to grab the readers attention and build his plots in gripping prose that makes you want to keep reading. 

Love and Cold Steel

WILDERNESS #70

By David Robbins

Mad Hornet Publishing, December 2018

The heart wants what the heart wants.

Evelyn King yearns to get hitched. Eager for her dream to come true, she won’t let anything stand in her way.

But the frontier has many dangers. Killers and hostiles and beasts abound.

As Evelyn is reminded when she and the man she loves run into a pack of two-legged wolves…and something far worse.

At last another Wilderness book has appeared, two years after the previous title, The Avenger. Since Leisure Books closed David Robbins has been publishing new Wilderness books under his own name rather than the pseudonym of David Thompson.

How I tried to read this book slowly, to savour every word, every scene, but my ambition failed miserably as each short chapter ended with a question or cliff-hanger that made it virtually impossible to put the book down as I just had to know what happened next.

Love and Cold Steel could be described as two separate storylines running parallel to each other – Evelyn and Dega’s dangerous travail to reach Bent’s Fort and hopefully find a preacher to marry them, and the tale of a wagon train and it’s guide, Quay, to solve the mystery of his gruesome discoveries that threaten all the travellers lives – although you know at some point these gripping tales are going to converge in some way that will intensify the already deadly situations the main characters find themselves in.

Fans of the Wilderness series, and/or David Robbins writing style will know what to expect in the way the story is told; the how are they going to get out of that scene endings already mentioned, the endless struggle of man and women to understand each other which often results in laugh-out-loud moments, the witty dialogue which again left me grinning much of the time, the desperate savage fights to survive – both against man and beast – which are vividly written and plotlines that will keep you guessing to the end.

Wilderness 70 might have been a long time coming but it certainly lived up to my expectations and I believe it should be enjoyed by all western fans, especially those who like the mountain man era. All I can hope is that David Robbins doesn’t keep us waiting quite so long before he gives us another instalment in this excellent series.

Blood Duel

A Ralph Compton novel by David Robbins

Signet, December 2007

Jeeter Frost may look like a mouse, but he’s as murderous as a lion. Now this serial killer has reporters on his tail wanting to know who the “Missouri Man-Killer” really is. Jeeter learns the newshounds are painting him larger than life—literally. To get to the bottom of his newfound fame, he has to tackle his one weakness and learn how to read. But what his teacher, Ernestine, gives him is more than he ever expected… 

Meanwhile, the one-horse town of Coffin Varnish gets the idea to make a buck off Frost’s bloodshed by putting the dead bodies on display. When visitors run dry, they invite more gunslingers to duel it out…for a fee, of course. As far as Jeeter’s concerned, all the funny business takes the shine off of Coffin Varnish—but soon he has a starring role in a show that’s deadlier than anyone bargained for…

This book is filled with great characters, Jeeter Frost, Ernestine, the weary lawman Seamus Glickman, and the leading citizens of Coffin Varnish. None of them are overly admirable people but they are definitely fascinating and their interactions and dealings make for a terrific read.

The story is fast moving, action packed, and contains many moments of humour. The dying town of Coffin Varnish is wonderfully described and you can feel the despair of those who live there. Greed and dreams of greatness fuel the motives of many of the characters. The mayors’ disenchantment with Dodge City – and all who live there – allows for some wonderful dialogue exchanges.

Blood Duel is a well-plotted and beautifully paced book that is virtually impossible to put down as everyone is drawn to Coffin Varnish for the final violent showdown.

Blood Duel is a book that I believe should be enjoyed by all fans of western fiction. 

The Avenger

WILDERNESS #69

By David Robbins

Mad Hornet Publishing, December 2016

Zach King has given up the ways of the warrior. The woman he loves is about to give birth, and he intends to be the best father he can be.

Little does he know that he is being stalked. From out of his recent past comes an avenger. A man who has vowed to make Zach pay for killing his brother.

A new birth should be a time of joy. Instead, Zach and his family find themselves ensnared in a web of deception and peril.

