GUNSMOKE

GUNSMOKE

By Gary McCarthy

Cover art by Bill Dodge

Berkley Boulevard, December 1998

Amidst the peril and confusion of a frontier town, Marshal Matt Dillon is a man who stands up. For justice. For honor. And for the safety of Dodge City’s law-abiding citizens. No gunman is too fast, no stage robber too cunning, no crisis too large for this fearless lawman of the West…

When Doc suffers a mild heart attack, Matt Dillon must find a young frontier doctor to help the aging man with his workload. Dr. Jerome Gentry seems to fit the bill. He quickly becomes popular with the townspeople after mending a few patients – and a little too popular with the ladies, single or otherwise. Matt suspects the newcomer may be a lying charlatan. But the handsome doctor’s healing skills are soon put to the test when a gang of cattle thieves starts shooting their way into Dodge City.

This is the first of three books Gary McCarthy wrote based on the long-running television show Gunsmoke. I have never watched Gunsmoke so I have no idea how accurate McCarthy’s characterization of the people is, or whether he tells his story the way the TV show did. 

Reading the blurb above, you’d expect Dillon to play a large part in this story, but that’s not so. Yes, he does feature but other characters take centre stage, namely Gentry, Doc Adams, and Festus. Doc starts to evaluate his life and career after suffering a heart attack and after making a couple of mistakes, that could have been fatal if not for Dr. Gentry’s intervention, decides the time has come to retire. This makes him even more cranky than usual and leads to some bitter conversations that are often quite humorous. Of course, the townsfolk don’t want Adams to retire and do their best to persuade him to change his mind.

Although the main storyline is about whether Adams will step down from being the town’s doctor and if Gentry will replace him, the book does contain some lively action scenes too. Gentry’s womanizing leads to a killing that might just see Gentry change his ways. Then there’s the wounded rider who comes into Dodge with a tale of cattle rustlers. The lawmen of Dodge City then have to sort this out which results in some exciting gunplay. 

For the main characters every thing turns out pretty much as you’d expect, but Gentry’s future is always up in the air and kept me guessing until the end. 

I’ve read quite a few books by Gary McCarthy and enjoyed them all and Gunsmoke turned out to be another entertaining read. I’ll definitely be reading the other two books sometime soon and I might see if I can catch an episode of the TV series too.   

COVER GALLERY: SHILOH

SHILOH by Dalton Walker

Cover art by Guy Deel

A series of eight books published by Charter/Diamond Books from October 1990 until July 1992

The West made him a man. The War made him Shiloh . . . named for the bloody battle that twisted his soul. And when the fighting ended, he became a bounty hunter. Because for him, death is a way of life.

Lawrence Callahan was a heatless killer who deserved to die. And Shiloh reckons he deserves the $1,000 reward for bringing him in. There’s just one or two things standing in his way. Like a little dustball called Splendid, Nevada. Like a man named Merriweather who’s got the town – and the sheriff – under his thumb. Like Merriweather’s two sadistic sons . . . 

Shiloh’s not in town one day before he’s on the wrong side of trouble. But the fine citizens of Splendid are about to discover that Shiloh’s only got one side – his fighting side!

First they killed a man in cold blood. And then they shot Shiloh’s horse. The vicious gang of outlaws, led by a crazed butcher named Follard, didn’t realize they were dealing with the deadliest manhunter alive. But they’d find out – the hard way . . . 

Shiloh’s coming after them. There’s no bounty at stake – this time it’s personal. But the body count is rising, the desert sand is red with blood, and Follard ain’t running scared – he’s gunning for Shiloh.

Who is the hunter . . . and who is the prey?

Every man has his price, and tycoon J.W. Bannerman has Shiloh’s figured out just right. The old coot is desperate to win back the only thing he’s ever lost: his daughter. And the mighty chunk of change he’s throwing Shiloh’s way has the bounty hunter thinking he’s the right man for the job.

But before Shiloh can get his nose to the trail, he’s sniffed out by a fearsome rival. A man of his own breed – a bounty hunter. Now the hunter is the hunted . . . and only one can survive.

Pinkerton lawman Christian Brady was a good man. Now he’s a dead man – and Shiloh hits the trail vowing revenge against the low-down vermin who slaughtered his old war pal. Then some fool of a badge tosses Shiloh in jail . . . for Brady’s murder.

Breaking out’s the easy part. It’s the crazy lynch mob and cold-blooded posse hot on his heels that’s got Shiloh worried. And when a bounty hunter like Shiloh becomes the hunted . . . there’s no defense quite like bullets and blood.

Frank Haven has the evil heart of a dictator, the twisted mind of a madman, and fifty kill-crazy desperados to do his fighting. He holds a small border town in a reign of terror, governing a labor camp where no one finds mercy. Above and below the Rio Grande, every lawman wants him stopped. But only one man has the guts.

