THE FLYING WAGON

FERGAL O’BRIEN 4

By I.J. Parnham

Avalon Books, 2007

The showman Fergal O’Brien and his assistant Randolph McDougal come to the aid of a damsel in distress who has been attacked by the bandit Van Romalli. She pays their kindness by riding off with their display of authentic historical memorabilia.

Now Fergal must find a new way to earn a living. An opportunity arrives when Jim Broughton sells him an attraction called the Treasure of Saint Woody. But all is not as it seems. Jim is really a U.S. Marshal and the only patron he wants Fergal to attract is Van Romalli. Blissfully unaware he is being used a bait, Fergal is starting to rebuild his fortune when Ezekiel T. Montgomery rides into town to promote the wondrous maiden voyage of his flying wagon – a Conestoga dirigible. 

Faced with a seemingly unbeatable competitor, Fergal tries to solve all his problems with a reckless wager, which leaves him facing the greatest challenge ever. He has twenty-four hours to learn how to fly or he’ll lose everything.

I’ve enjoyed many westerns written by I.J. Parnham, especially the Fergal O’Brien series and I couldn’t believe I’ve let ten years slip by since I read the third book in the series, Miss Dempsey’s School for Gunslingers. 

The majority of the main characters are showmen or conmen – sometimes they’re a mixture of both, as is our hero Fergal O’Brien. Once again Fergal and his sidekick, Randolph McDougal, find themselves in a self-made situation that had me wondering how they could possibly come out on top? 

I.J. Parnham is a master at blending western action with a humorous plot and I found myself grinning and laughing out loud many times as I read this book. As twist after twist further complicated the problems Fergal and Randolph faced, I found myself unable to put the book down before I found out how it all ended.

The horse Fergal and Randolph find themselves lumbered with is just one of the very memorable elements of this book. The slowest pursuit of an outlaw ever is another. 

Catching Van Romalli became a small problem compared to the challenge Fergal takes up. A race in a straight line across a lake without touching the water. Fergal has just a day to work out how to make his wagon take-off and fly to beat Montgomery’s flying wagon. The scenes of Fergal’s wagon racing down a slope as it attempts to make enough speed to launch itself into the air with attached wings flapping like mad were so visually written that it felt like I was there, laughing along with the crowd gathered lakeside to watch this historical event.

Did Fergal’s wagon get into the air? Did Montgomery’s for that matter? Who won the race? That is something I can’t reveal here as that really would spoil the ending for anyone planning to read the book. If you want to know, I guess you’ll just have to grab yourself a copy and I’ll sure you’ll have fun finding out the answer.

If you struggle to find these hardback books, and don’t mind reading ebooks, then you’ll be pleased to know that I.J. Parnham has recently made all the Fergal O’Brien novels available in this form.

Incident at Pegasus Heights

By I.J. Parnham

Crowood Press, March 2017

When fossil-hunter Jim Dragon is on this way to Bear Creek to sell his latest discovery, he goes to the aid of a woman in distress, Elmina Fay. Unfortunately, Pierre Dulaine takes advantage of the situation and steals his fossils.

Jim vows to reclaim his property and Elmina offers to help him, but only if he’ll do something for her. She has heard a tale about the bones of a winged horse being found nearby and she wants Jim to find Pegasus for her.

At first, Jim is sceptical about embarking on such a mission, but before long he discovers that the truth behind the tale is even stranger than he could ever have imagined.

Ian Parnham has created a great set of characters for this story, people who all seem to have secrets, and these along with the mystery of the flying horse make this a hard-to-put-down read.

Even though no-one really seems to know what it is they are trying to find, all sides are determined to discover it first and will do anything to make sure it’s them. As all converge on an outcrop on which sits a wagon which defies all logic as to how it got there – unless a flying horse truly deposited it there – the author has great fun with explanations both true and false and includes plenty of fist fights, before everyone gets involved in a deadly gunfight that will eventually reveal the answers to all the puzzles.

So, once again for me, this author has come up with a very entertaining read that left me hoping one or two of the surviving characters may return another day. In the meantime I’m left looking forward to Ian Parnham’s next book. 