The avenger lives by one rule. ‘Eyes for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.’ EXODUS 21:24

It’s been a while coming, but at last David Robbins has given us a new Wilderness book. Over the last few entries of this long running series Louisa, Zach’s wife, has been pregnant and now is the time for her to give birth. The Avenger isn’t the only deadly problem facing Zach at this time, there is also a female grizzly with cubs, and it’s the bear that will create some of the most breath-taking scenes in the book.

Like in many of David Robbins’ books the more horrific scenes are balanced with humour and that is certainly the case with this story. Shakespeare as usual having most of the best lines, indeed his comments making me laugh out loud at times. Seeing Zach trying to adapt from the ways of the warrior to being a father also bringing a smile to my face.

David Robbins lets us in on the Avengers plans and it’s the anticipation of discovering how Zach will deal with him once this vengeance driven man plays his hand that makes this book such a difficult to put down read. You don’t need to have read any of the earlier books to understand why The Avenger is set on killing Zach as David Robbins includes enough background information to explain this.

The Avenger is a book that should be enjoyed by all fans of this genre and it is definitely a must read for all followers of the Wilderness series.

Some people seem a little confused that the Wilderness series is now coming out with a new author name, rather than David Thompson, so I’d just like to add that Thompson and David Robbins are one and the same, the former being a pseudonym used by the latter.

Hounds of Hate

BLOOD FEUD #2

By David Robbins

Mad Hornet Publishing, July 2016

The feud between the Shannon family and the Harkey clan continues. Chace and Cassie Shannon head to New Orleans to put the bloodshed behind them. But the Harkeys have other ideas, and bring along a pack of bloodhounds trained to kill to track the twins down. 

Brought to bay hundreds of miles from their kin, Chace and Cassie must rely on their wits and each other if they’re to survive the vicious hounds of hate.

Way back in October 2010 Signet published a book by David Robbins called Blood Feud, this story introduced us to Chace and Cassie Shannon and told of their blood feud with the Harkey clan. Although this was a great stand-alone novel it did leave the way open for a sequel and that has finally happened with the publication of Hounds of Hate.

The story begins where the previous book finished with Chace and Cassie and their followers heading into New Orleans. Chace has a plan but keeps everyone in the dark about it, something I’m going to do too so as not to spoil this aspect of the tale.

The book contains plenty of action that often comes without warning and in one case proving how cold and vicious Chace can be. Dialogue is believable and often had me laughing out loud, as did some of the antics of Tallulah, a young girl who is one of the Shannon gang, with her dreams of marrying Chace someday, making her fiercely protective of him, much to the astonishment of others and Chace in particular. 

David Robbins switches from character to character regularly and often leaves them in peril at a chapter end encouraging you to keep reading. The story flows smoothly towards its final showdown between Chase, Cassie and the Harkey’s that have trailed them to New Orleans, the hounds giving a viciously deadly twist to this last gunfight.

Everything concludes neatly and satisfactorily but, like before, the story does leave the way open for another book. Let’s hope David Robbins doesn’t keep us waiting quite so long to find out what happens next.

Outlaw Town

A Ralph Compton novel by David Robbins

Signet, January 2016

Chancy Gantry and Ollie Teal are honest cowpunchers riding herd on fifteen hundred longhorns from Texas to Kansas. Their trail boss, Lucas Stout, is tough but fair. He’s never lost a hand on a drive and doesn’t aim to start now. So when a cowhand needs a sawbones bad, Stout sends Chancy and Ollie to escort the man to a town called Prosperity, which none of them has ever heard of.

At first glance, the town looks deserted – but the saloon is full. The dusty denizens of Prosperity are happy to help the ailing cowboy, especially when they hear about the herd grazing a few miles away. Chancy and Ollie are about to discover that some towns are a lot easier to ride into than to ride out of….

David Robbins presents the reader with a very interesting mix of characters, not least Ollie Teal, a man whom some would label as being backwards, his childlike wonder at everything and non-stop babble get on some peoples’ nerves but his loyalty to the brand and his pard, Chancy, are second to none.