Shiloh infiltrates the camp’s inner circle posing as one of Haven’s gun-toting gang. Now the only way out of hell is straight through it – as Shiloh tries to battle Haven with blood and bullets.

First he killed a man in cold blood. Then the crooked gambler named Ratlin set off across the mining country of northern California, leaving blood and bodies everywhere he hung his hat . . . 

What Ratlin doesn’t know is that the deadliest manhunter alive is hot on his trail. And when Ratlin tries to backshoot Shiloh, it’s his first big mistake. Now gunning down Ratlin isn’t enough . . . the bounty hunter won’t stop until he sees this killer swing from the gallows. 

In the midst of a harsh Nevada blizzard, Shiloh takes refuge in an abandoned barn – and finds himself held captive by three low-down ranch hands from the Lazy B. In a blaze of bullets, Shiloh busts out of their trap. But wealthy rancher Horatio Ballock will see to it that Shiloh stays in trouble – and plenty of it.

At a high-stakes card game, Shiloh calls Ballock’s son a cheat. Now he’s got the rest of the Lazy B after his hide, along with a slick gun named Falcon. Suddenly the bounty hunter is on the wrong side of the chase – and he’s running for his life.

Cephas Beck was a mean old man – a mean, rich old man. When Shiloh trades blows with Beck’s lowlife son Elias, he’s quick to discover that Cephas Beck can pay any price for revenge on anyone who messes with his boy.

But faster than Shiloh can count his new enemies, fate steps in – and Elias meets a cruel death under the hooves of a ferocious stallion. Now Cephas’s greedy dreams of racing the magnificent beast come crashing down in a madman’s rage for vengeance – and Shiloh is hired to track a mount fit for the Devil himself!

THE COMSTOCK CAMELS

THE DERBY MAN 11

By Gary McCarthy

Doubleday, April 1993

Darby Buckingham, the famous writer known to his legions of dime novel fans as the Derby Man, and his fiancée, Dolly Beavers, run into a pack of unusual beasts on a dangerous road mountain road heading towards Lake Tahoe. Their horses are terrified by the exotic animals, and Darby and Dolly’s carriage plunges into a raging river. Though they escape with their lives, their future fortune, which lay in the profitable pages of Darby’s latest Western manuscript, is now irretrievably washed away in the currents of white water.

Determined to make the owner of the camels pay for his ruin, the Derby Man becomes the unwilling owner of a herd of twelve spitting, dirty and disagreeable camels. Along with all his possessions and his manuscript, Darby has also lost the will to write, so the only answer to his dilemma lies in competing for a freight contract to the Consolidated Mining Company’s most inaccessible mine, the Gold Peak.

Unfriendly Paiutes, scorching desert and steep, impassable trails are not the worst of the problems that now plague Darby. The horrors contrived by the murderous band of another competitor make the unyielding tortures of nature pale in comparison. It will be up to the Derby Man, camels trailing behind him, to create the kind of happy ending for this real-life adventure that he does for his novels.

It’s a well-known fact, that Darby doesn’t like horses, now he may have found another type of animal he hates more. The camels also prove to be the source for many of the humorous scenes that come at regular intervals throughout this fast-moving tale.

Gary McCarthy has also created a terrific set of characters for this story, Big Bert Jasper, the former camel owner and leader of a gang of cutthroats. Then there’s Emil El Babba, the Arab camel handler who will not let anyone harm his beloved camels, even the Derby Man. It’s also great to see the return of Bear and Zack. All these and more come together to take part in the race to win the contract from the mining company.

There’s plenty of action, be that brutal fist-fights or exchanges of lead. There’s the mystery of who is killing off the other competitors, although this isn’t kept a secret. The final confrontation between Darby’s band and the killers takes another twist as the Paiutes arrive ready to wipe out everyone. Can Darby use the camels to save the day?

For me, it is a great shame that this book is the last of the Derby Man novels. I’ve enjoyed every one of them. Gary McCarthy surely came up with one of the most unusual western heroes in his portly, ex-circus strongman, prizefighter and novelist Darby Buckingham. All the books have been hugely entertaining, mixing both nail-biting action, superb characters and comical situations. The majority of the stories also revolve around real events adding historical interest too. The Derby Man series gets a high recommendation from me.

COVER GALLERY: THE HORSEMEN

THE HORSEMEN

By Gary McCarthy

They were bound not only by blood, but by their love of horses…and together, they rode the West in search of freedom…

This series ran from June 1992 to August 1994 and were published by The Berkley Publishing Group as part of their Diamond line.

