Gunsmoke Express

By Gillian F. Taylor

Crowood Press, June 2019

Thanks to a tip-off, Sheriff Alec Lawson and his deputies fight and capture the notorious outlaw Saul York. But the trouble doesn’t end there. Alec falls desperately ill and when he recovers, he finds that York’s lawyer has got him out on bail.

Although still weakened by his illness, Alec is determined to get back to work. He soon finds himself in the action again, but fatigue leads to a terrible mistake and he begins to doubt his abilities. Will his frailty endanger his friends? York is still out there somewhere, protected by his ambitious lawyer.

When York becomes his prime suspect in a murderous robbery, Alec Lawson must push himself to close the net on the elusive outlaw. He’ll have to face down a lynch mob, the killer outlaw and his own doubt to get the job done, whatever the cost to himself.

I’ve read a number of Gillian F. Taylor’s Black Horse Westerns and thoroughly enjoyed them all, so was looking forward to reading this, the fourth of her books to feature Sheriff Alec Lawson. The books in this particular series all have the word Express in the title and all involve a train at some point in the storyline.

Each book in the series is a self-contained novel, so you can jump in anywhere. The only real connections the books have to each other are characters and their relationships, and this one finds Alec having to deal with his feelings for and confusion in the way two women react to him now as well as hunting down York and proving that he has done the crimes the sheriff believes he’s committed. 

There’s plenty of gunplay as well as battles of words to trick York into admitting his guilt. Alec confronting York’s lawyer, Hart, makes for some fascinating reading too. Alec’s banter with his deputies adds some welcome light-hearted humour to the story. Taylor brings everything together in an exciting, tense, conclusion that brings the book to a brutal ending that leaves me hoping Gillian won’t take too long in writing another story about Sheriff Alec Lawson as I’ve got to know if the lawman will ever work out what is going on with the two women in his life.

The Sins of Motherlode

By Gillian F. Taylor

The Crowood Press, April 2018

Sin was a profitable commodity in a mining town like Motherlode. Lust made money for the madam, wrath and avarice created targets for the manhunter, and the newspaperman was greedy for stories.

‘He had no right to take you against your will.’ When a prostitute is raped during the robbery of the Motherlode stage, Jonah Durrell seems to be the only man who cares. The handsome manhunter can never resist a damsel in distress. He is determined to get justice for Miss Jenny’s girl, and recruits Robinson, an enthusiastic newspaperman who witnessed the attack. The women are not meek and passive though. They are willing to take matters, and guns, into their own hands to survive in a tough world. Together with Durrell and Robinson, they begin to uncover the layers of lust, avarice and envy in town, bringing down the wrath of their enemies. Can the women of sin get the justice they deserve?

The Sins of Motherlode is Gillian F. Taylors’ seventeenth Black Horse Western and sees her revisit characters first introduced in Two-Gun Trouble, a story that also takes place in Motherlode. I haven’t read this particular book and there are brief mentions of some of the events that happened in that story in this sequel, but you certainly don’t need to have read that previous tale to enjoy this one.

Durrell is incredibly vain, and this leads to some amusing dialogue at times. But it’s when his good-looks are threatened by a knife that Taylor really shows her expertise in creating tension and making her readers share her heroes fear. Taylor also writes action scenes extremely well, and this book contains robbery, fistfights, and a lengthy gun battle that are as vivid as they are exciting.

The plot is fast-moving, and although the mastermind is easy to work out, it’s finding out who actually robbed the stage and raped Louise Waterford that adds mystery to the storyline. When everything is worked out by Durrell and Robinson there is the problem of finding evidence to pin the guilty to the crime. This all leads to that excellent gunfight towards the end of the book that shows just how capable the women of this story can be with a shotgun in their hands.

I’ve read a few of Gillian F. Taylors’ westerns and have enjoyed them all, and this one strengthens my belief that she is a writer worth reading. 

Outlaw Express

By Gillian F. Taylor

The Crowood Press, January 2017

Sheriff Alec Lawson had never robbed a train before. He’d infiltrated a band of outlaws to help capture them, but when they kidnapped Lacey Fry from the Leadville express, he had no choice but to try and rescue the young woman alone. Alec Lawson didn’t know the territory and he didn’t know the girl. He had to fight his way through the snowy mountains, trying to stay one step ahead of the pursuing outlaws.

Bill Alcott, the gang’s leader, felt he had been fooled and then betrayed by Lawson. He had to kill him to avenge his brother and keep the respect of his men.

Lacey Fry had to ride as she’d never ridden before, and travel with a man she didn’t know, who was her only hope of escaping a fate worse than death.

So the chase was on, through snow and bloodshed, until one of them could run no further and hunter and hunted finally came face to face.

This is the third book to feature Sheriff Alec Lawson, the previous two begin Silver Express and Dynamite Express. You don’t need to read the earlier books as Gillian F. Taylor includes enough background information in Outlaw Express to fill a new reader in on Lawson’s back story.

This tale is pretty much a straight chase story, but with the twist that it is a lawman being hunted by outlaws rather than the other way round as is the case with many books. The fact Lawson isn’t familiar with his surroundings means there are plenty of obstacles to overcome if he wants to stay one step ahead of the outlaws.

I’ve read a number of Gillian F. Taylor’s books before and have always enjoyed them, and Outlaw Express proved to be another very entertaining read. I can only hope she doesn’t keep us waiting another three years for her next book.