There are other memorable characters too, both amongst the cowboys and the townspeople. The crippled doctor for instance and a handful of fast guns that will have you wondering who will come out on top should they have the need to face each other, something that has just got to happen, hasn’t it?

As one would hope for in a book written by David Robbins you get plenty of cracking dialogue, descriptions that portray the land, town, and emotions perfectly, placing you right there sharing the joys, laughter, horror and fear with the characters. And then there is the action, fast and brutal at times, that becomes almost non-stop when the cowboys realize the true intentions of those living in Prosperity.

There are plenty of edge-of-the-seat situations, surprises too, and it soon becomes apparent that you cannot predict who will be left alive at the end, if anyone. David Robbins ties everything up neatly and to say more would surely spoil the book for those intending to read it. My final thoughts are that this is a western all fans of the genre should enjoy.

Texas Hills

A Ralph Compton novel by David Robbins

Signet, November 2015

Owen Burnett’s needs are small. All he’s ever wanted is his wife’s affection, his children’s health, and a little plot of land to farm. Still, he’s no fool. So when his neighbour Gareth Kurst makes him a business proposition that could leave him richer than he’s ever dreamed, he can’t refuse giving the risky scheme a try.

Rounding up cattle in the Texas hill country is nothing to take lightly. Between the Comanches roaming the countryside and the horns of the beasts he’s hunting down, Owen knows every second he spends out in the wild puts his life in plenty of danger. But the greatest threat to his person is one he never expected: his ruthless and conniving business partner, who has no plans of ever sharing his bounty….

The mix of three very different families trying to work alongside each other without killing each other, an old mountain man, and a band of Comanches on the warpath, makes for many tense situations, especially when the Comanches begin to raid farms where the womenfolk have been left alone. These suspense filled raids being one of highlights of this excellent tale.

Like in much of David Robbins’ work the importance of family bonds plays a major part of the motivations of a lot of the characters. Greed drives some too. There is also a growing romance between an unlikely pair that provides a lot of the humorous moments within the story.

The book begins like a slow burning fuse, fizzing with anticipation, then burning faster with dangerous intent before exploding in a deadly race for life and violent gunplay. 

David Robbins writes in short chapters, ending many with someone in peril but then switches to other characters for the next chapter or so making it almost impossible to put the book down before you discover what happens next to them all.

In Texas Hills David Robbins has certainly written a book that should entertain all fans of westerns. 

Guns on the Praire

By David Robbins

Signet, September 2015

Alonzo Pratt, alias Robert Grant has always survived by his wits, working his way up from petty pickpocket to polished con artist. Saddlebags bulging with disguises, he is a master impersonator, whether limping in Civil War uniform or toting a Bible and dressed in black. On occasion, a tin star pinned to his vest is just the ticket to winning the trust of his innocent marks.

When Federal Marshal Jacob Stone happens to come across another lawman while taking in a wounded prisoner, he’s grateful for some assistance. And when he hears tell that Cal Grissom’s gang is roaming these parts, he enlists Deputy Grant to help him track down the thieves. But he does wonder why his new partner seems so…reluctant.

Alonzo never planned to join a manhunt. But now he’s shooting Sioux and rescuing an outlaw’s gorgeous daughter. His disguise may have fooled the marshal, but it won’t stop lead….

David Robbins has come up with a top class western with Guns on the Prairie. Excellent characters on both sides of the law will soon have you laughing with them, fearing for their well-being, hoping they survive or met their demise. Alonzo Pratt’s frustrations, confusions and despair at the situation he finds himself in is superbly described by David Robbins. Fleshing out of characters is to tell their backstories, all which will have a part to play in how they deal with the dangers that face them.

There’s plenty of action and cliff-hanger chapter endings making this a truly difficult to put down read. You will certainly be wanting to find out what happens next. The pacing is perfect as the tale races towards its gripping final standoff that could end in any one of a number of ways, and I doubt you’ll guess how the book does conclude, as one of the surviving characters says, “This didn’t end as you thought it would, did it?” No it certainly didn’t, but it does finish in fine style making for an extremely unforgettable ending.