The Ballou’s were the finest horsemen in the South, a Tennessee family famous for the training and breeding of glorious thoroughbreds. When the Civil War devasted their home and their lives, they headed West – into the heart of Indian Territory. As horsemen, they triumphed. As a family, they endured. But as pioneers in a new land, they faced unimaginable hardship, danger, and ruthless enemies…

Haunted by the blood and bitterness of the Civil War, Houston Ballou left Tennessee on the proud stallion High Fire, followed by his brother, his sister, and the last four mares from the Ballou farm – one of them heavy with foal. But there were deserters wandering the roads who would kill for valuable horseflesh – and others who would kill a man just for being Southern…

In the wake of tragedy, the surviving members of the Ballou family sought a new beginning on the Texas frontier. There, the Comanches shared their love and respect for horses – training the wild mustangs that ran free across the plains. And there, a tribe of savage hunters called the Kiowa offered a challenge to any people fearless enough – and foolish enough – to cross their path…

Ruff Ballou and his sister Dixie journeyed west with trouble at their heels. But luck is on their side in Rum River, New Mexico, where they race one of their champion thoroughbreds to victory. Now a rich man’s greed pits their good fortune against Ruff’s life – and they must take up a money-making challenge to capture Blue Bullet, the legendary stallion that no man has yet tamed. But their worst enemy is time – as they race to save the lone fury from savage killers who’ll bring in their bounty – dead or alive…

They had been driven from the South, trying to save the horses it had taken their father a lifetime to breed. Now Ruff Ballou and his sister Dixie are on their way to Denver to make a new life…but when they are confronted by a lawman in the town of Rio Paso, the two find themselves embroiled in a search for a murderous outlaw. The Rio Grande Valley may be their home for now…as they struggle to build a new dynasty with their proud thoroughbred – and try desperately to hold on to all they have left…

WHISKEY CREEK

THE DERBY MAN 10

By Gary McCarthy

Doubleday, July 1992

Darby Buckingham – known because of his dandy hat as the Derby Man – is a former bareknuckle prizefighter turned dime novelist whose flamboyant exploits are as spellbinding as any he invents.

When his darling fiancée, Dolly Beavers, fails to meet him for their announced wedding, the Derby Man strikes out for Reno in search of his one true love, convinced that she must be the victim of foul play. What other possible reason could there be for the bride-to-be’s disappearance?

Darby’s companion on this noble quest is one Austin Applegate, a privileged and overzealous aspiring writer determined to prove himself worthy of inheriting Darby’s position as popular chronicler of Western adventure. Looking after this young tenderfoot fan while tracking down Dolly’s captor on a danger-ridden trail that winds through Nevada, Wyoming and Colorado, Darby wonders if he will live long enough to rescue his ladylove.

As distressing disclosures about his voluptuous intended’s past keep smacking up against the chivalrous Darby’s fondest illusions, he must face the possibility that Dolly’s abduction was not against her will – and wonder if wedding bells are really in the cards for the incomparable Derby Man.

Ten years after Bantam Books published The Derby Man #9: The Rail Warriors, leaving readers with a cliff-hanger ending as to why Dolly Beavers didn’t meet Darby Buckingham at Promontory Point for their wedding, Doubleday put out the 10th book as a hardback. Finally, fans of the series could find out what happened.

This new story starts shortly after book nines ending and sees a depressed Derby Man setting out to find Dolly, a hopeless task as he has nothing in the way of leads. It is on this first train journey to Reno that he meets Austin Applegate. 

Like all the other Derby Man novels this one contains a great mix of excellent characters, exciting action and humorous passages. Darby’s dislike for riding horses providing some comical scenes. Darby gets to use his fists regularly and his experience as an ex-circus strongman comes in handy too.

As the Derby Man gets closer to finding his missing intended, so the story picks up in pace and there are attempts on his and Applegate’s lives. Once the truth is out, there are more shocks in store for various people and anger is unleashed in swift and deadly violence that brings the book to a satisfying end.

Many of the previous Derby Man stories have revolved around historical events as Darby bases his pulp novels around them. This time Gary McCarthy keeps everything fictional but this isn’t in anyway detrimental to the story and this tenth book proves to be just as entertaining as all the others.

The Rail Warriors

THE DERBY MAN #9

By Gary McCarthy

Bantam Books, January 1983

The Derby Man, the West’s hardest-hitting, toughest-fighting, fastest-thinking hero, now charges into what threatens to be his most unbeatable challenge: helping the Union Pacific win the great railroad race across the continent. With time running out, the Derby Man must overcome ferocious Sioux and Cheyenne, brutal weather and terrain, the treacherous Missouri River and the toughest collection of men ever assembled to lay track. Then he must face the most dreaded danger of all – sabotage.

As with any fictional story woven into historical events then a number of real people and situations will make an appearance and this quick moving tale contains a fair few of both, such as Thomas Durant and a disastrous attempt by the Cheyenne to halt a train by stretching a rope across the tracks. Gary McCarthy blends reality and fiction seamlessly in this gripping read.