All Must Die

By I.J. Parnham

Hale, March 2015

A spree of unexplained murders shocked Monotony’s townsfolk, but when bank raider Sykes Caine was caught the killings stopped. Although Sykes pleaded his innocence, he got ten years.

When Sykes is freed from jail, he returns to Monotony where Sheriff Cassidy Yates has to deal with another perplexing case. Two men are killed in what appears to be an act of revenge, but Cassidy notices similarities with the deaths ten years ago. Before long, other people are gunned down and the evidence points to Sykes again being responsible.

With time running out before someone takes the law into their own hands and Sykes receives summary justice, Cassidy must uncover the truth and ensure only the guilty are punished.

I.J. Parnham sure has created a twisting mystery for his series character Sheriff Cassidy Yates to solve. With strange new electrical medical equipment, people who know more than they are willing to divulge, others who aren’t who they say, a mounting body count, and words written in the dirt beside the dead that make no sense, Yates seems faced with an impossible task.

At first this story seems to be a fairly straightforward whodunit, but it soon takes a much darker tone, including a couple of themes you might expect to find in a horror novel more than a western. Having said that it all works extremely well in this fast moving tale where no-one is safe, be they walking the streets or locked away in a cell; death seems to find a way of claiming them all.

Even when Parnham reveals who is behind the killings there is still a number of whys to answer and the reason for a girls’ death is shocking to say the least.

So, once again, Ian Parnham has written a thoroughly entertaining western that leaves me looking forward to his next.

Bullet Catch Showdown

By I.J. Parnham

Hale, September 2014

The stage magician Malachi Muldoon is the world’s most dangerous practitioner of the arcane arts with his performance of the notorious bullet catch. And his show in Bear Creek draws the interest of Adam Clements, and Deputy Hayward Knight, although for very different reasons. While Clements is keen to join Malachi on stage and become part of his act, Haywood is out to try and solve an old mystery: it seems that wherever Malachi Muldoon performs, a trail of bodies is left behind.

Before long, Adam and Haywood are embroiled in Malachi’s web of deception. Can they unmask the guilty when they are forced into a showdown with a man who hides the truth in plain sight?

Misdirection is often used by magicians to fool their audiences and here Ian Parnham proves that writers have perfected that art too. Parnham manages to easily lead the reader into believing they know who the killer is yet manages to conceal the motive until he is ready to expose the truth. Even then there are more surprises waiting.

Filled with terrific characters this twisting tale cannot fail to grab the readers’ imagination. As well as the dramatic and tense bullet catch performances there are more deadly exchanges of gunfire. Then there’s the mystery of why one man is trying to bring an end to Muldoon’s show and why does he keep telling Clements that if he becomes part of the act he will die?

Ian Parnham has once again written a gripping book that is extremely hard to put down. With many unforeseen twists and turns I’m sure most readers will enjoy Bullet Catch Showdown immensely.

Night of the Gunslinger

By I.J. Parnham

Hale, April 2013

With the town marshal laid up with a broken leg, Deputy Rick Cody must stand alone to protect New Town during a night of mayhem. At sunup Edison Dent will stand trial for Ogden Reed’s murder and although Rick suspects that Edison is innocent, he also reckons his own sister knows more than she’s prepared to reveal.

With Rick having only one night to uncover the truth, his task is made harder when the outlaw Hedley Beecher plots to free the prisoner while Ogden’s brother Logan vows to kill Edison and anyone who stands in his way. Within an hour of sundown four men are dead. And so begins the longest and bloodiest night of Rick’s life….

I’ve always enjoyed stories that take place over a short period of time, and here Ian Parnham does just that; with everything happening during one night.

As expected from this author there are plenty of twists and turns to the tale, such as how does one man predict that before the night ends Rick Cody will face four trials: of air, fire, water and earth? It’s not only this that kept me guessing but also the outcome of the deadly games a married couple are playing against each other.

Characters are well crafted and descriptions of action are very vivid – especially the trial by water (I’d like to explain more, but won’t as I don’t want to give anything away). The story is told at a fast pace that never slackens and the plot offers plenty of surprises.