If you only read one David Robbins western this year then make sure it’s this one. If you’ve yet to try his work then I urge you to grab a copy of this book, it really is a great read.

The Law and the Lawless

A Ralph Compton novel by David Robbins

Signet, August 2015

When a bunch of ruffians robs a bank in the sleepy town of Alpine, it’s only natural for the locals to be alarmed. But this gang and its leader, Cestus Calloway, are not common criminals. In fact, Cestus, known as the Robin Hood of the Rockies, distributes his loot to those less fortunate and rains stolen money down on the townsfolk. As if that isn’t too good to be true, this gang holds to one important rule: Steal but don’t kill….

All Alpine’s marshal, Boyd Cooper, wants is peace and quiet, not to get a posse together to track outlaws. However, when an altercation leads to the exchange of gunfire and the spilling of outlaw blood, he doesn’t have much of a choice. The outlaws fear their reputation might be at stake, so they declare revenge on the tin stars of Alpine. They’re mad enough to break their own no-kill rule, and Boyd Cooper knows things could end as bloody as they started….

David Robbins has created a bunch of memorable characters on both sides of the law in this extremely fast moving tale. In fact I hoped some of the lawless would escape death so they could return in another book, but in a David Robbins story it is not predictable as to who will be living by the end on either side.

With the killing of some of their own, Calloway has difficulty keeping control of his vengeance hungry gang members, and David Robbins creates some fine tension as they argue about the best way to take out the posse. And it’s not only Cestus who has problems keeping a tight rein on his band of outlaws, because Boyd Cooper has to struggle to keep his posse together, particularly when a turn of events makes it evident that Cooper no longer wants to bring the outlaws in for trial but wants to see them all dead.

The story is filled with twists and turns and lots of gripping action, and it isn’t long before the posse are played for fools and find themselves, unknowingly, being lead into a death-trap from which there can be no escape.

So who is victorious in the end? Of course I can’t reveal that here but I would suggest anyone who decides to read this book is going to enjoy finding out.

The Evil Men Do

A Ralph Compton Novel

By David Robbins

Signet, February 2015

If things are quiet in the little town of Sweetwater, Marshal Fred Hitch sees no reason to make waves. But when Tyree Johnson shows up, Fred’s relaxed nature is put to the test. At fifteen years old, Tyree is a tough-as-nails bounty hunter with no patience for anyone calling him “boy.” He’s come to apprehend a killer who escaped from Cheyenne and has been hiding in plain sight in Sweetwater.

To save face and his town’s good name, Fred must ride with Tyree and his prisoner all the way to Cheyenne. The unlikely pair has a rough trail ahead of them, and as tough as Tyree is, he has some lessons to learn about the evil men do – and how to survive it.

David Robbins has created three superb characters to tell his story through. Fred Hitch who would rather talk and be friends with everyone good or bad instead of facing danger with gun in hand. Tyree, who has a reason for being a bounty hunter, needs the money for information on men he’s been searching for for a long time. Aces Connor, cowboy and reluctant gunfighter who will teach Tyree the art of shooting and hopefully in doing so save all their lives.

Each of these three men have their own reasons for teaming up to escort the prisoner who causes them more than one problem. But it’s after their captive has been dealt with that they find themselves in what seems like a suicide mission that surely none of them can survive.

This book has everything you’d expect from a David Robbins novel, fast in pace, twists and turns, believable dialogue laced with humour, and lots of hard hitting action. Everything building to a final showdown that’ll take your breath away and leave you wanting more.

Top class entertainment that should be on the reading list of all westerns fans.

Is this the end of the Trailsman?

THE TRAILSMAN #398:

ARIZONA AMBUSHERS

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, December 2014

Skye Fargo comes across a massacred army unit in the Arizona wild, and everyone immediately assumes it was the Apaches. But when he investigates, he finds something even more frightening – a savage pack of feminine felons out for blood and money. But he isn’t about to let any of these wild women get away – not without the Trailsman putting them flat on their backs….