The Derby Man is soon up to his neck in trouble and fighting the Cheyenne is only one of his problems. He also has to deal with a woman, Miranda, who vows to marry him, even though she knows Darby is due to marry his long-time girlfriend, Dolly Beavers, at completion of the railroad. Miranda is a beautiful lady and many men become besotted with her and jealousy rises its ugly head and strikes out at Darby, both face-on or through treacherous deception. 

Then there’s a man, Laramie, whose obsession for revenge could see the destruction of the railroad and the deaths of those building it. Darby finds himself fighting alongside this man without realizing what a threat to everyone he really is. 

As the race to finish the railroad speeds up then so does the story and you’ll soon be wondering how Darby can possibly survive and escape the attentions of Miranda. Gary McCarthy adds a few twists to the tale that offer surprising solutions to some of these problems, those that a sledgehammer punch from Darby or a bullet don’t solve with a deadly finality. 

Even though this story does end with the meeting of the railroads at Promontory Summit, McCarthy dangles a huge plot carrot to ensure readers will search out the next book in the series. Unfortunately for those reading this excellent series when the books were first published there would be a ten-year gap before the next book appeared, how frustrating would that have been? I’m certain I won’t be waiting that long to find out what happens next.

Rebel of Bodie

THE DERBY MAN #8

By Gary McCarthy

Bantam, June 1982

When Rebel Morgan was the law, Bodie, California had been a town of hope and promise. Bodie was “the Wildest Town in the West” now, and ex-sheriff Rebel was the whiskey-soaked town joke. A broken and bitter man since his wife’s brutal murder, Rebel had been unwilling to stem the rising bloody tide of violence and corruption that now threatened to destroy Bodie. But Darby Buckingham hits Bodie with both fists swinging, fiercely determined to whip Rebel back up to his former strength and to lend his muscle to wipe out the town’s savage criminals. Every low-life in Bodie rises to Darby’s challenge, unleashing a relentless onslaught of terror and killing. But the hard-hitting, quick-witted Derby Man would give Bodie the roughest judgement day the West had ever seen.

Gary McCarthy’s Derby Man has got to be one of the most unusual western heroes ever. He’s a large ex-circus strongman and prize-fighter who is now a dime novel author roaming the west searching out real people to write about in his books and he feels Rebel Morgan could be the star of his next pulp.

Darby’s quest for the truth about Rebel’s fall from grace will unearth some heart-breaking truths, truths that have been suspected but purposely ignored. As friendships are tested the death toll rises and Buckingham soon has a number of people looking to bury him as fast as possible.

McCarthy has brought together a great cast of characters for this tale, both male and female, good and bad. The story is told from various people’s viewpoints and later on its mainly from characters other than Buckingham. Connor O’Grady, who was introduced in the previous book, North Chase, has a large part to play in this tale, and as well as getting in some deadly situations that seem to offer no avenue of escape, he provides most of the more light-hearted moments in the story too.

For me, this is another great entry into a series that offers a western hero who is a little bit different from the norm. 

Long out of print, this series is now available as ebooks.

North Chase

The Derby Man #7

By Gary McCarthy

Bantam Books, February 1982

He is the most cruelly dangerous opponent the Derby Man has ever challenged, Wesley Bryant, now crime lord of San Francisco. Darby smashes through the sword-wielding Chinese Tong warriors who protect Bryant’s vicious web of vice but Bryant escapes to launch his most ruthless scheme – stealing the vast wealth of Alaska for his own empire of evil. 

The Derby Man hurls himself into a desperate chase through deadly traps and across Alaska’s brutal tundra until he stands alone in the icy savagery of a wilderness blizzard in his ultimate showdown with a deadly madman.

Following on closely from the previous book in the series, Explosion at Donner Pass, Darby is horrified to discover Bryant is still alive, and this isn’t the only shock for the Derby Man for he is to meet Connor O’Grady, a young man of ambition who will bring his own set of problems for Darby, but to say any more about that will spoil the surprise of just who O’Grady is.

As before the book presents the reader with a mix of real events and people perfectly combined with fiction. The fast pace of the story never slows down as the tale becomes a frantic race against time that sees Darby pursuing his quarry by ship and dog-sledge. Even among all the violence Gary McCarthy still manages to insert moments of humour and you’ll find yourself wondering if The Derby Man and Dolly Beavers will ever find time for themselves or if they even have a future together?

The Derby Man books are certainly worth taking the time to search out in those used book stores as they are now long out of print as paperbacks but if you don’t mind reading ebooks then they are now available in this form and can also be found as audio books. Whatever your preferred method then this series is one that should appeal to all fans of the western genre.

Ebook News

Here's the first in what I hope to be an ongoing series of posts highlighting ebooks.