So, once again, Ian Parnham has written an exciting and entertaining book that has me eagerly looking forward to his next.

Night of the Gunslinger is officially published on April 30th but is available now.

Miss Dempsey's School for Gunslingers

FERGAL O’BRIEN #3

By I.J. Parnham

Avalon, 2004

When tonic sellers Fergal O’Brien and Randolph McDougal decided to settle in Destiny, they reckoned the new railroad would make Destiny a boomtown, but it only brought an onslaught of surly gunslingers. While Fergal sells his tonic – a universal remedy to cure all ills – Randolph becomes sheriff of the dusty town. Throwing the ruffians in a half-built jail is his solution for dealing with a corrupt mayoral election and ten thousand dollars disappearing from the town coffers.

Her faith in the decency of the town wavering, the schoolteacher, Miss Dempsey, takes it upon herself to clean up Destiny by educating the gunslingers so that they’ll learn the error of their ways! After all, she points out to one of her students, knowing how to read is important if one’s own name should wind up on a wanted poster.

As Randolph wants to win Miss Dempsey’s heart, he grudgingly supports her cause. But Kent Sullivan, his rival for her affections and a showman of homemade historical memorabilia, is always one step ahead of him in providing her school with just the right support. So Randolph turns to his old friend Fergal for help. Can Fergal devise another one of his legendary schemes to resolve all of Randolph’s problems, or will he just get them both killed? Will decency be restored to the town of Destiny through Miss Dempsey’s school, or will the roughest gunslinger of all be named mayor?

Like the previous two books in this excellent series this story is extremely fast moving and includes many how-are-they-going-to-get-out-of-that situations. There are plenty of laughs to be had too, such as the art lesson and the young boy pointing out the faults in Sullivan’s exhibition. Other story threads that left me grinning were the attempts to rig the election and Fergal finding out his story as to the origin of his tonic has been ripped off and this other sellers’ tonic not only cures all ills, it can bring people back from the dead – and it’s proved to do so! 

Ian Parnham has once again come up with a very entertaining read that left me eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series.

The Fergal O’Brien stories are now being made available as ebooks through Amazon.

Beyond Redemption

By I.J. Parnham

Hale, August 2012

As a child Jeff Dale witnessed the terrible aftermath of an atrocity. Elmer Drake killed three members of a family and when the surviving girl Cynthia went missing, Jeff vowed that one day he’d find her, no matter how long it took.

Ten years later. After finding a clue about Cynthia’s fate, Jeff becomes a bounty hunter and follows the trail to the town of Redemption. And in Redemption stalks a gunslinger who carries a gun in one hand and a cross in the other. A man with a rope-burn around his neck, called Elmer Drake….

With plenty of questions hanging over the motives of the excellent cast of characters this story revolves around, the fast moving plot easily sweeps up the reader making this a difficult book to put down. Who is killing gold miners? Is Cynthia still alive? Can Jeff Dale trust an outlaw? Does Sister Angelica’s hospital have any part to play? What is Elmer Drake planning and what is the meaning of the cross he carries?

Like other Ian Parnham books I’ve read this one has a few twists and turns to surprise the reader and has plenty of exciting action that will satisfy readers who like lots of gunplay in their westerns. Even though the identity of one of the characters is fairly easy to work out the outcome of Jeff’s meeting this person is in no way predictable and how it concludes provided a satisfying and realistic ending for me.

So, once more, Ian Parnham leaves me looking forward to his next book, Devine, which is listed for a December release.

The Search for the Lone Star

By I.J. Parnham

Hale, April 2012

It had long been rumoured that the fabulous diamond known as the Lone Star had been buried somewhere near the town of Diamond Springs. Many men had died trying to claim it, but when Diamond Springs became a ghost town, the men who went there had many different aims. Tex Callahan had been paid to complete a mission, Rafferty Horn wanted to put right a past mistake, George Milligan thought he knew what had happened to the diamond, and Elias Sutherland wanted revenge.

All were united by their hatred of Creswell Washington, a man who had cast a dark shadow over all their lives during the search for the diamond. Only after a violent retribution will the truth be finally revealed about the Lone Star.