Jon Sharpe sure has come up with a terrific group of adversaries for the Trailsman, and they aren’t the only great characters to be found in this story for there’s another woman who is out for revenge, and there’s a half-blood who seems to want to help Fargo but may have another agenda. And shadowing them all is a small band of Apaches set to strike at any moment.

There are many tense moments to be found in this extremely fast paced tale. Action explodes across the pages regularly and there is a neat twist that took me completely by surprise. Combine this with believable dialogue that is often laced with humour and you have a book that demands to be read.

Once more this tale finds David Robbins writing behind the pseudonym of Jon Sharpe and again it’s his gift of storytelling that makes this book such a joy to read, and for me, and many, many other fans of Skye Fargo it really is a shame that this could well be last time we’ll read a new Trailsman adventure for the series has been cancelled. There is a vague glimmer of hope that Fargo could ride again as a reliable source has said the publishers have stated the series has been put on hiatus. 

In case this does turn out to be the last Trailsman book I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the authors who have written behind the pseudonym of Jon Sharpe and made this a must read series for me.

Savage Hearts

WILDERNESS #68

By David Robbins

Mad Hornet Publishing, November 2014

Nate and Winona King thought they were doing the right thing when they ventured deep into the Rockies to return a little girl to her people.

Little did they imagine it would put Winona and the girl in peril for their lives and pit Nate against ruthless enemies.

At last, another Wilderness book, and one that adds a neat twist to the future of the King’s lives, one I didn’t see coming, but more of that later.

As many will have noticed this, and the previous book, The Gift, are being put out under the authors’ real name, David Robbins, instead of the pseudonym David Thompson that was used when the series was published by Leisure Books.

The book features a tribe unknown to me previously, the Tukadukas, and David Robbins ignited my interest with the unusual hunt that brings them together in this story for me to search for more information on them.

As fans of the series will already know, David Robbins often uses the strength of the family bond, their love for each other, that will see them risk everything to save each other, and this story is no different and that is what leads to the twist ending I mentioned earlier.

The book seems to have two storylines to begin with but you just know these seemingly separate threads will come together violently, and when the King’s get split up the tale gets more complicated and becomes a race against time.

With very strong male and female leads, terrific dialogue often spiced with humour, and savage action scenes, this story builds to a spectacular ending that will alter the King’s lives.

Due to the ending fans of the series will not want to miss this chapter in the King family story. If you’ve never read a Wilderness book before then this is an excellent place to start, to get to know Nate and Winona King and discover how much they are willing to sacrifice for each other.

All I can now hope is that David Robbins doesn’t make us wait quite so long before the next book is published.

Also available as an ebook.

Badlanders

By David Robbins

Signet, October 2014

When Alexander Jessup moves with his two daughters to the Badlands to run a ranch, he’s unprepared for the West’s deadly perils. But despite the dangers, his daughter Edana is determined to manage the Diamond B. And it may be possible, thanks to the ranch’s foreman, Neal Bonner, and his partner, Jericho, an expert gunman.

But Edana’s headstrong sister, Isolda, has other plans. She has no interest in herding cows – or in polite society, for that matter. So she latches onto cutthroat conman Beaumont Adams, and the two scheme to take over the town of Whiskey Flats with the help of the worst criminals in the Badlands.

Now Edana, Neal, and Jericho must face down a pack of stone-cold thieves and murderers to avenge a death and to save Whiskey Flats – or die trying.

David Robbins’ latest stand-alone western is packed full of memorable characters which includes two very strong female leads whose true personalities are brought to the fore with their move to the West and by the men they fall for. Robbins’ includes some brief, yet detailed backgrounds for all his main players which goes some way into explaining why they act as they do.

Learning the ranching business is one part of the tale as is the brutal way Adams goes about taking over Whiskey Flats and I was soon wondering how these two seemingly unrelated storylines would be brought together and this is expertly done through the mystery of someone who becomes known as the ‘cow killer’.

David Robbins superbly tells his tale in gritty prose. The story laced with bursts of deadly action, tough dialogue and many humorous comments. Why someone is killing cows becomes a gripping thread of intrigue and the final showdown brings both surprises and a fitting end to the book.