Chet Cunningham, whom I interviewed here, has been busy putting out his back catalogue as ebooks, including his Jim Steel series and his Pony Soldiers series. The books I'd like to bring to everyone's attention though, is his Outlaws series; six books that were originally published by long gone Leisure Books. All six are now available as ebooks. The reason I'm mentioning this series in particular is that Chet has also put out a further three books that I'm sure fans of the series will be eager to read.

Gary McCarthy, another author I interviewed sometime ago, has also been busy making many of his books available as ebooks, including his entries in the excellent Rivers West series. Two of his own series that I really enjoyed are amoung his releases; The Horsemen, and The Derby Man - you'll find a number of the latter series reviewed on Western Fiction Review.

Piccadilly Publishing continues to put out around eight ebooks each month and have recently begun releasing two terrific series by Judd Cole; Wild Bill and Cheyenne - the latter of which I'd highly recommend are read in order as story threads continue book to book. They've also started publishing Cy James' great Sam Spur series, Peter McCurtin's Carmody books, and McCurtin's entries in the highly regarded Lassiter series originally written as by Jack Slade. Finally, for this entry anyway, I'd like to mention one other series they've started to put out, and whilst some may not called it a western series specifically due to it being set slightly later than the years many consider westerns to be set in, and that's Lou Cameron's Renegade books, originally put out as by Ramsey Thorne.

Explosion at Donner Pass

THE DERBY MAN #6

By Gary McCarthy

Bantam, June 1981

The thundering engines of the Central Pacific are stalled in the quest to conquer the mighty Sierras. Only a mountain of a man, Darby Buckingham, could pound the railroad through the granite walls of trouble. Atop sheer rock cliffs just a death plunge away from the surging river a thousand feet below, braving punishing cold, Darby must lay down track foot by hard-blasted foot – with a construction crew that is threatening to tear itself apart with vicious fighting. But as they climb towards the notorious Donner Pass they face the most brutal challenge – an avalanche of sabotage and murder that could even crush the Derby Man.

Gary McCarthy perfectly blends historical fact with fiction to allow his hero, Darby Buckingham, to take part in, and witness, true events that shaped America.

The opening of the book sees Darby’s long-time girlfriend, Dolly Beavers, trying to get him to propose to her, and once again this is interrupted as her intendeds' presence is required elsewhere. It isn’t long after Darby sets out on his mission that attempts are made on his life.

As in the previous books in the series, Gary McCarthy mixes exciting action with comical situations, but, for me, it was the struggle to get the track down and beat the time limits that kept me enthralled. Even though I already knew some of the problems that faced the Central Pacific I found McCarthy breathed fresh life into this story and so kept me eager to keep reading.

The finish of the tale concludes the major storylines well but leaves a couple of threads hanging to be continued in the next book, one that I will be reading very soon.

The Derby Man series, for me, ranks right up there with the very best western series.

Derby Man #5

SILVER SHOT

By Gary McCarthy

Bantam, January 1981

A man could mine fabulous wealth on the Comstock but Darby Buckingham strikes only a mother lode of trouble. With his sledgehammer fists and sharply honed wits, Darby sets out to expose a spellbinding stock manipulator. Rigging a boxing match that becomes a nightmare of punishment, sabotaging a mine shaft into a pit of death – Darby’s rattlesnake of an opponent baits him ruthlessly. Yet, like an enraged bear, The Derby Man always comes roaring back into action.

Once more Gary McCarthy has written a very entertaining story that sees the usual mix of action, tight plotting, and humour, that I’ve come to expect from this series. For those who’ve read the previous books in order, and seen how Darby’s relationship with Dolly Beavers has progressed, this story also offers a threat to their love for one another – jealousy that could lead to its end. Seeing the frustrations in Darby’s failed attempts to get it back on track makes for some great reading and adds a further complication to the plot of exposing the stock swindler.

Conrad Trent makes for an excellent adversary for Darby, as no matter how Darby tries to bring the swindler down, Trent always seems to be one step ahead of him; his swift mind and silver tongue getting him out of trouble and making Darby look foolish in the progress. Even when it seems Darby finds the answer of how to expose Trent’s wrongdoings Gary McCarthy comes up with a neat twist to seemingly foil Darby’s plan. All this makes for some fascinating and gripping storytelling that will leave the reader wondering just how Darby can finally bring about an end to Trent’s crimes.

At the close of this book Gary McCarthy adds an authors note, which fills the reader in on some of the history of the Comstock, explains how Trent is based on real stock manipulators. He also tells of what happened to one of the real people he used in his story, Julia Bulette. 