Dynamite Express

By Gillian F. Taylor

Hale, September 2014

Sheriff Alec Lawson has come a long way from the Scottish Highlands and work is never slow as he deals with a kidnapped woman from China, moonshine that’s sending those who drink it blind and a terrifying incident involving a moving train.

But when a man is found dead out in the wild, Sheriff Lawson starts to wonder if the one and only witness might not be telling him the whole truth as to what really happened and decides to start digging deeper….

This book sees Gillian Taylor bringing back Sheriff Lawson, who previously appeared in Silver Express. The main storyline, that of solving a murder, sees Taylor blending western and detective elements perfectly to provide a gripping read full of questions that Lawson will struggle to answer even using photographs of the dead man to help.

The other major story thread, that of the deadly moonshine, and discovering who is making it, leads to a neat shootout that should satisfy all western fans. But this exchange of gunfire is nothing compared to the dramatic and extremely memorable conclusion to the murder case, and its destructive finale was something that I didn’t see coming.

Will Lawson return in a third book? I certainly hope so as Taylor leaves what looks like a blossoming love triangle unresolved and I for one would really like to see how this pans out.

Dynamite Express proved to be a very entertaining book that I believe will be enjoyed by all western readers and probably by those who like detective novels too. 

Darrow's Gamble

By Gillian F. Taylor

Hale, December 2013

‘Set a thief to catch a thief’ is a risky strategy for a lawman to take but Sheriff Darrow has very personal reasons for wanting to catch the bank robber, Tom Croucher. Forced to stay in Wyoming and unable to search for the outlaw, Darrow is relying on two convicted criminals, Tomcat Billy and Irish, to do the job for him.

But Tomcat hates Darrow, and Irish wants to go straight. They join Croucher’s gang but who deserves their loyalty – the outlaw or the sheriff?

This is the fourth in Gillian F. Taylor’s Sheriff Darrow series and it’s the first one I’ve read. There is mention of how Darrow became the man who arrested Tomcat and Irish and I’m guessing this can be read about in more detail in the previous book, Darrow’s Badge.

One of Gillian F. Taylor’s strengths is her character studies and how she makes both good and bad likeable in some way, and as you read more about them part of you will be hoping they all survive but, of course, this can’t happen.

I’ve only read two of Taylor’s earlier books and in both of these horses played important and memorable parts and she continues with this theme here. Darrow’s horse being that animal in this story, providing both funny and sad scenes that will stick in my mind for a long time.

The story is filled with lively action, battles of loyalty, and plenty of twists and turns. Darrow’s tough exterior is seen to begin to crack a number of times, especially when he’s wondering if he’s done right in releasing Tomcat and Irish, trust is a fragile credence.

Darrow’s Gamble proved to be an excellent read that left me eager to catch up and the previous three Darrow books and hoping that Gillian F. Taylor doesn’t keep us waiting quite so long (three years between this one and her last) before her next book comes out.

The Judas Metal

by Gillian F. Taylor

A Black Horse Western from Hale, February 2010

There are things that friends should never have to say to one another. ‘Have you betrayed me?’ is one of those things.

Pat Williams and Robson Hyde were a successful partnership. Together they had gained control of the now flourishing silver mine down in southwest Texas, but when bandits began to ambush the loads of silver bullion, things started to change.

The bandits’ knowledge of the route was so precise they had to have inside information, and as Hyde struggled to discover who was behind the attacks, a resentful enemy started to sow the seeds of doubt in Williams’ mind. Did Hyde want all the silver for himself?

Unchecked, suspicion turns to fear and the pairs friendship is severely tested amid several violent deaths at the silver mine.

Even though Gillian F. Taylor reveals to the reader who is behind the attacks and why from the very beginning of the story, she keeps the reader guessing as to how the friendship of Williams and Hyde can possibly survive, and it’s this element of the plot that grabs the readers attention and doesn’t let go until everything is resolved.

There is plenty of action and devious twists to the tale and both Williams and Hyde begin to suspect each other as the plot develops at tremendous speed. But this isn’t the only storyline that the author includes, she also weaves in two threads of love – one begun in a previous book and one new to this tale – both of which play important parts to the outcome of the main storyline.

Gillian F. Taylor’s characters come across as very believable and her paces the story extremely well, each chapter ending defying you to not continue with the next right away. Her descriptions of horses, and the bond between them and owner, are excellent too.

This book definitely has me eager to find the previous books that feature Robson Hyde to see how he met Williams and became a partner in the mine, and also has me hoping he’ll return in a future book soon.

The Judas Metal was officially published at the end of February so should be available from all the usual sources now.

Navajo Rock

 by Gillian F. Taylor

A Black Horse Western from Hale, 2002

A story of jealousy, hate and revenge. The jealousy and hatred of a strong friendship and white hatred of the Navajo Indian all combine to bring about a violent confrontation, which results in Buck Heeley and Scott Beaumont fleeing from friends and family. Peter Clayton swears revenge and the two fugitives find themselves being tracked by a deadly bounty hunter.

Gillian F. Taylor creates some very memorable characters in this fast moving story, her descriptions of the country painting vivid imagery. As the tale unfolds you cannot help wonder how Heeley and Beaumont can come out of it alive. The bounty hunter and Beaumont’s father are particularly well written characters.

If you enjoy reading about horses then you’ll like this as Heeley’s stallion has a leading role through most of the book.

It would also seem that Gillian has done a far amount of research for this story, the results of which add authenticity to the landscapes and other elements such as the making of Navajo jewellery.

This book made for a very enjoyable read and will have me searching for more of her work.