Burning Bullets

THE TRAILSMAN #394

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, August 2014

1861, the Flathead Lake country – where a tinderbox of hate ignited an inferno of violence.

Fargo is guiding a squad of horse troopers to Flathead country to check on homesteaders, when he comes across a pack of vicious varmints up from Texas causing no end of terror for the settlers. And there’s only one man who can take on the troublemakers: the Trailsman.

Taking on a bunch of killers is the least of Fargo’s problems in this extremely fast moving tale. The Trailsman has to deal with a love-struck young woman who has set her mind on marrying him! Something Fargo dreads. How he tackles this situation tests his patience and makes for some excellent reading that often had me grinning.

As well as terrific dialogue, the action scenes are breath-taking, especially those during the latter part of the book when a far greater danger than marriage or savage killers threatens all: fire.

Jon Sharpe, in this case David Robbins writing behind the pseudonym, really does excel in his descriptions of the frantic attempts of man and animal to escape the all-consuming flames. The superb cover painting gives you some idea of the situations Fargo finds himself in.

Does everyone escape the forest fire? Does Fargo manage to talk his way out of marriage without hurting anyone’s feelings? Grab yourself a copy of this book and I’m sure you’ll be as thoroughly entertained as I was finding out the answers.

Six-Gun Inferno

THE TRAILSMAN #393

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, July 2014

1861 – the sunbaked desert of southwestern Nevada, where a bullet to the brain is the least of a man’s worries.

In the Nevada desert town of Inferno, salt and water have become more valuable than gold. The citizens are just short of dying, and local strongman Crillian doesn’t care – he expects them to fork over big bucks for the essentials of life. But the Trailsman aims to make Crillian pay – with salt, water, and blood….

What seems like a fairly straight-forward plot becomes more and more complicated as increasing attempts are made on Fargo’s life, by Crillian’s men and a mysterious Frenchman, Jaffer, who claims there’s a third side involved.

As the danger mounts so Fargo anger rises and he vows to make those who attempt to kill him pay. This means the book really is an action-packed read with some kind of gunplay or deadly threat taking place every three or four pages.

With twists and turns that throw up many unforeseen surprises, not least who is behind the plots of this gripping story, and the reason behind the efforts to drive away, or kill off, the citizens of Inferno, this book proves to be a very entertaining read.

The man behind the pseudonym of Jon Sharpe this time around is David Robbins and the story contains all the elements that keep making me want to read more and more of his work; great characters, witty humour and plenty of sarcasm, hard-hitting action, and terrific pacing, to name but a few of them.

Six-Gun Inferno is a must read for fans of Skye Fargo. For those who have yet to discover the Trailsman series, or read anything by David Robbins, then this could just be the place to start.

Colorado Carnage

THE TRAILSMAN #392

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, June 2014

The Rocky Mountains, 1861 – two towns wage war and Fargo is caught in the middle.

Fargo can’t say no when the oddball citizens of the near-dead boomtown of Lodestone offer him a small fortune to guide them on a two-day trip to a new home over the mountains. But when there are two separate attempts to gun him down, the Trailsman realizes that somebody doesn’t want the people of Lodestone going anywhere – except six feet under.

This book has a superb cast, many of whom the author has given wonderful names that produced some excellent out-loud laughs when the Trailsman is told them. But it isn’t long before Fargo begins to doubt their reasons for hiring him and his questions only add to the mysterious elements of the story that prove to be gripping hooks that made it impossible for me to put this book down until that truth was revealed.

Fargo also finds himself with an unwanted ‘pard’, Chester, whose non-stop babbling adds some chuckles too. These lighter toned moments contrasting well with the darker, more brutal, action scenes.

The author, this time David Robbins writing behind the pseudonym of Jon Sharpe, also has one or two surprises waiting to cause even more problems for the Trailsman, problems that could well be the death of him if he doesn’t react fast enough.

If you’re a fan of The Trailsman series or just like fast-moving action-packed westerns then make sure you don’t miss this one.