The Derby Man #4

THE PONY EXPRESS WAR
by Gary McCarthy
Bantam, August 1980

Look sharp, hit hard – that’s the Derby Man’s style. He’s a fast-moving mountain of muscle who throws himself into the thick of the West’s greatest adventures – like the Pony Express, a gruelling 2,000 mile race through hell. The pace and terrain are deadly enough but vengeful Paiute warriors and murdering saboteurs led by a sadistic giant threaten to turn the route into a trail of blood. Until one man has the brains and brawn and guts to save the Pony Express – the Derby Man.

Gary McCarthy once more involves his hero, Darby Buckingham, in events that helped shaped the West and became part of America’s history. At the urging of his publisher Darby finds himself witnessing, and becoming involved with, the formation of the Pony Express.

Many real-life people fill the pages of this exciting and fascinating story, such as the men who set up the Pony Express and those who rode for them. Not only are there the problems with setting up such a grand scheme but there are other obstacles to overcome, such as the fury of nature and that of the Indians, whose land they must cross, plus the men who want to see the venture fail for their own personal gains.

It’s a tale full of frustrations, bravery and ambition. A story told through the eyes of Buckingham who has his own problems to solve, such as his on-going relationship with Dolly Beavers – which provides some excellent battles of wits and laugh-out-loud moments.

There are many memorable moments in this book, such as the well written historical and courageous rides of Warren Upson and Pony Bob Haslam.

For me Gary McCarthy has managed to combine both fiction and truth in a gripping read that teaches the story of the Pony Express without the reader feeling he is part of a history lesson. This book has definitely left me eager to read more of the Derby Man’s adventures.

Interview: Gary McCarthy

Gary McCarthy is a name well known to western fans, as well as writing many books under his own name Gary has written under a variety of pseudonyms too. So first I must offer my thanks to Gary for agreeing to talk to Western Fiction Review and then hope everyone finds his comments as interesting as I did.

The first question I asked was what made Gary decide to become a writer?

In 1973, I was working as an Economist for the State of Nevada in Carson City and bored out of my mind. I had written three westerns and hadn't been able to sell them. One snowy night I went and saw HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER, hated it and decided that I had nothing to lose by writing a western whose main character was the anthesis of that anti-hero played by Clint Eastwood. So I created a character that was short, heavyset, couldn't shoot or ride a horse and wore a derby hat., but he was an ex-circus strongman and champion bare knuckles fighter. His name was Darby Buckingham and he was the leading dime novelist of his day...but he'd never been to the West. In THE DERBY MAN, my first of many Derby Man novels, Darby Buckingham goes west to see and find the real stories...and so I had a unique character in looks and manner and he became instantly popular. I very much likened him to William Conrad who played in the then popularTV series "Cannon" and he was unique and many dimensional! In the next book, I gave him the lovely, buxom and brainless Dolly Beavers and so they began their adventures throughout the West. I used a lot of humor in that series and it kept me laughing and writing.

Are there any particular authors that influenced him or he recommends?

I have been a member of Western Writers of America for many years and so have had a lot of fine writer friends. I, of course, love the work of Jeanne Williams, Elmer Kelton and Frank Roderus and suppose my favorite author of westerns was Glendon Swarthout whose novel THE SHOOTIST was being filmed when I lived in Carson City and is one of my all time favorite movies. Other western writers high on the list are Alan LeMay and Loren Estleman.

I then asked how Gary plans his books, especially those based around true historical events?

I write fast with intensity doing a novel in about two or three months. Some writers I know start with an outline, but I don't. I start with a character or place and go from there. One of the most important things for me is to do historical research on the area where my novel takes unfolds. I think my best historical novels are YOSEMITE, GRAND CANYON, MESA VERDE and the novels that I wrote for the RIVERS WEST SERIES, especially THE COLORADO and THE RUSSIAN RIVER.

Which of his books would he recommend to someone who hasn’t read any of his work yet?

The two westerns that I am most pleased with are SODBUSTER and RESTITUTION, although the dearest to my heart remain the DERBY MAN series which I always thought would make a fine TV series. The last of that series, THE COMSTOCK CAMELS came about from my years of visiting Virginia City, Nevada and watching the crazy Comstock camel races. In this novel, the elegant Darby Buckingham wins a bet and has to settle in receipt of a mangy, spitting camel and so writing that kind of tongue-in-cheek western was a pure hoot.




Having read quite a few of Gary’s books I asked if he had a personal interest in horses as many of his plots revolve around them?

You mention that horses are often prominent in my novels and that's because I am a pretty fair horseman. I was on my college rodeo team and have owned horses most of my life and still do ride the high country of Northern Nevada today. I love and think they are absolutely beautiful creatures. Writing THE HORSEMEN series was especially interesting for me because I took pure blooded horses from the South and sent them into the West.




There have been a number of attempts to publish a series of books based on successful television series such as Alias Smith and Jones, Bonanza, Kung Fu, and Gunsmoke – at least three different series have been tried of the latter. All these series have only last for three to six books, and I wondered if Gary had any insights as to why?

I did write four GUNSMOKE novels, but I didn't enjoy them and they didn't work for me. I think that was partly because I was...well, kind of intimidated by those great TV characters but also that at the time the owners of the series wanted so much money that it wasn't profitable for me to do anymore of them or for Berkley to publish them. Maybe that has changed over time.

Which book did he win a Spur Award for?

I've written in quite a few series, one of the very best being Jory Sherman's RIVERS WEST series where I think I wrote eight, winning a Spur Award for THE GILA RIVER and being a Spur Award Finalist for THE RUSSIAN RIVER. Oddly enough, I think that THE COLORADO was the best one that I wrote in that fine historical series.

Which other series’ has he written for?

I believe that I've had 46 western and historical novels published under my name and I have probably written at least that many under pseudonyms. I'm still writing for the LONGARM SERIES and have also written a few for GUNSMITH and LONE STAR. My good friend and fellow writer, Frank Roderus and I teamed up on a couple of series writing under pseudonyms, most notably, RAILS WEST and MAN OF HONOR. It's fun to write with Frank, we alternate on the books and delight in putting each others characters in terrible, almost impossible fixes.

Quite a few of Gary’s books have appeared on tape or CD, does he think the producers and narrators have done a good job with them?

I've been extremely fortunate to have almost all of my published novels reproduced in audio by Gary Challender's Books-in-Motion and sometimes when I'm on long driving trips, I listen to them and they are excellent. When I first sold a novel to BIM I wanted to record them myself, but Gary Challender sagely suggested that I hear one first by his "professionals" and I quickly decided that I had better stick to the writing part and let his studio readers do their fine work.

What does he read for pleasure?

As for what I most like to read, I again turn back to the writers that I've already mentioned. I also like to read murder mysteries, my favorite authors being Michael Connelly, Greg Iles and extremely talented people who understand that characterization is always more important in writing than plot.

Finally what does Gary think of the western genre today and what does he think the future holds for the western?

I am sad to say that I think that the western is dying just as is my generation and those before that grew up avidly watching and reading westerns. However, I would add that outstanding westerns in print and on the screen will continue to be occasionally popular. I'm genuinely grateful to Robert Duvall, Kevin Kostner, Clint Eastwood, Tom Selleck and a few other fine actors that continue to keep the genre alive on the screen. When a really fine western, like LONESOME DOVE, BROKEN TRAIL, TOMBSTONE OR QUIGGLY DOWN UNDER is produced, it rekindles in the public's eye that the stories set in the early American West are unique, and powerful.

In reality, the West was a tough, gritty place where life wasn't really all that much valued. But even so, it had a majesty, an aura about it that cannot be diminished or forgotten no matter how much time may past. I'm glad that I was able to experience the American West though my writing and I hope that my stories have given readers both insight and enjoyment and that is not a bad legacy for any man's money.

Man of Honor

as by Gary Franklin

Berkley, July 2006

A wandering, brawling womaniser, Joe Moss is so tough that the mere sight of him can turn other men pale. It’s 1858, and Joe’s leading a wagon train of emigrants heading west to seek their California dream. But to get there, these green folks will experience hardships that resemble scenes from hell.

The hardest blow of all comes when Joe fall deeply in love with a pretty girl making the journey – and her ornery father breaks up their romance. Years later, Joe learns that his girl was pregnant before they reached California. Now Moss is determined to find her and his child – even if he has to spill a river of blood to do it…

Man of Honor is the first in a series of that name (there are four books to date) and this was written by Frank Roderus, as was the third book in the series. The other two are by Gary McCarthy – which explains where the pseudonym comes from.

Much of this book takes place in the past and tells the story of Joe Moss guiding a wagon train and reveals how he came to meet – and fall in love with – Fiona. There is also plenty of danger for Moss to face, not least Fiona’s father; a drunk who does his best to keep Moss and Fiona apart.

Frank Roderus describes this growing love perfectly and will have the reader hoping that Moss and Fiona find happiness together. But this is not to be and Roderus’ words will have you sharing the anguish of Moss as he is forced to leave the wagon train, leaving Fiona behind too.

The book rapidly covers a number of years as Moss attempts to forget about Fiona only to hear that she was pregnant. Moss then does his best to find Fiona and their child so he can do the right thing by them – hence the Man of Honor title.

But this book is not only a love story; it has plenty of the expected action from a fast moving western. There’s fistfights, gunplay, and Indian raids amoung the many exciting incidents that pepper the story.

And is Moss the perfect western hero? Not really, he’s a rough, tough westerner who enjoys collecting the scalps of his victims, but he is a fascinating character, one you hope will finally get the girl. Does he? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

The Derby Man #3

MUSTANG FEVER

by Gary McCarthy

Dell, April 1981

This is the third book in The Derby Man series.

Darby Buckingham, the portly New York writer, had an appetite for local colour to add punch to his newest dime novel. But when Hench Hightower’s men rode into town with a herd of half-dead mustangs, Darby had no stomach for what he saw.

Three renegades hungry for justice rode out with him: a trigger-quick kid with a score to settle, an old trail hand, and a beautiful girl with revenge in her heart and a Colt six-gun on her shapely hip. It was time to end a vicious cattle baron’s control of the Nevada range…time to end the killing of mustangs. Darby looked like a dude, but he’d fight like a demon. Caught up in a stampeding adventure to rival any fiction, Buckingham swore he’d live to tell the tale.

Even more than in the previous two books, Gary McCarthy, puts Darby Buckingham into a situation that has him totally out of his depths. This gives the author the opportunity to add some fascinating information about catching wild mustangs – and according to the notes at the end, most are based on fact.

Like the other Derby Man books, this one is filled with exciting action and many humorous moments, sometimes both elements combined in one scene: such as trying to catch a mustang from a tree!

Gary McCarthy paces the book beautifully, his descriptions of landscape and action being extremely visual at times. His characters are memorable – both good and bad – and all the plot threads are tied up neatly at the end.

This is another book that proves the strength of The Derby Man series.

The Derby Man #2

SHOWDOWN AT SNAKEGRASS JUNCTION
by Gary McCarthy

Dell, July 1979

The hat fit him, the tin star didn’t. But when his pal, Sheriff Cather, was taken out of action, Darby Buckingham started playing lawman to the town of Running Springs, Wyoming. And the town sure needed him now, since the gun-slick honchos of neighboring Snakegrass Junction seem determined to blast Running Springs out of existence.

This is the second book about Darby Buckingham, the overweight Easterner, pulp western writer, out West searching for real heroes to write about.

The book takes up right from where the first ended with Darby worried about how he’ll handle trouble if it arrives in Running Springs.

McCarthy again creates believable characters in an exciting read. His descriptions of scenes, at times, making you feel as if the action was happening before you. McCarthy also includes many humorous incidents that balance well with the more violent events.

Darby Buckingham is fast becoming one of my favourite western heroes.

Get a copy of the book here, or an audio version here.

The Derby Man

by Gary McCarthy

Dell, June 1979

Book one in the Derby Man series.

Darby Buckingham is a big man; he’s also a top selling author of Westerns. But he’s had enough of fiction, wants to write about the real people of the West. So he travels from New York to Wyoming in search of Sheriff Cather.

Cather has settled a range war, thwarted four bank robberies, drawn against all the era’s legendary quick-draws. He is a real frontier legend and his story is begging to be told, as only Buckingham knows how. But Buckingham will find himself living the tale instead of writing it!

Gary McCarthy presents the reader with a different kind of hero in Darby Buckingham. A man, who is overweight, wears a suit and a Derby hat. His appearance makes him the butt of many jokes. Trouble is for those who pick on him he also knows how to look out for himself.

The story is well told and has lots of humour as well as violent action. Darby has a number of mishaps but he’s capable of laughing at himself, which is one of the reasons I found him so appealing. It was good to read about a hero that isn’t the usual handsome fast-draw artist.

I’ll definitely be hunting out the follow up books about the Derby Man. Well worth a look.

Shiloh #8

BLOOD BOUNTY 
as by Dalton Walker

Diamond, July 1992

Cephas Beck was a mean old man, a mean rich old man. Shiloh trades blows with Beck’s lowlife son Elias and knows it won’t be long before Elias attempts to kill him. He also knows that if he has to kill Elias, Cephas will pay any price for revenge on anyone who hurts his boy.

Fate has other ideas and Elias meets a cruel death under the hooves of a ferocious wild stallion. Now Cephas’s greedy dreams of racing this magnificent horse came crashing down in a madman’s rage for vengeance - and Shiloh is hired to track a mount fit for the Devil himself!

Gary McCarthy, author of books seven and eight of the Shiloh series, was around this time writing his Horsemen series and this plot could easily have been adapted to fit that series so it seems McCarthy was in a phase of writing books featuring horses. Not a bad thing as it presents a new slant on the bounty hunting trade by having Shiloh tracking a horse instead of a man.

McCarthy’s Shiloh doesn’t come across quite the same as the man created by the original author, Henry Schlesinger, he comes across as a much better educated man in thoughts and speech. The dreams that are supposed to haunt Shiloh are almost non-existent and he isn’t as quick to use his fists or guns, would rather look for other options to solve his problems than using violence. At times I found myself picturing another character that McCarthy writes about in place of Shiloh, that person being Custis Long of the Longarm series.

Having said all that I found this story to be an entertaining read, a book filled with action and an interesting plot. The ending of this book being a satisfying conclusion to not only the story but to the series.