Ian Parnham expertly captures the readers imagination with his superbly crafted characters and the fact that their true goals aren’t all revealed at once, this he succeeds in hooking the reader with the need to discover just what they are all really up to, and if any of them will be alive at the end of the book. And it’s not just characters that grab attention, what of the diamond itself? Does it exist, and if so where is it? Then there’s the diary that weaves a fascinating story, but just as the truth behind the diamond is to be exposed, the final pages have been torn from the book. Who has them and what do they say?

Ian Parnham mixes loads of intrigue into this story along with many twists and turns. I was very surprised when, without warning, one of the major characters was shot down, leaving me wondering how on earth the story could continue.

If it’s action you want then this book provides plenty of that too. Gunplay seems to fill most of the pages as the characters race to discover the whereabouts of the diamond, and the final revelation about the Lone Star is both surprising and humorous. 

If you’ve never read any of Ian Parnham’s work before then I’d urge you to get hold of a copy of this book as I’m sure you’ll be thoroughly entertained whilst finding out the truth of the Lone Star.

The Search for the Lone Star is officially released on April 30th, but is available now from the usual Internet bookstores.  

Sheriff Without a Star

By I.J. Parnham

Hale, December 2011

Despite his four years of distinguished service Sheriff Cassidy Yates lost the confidence of Monotony’s townsfolk because his error of judgement led to the death of Leland Matlock’s son. But when the star Cassidy had worn with pride was removed from his chest, Leland claimed he knew something that would shed new light on the sheriff’s downfall.

Before Leland could reveal what he knew he was shot, but Cassidy still had the instincts of a lawman. He believed Leland’s shooting was connected to the death of his son and that if he could uncover the link it would restore the townsfolk’s confidence in him. So Cassidy embarked on his greatest challenge: to get the star pinned back on his chest where it belonged.

Ian Parnham presents the reader with another story about Sheriff Cassidy Yates. You don’t have to have read the others in this series to fully enjoy this novel, as it’s a stand-alone story. And what a tale it is, full of twists and turns that enthral, peopled with a great set of characters, and expertly paced.

My favourite character has to be hired assassin Rockwell Trent. Hired to kill a number of people Rockwell is slowly becoming unhinged as he finds each of his intended victims dead moments before he’s about to take them out. The question of why this is happening, and who is killing them, is just one of the many puzzles that hook the reader and won’t let go until the reason is discovered.

The story is mainly told through Cassidy but does follow other characters too, such as Rockwell Trent. Quite how the different storylines are entwined isn’t obvious, nor is the reasons behind the various plot threads. Everything comes to a head in a fast moving and violent shootout that ties everything up neatly.

If you’ve never read a Sheriff Cassidy Yates story then this book is an excellent place to start, and I’m sure that after you’ve read it you’ll be eager to hunt out his past adventures.

Sheriff Without a Star is officially released on December 30^th but is available now from the usual Internet bookstores.

The Finest Frontier Town in the West

By I.J. Parnham

Avalon, 2003

Tender Valley is a clean, friendly and law-abiding frontier town. In fact, it is such a fine town that an enterprising businessman might just designate it as the official Finest Frontier Town in the West, an award with a thousand-dollar prize.

New Utopia isn’t as fine as Tender Valley, but the townsfolk there are desperate to win the award, and they’re prepared to go to any lengths to succeed. So they hire gunslingers to shoot up Tender Valley and destroy that town’s reputation forever.

In peaceful Tender Valley, the townsfolk are ill-equipped to withstand the gunslingers’ onslaught. They need a hero to ride into town, strap on a gun and stand tall before their tormentors.

But the next man to ride into town is Fergal O’Brien, purveyor of a singularly unsuccessful “universal remedy.” He’s no hero. But for the right price – he does have a plan.

From first wanting to win then wanting to loose as secret agendas are exposed, that might be truths or bluffs, this fast moving tale is filled with twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing to the outcome right to the very end.

Along the way the reader will meet some very memorable characters, not least Fergal O’Brien and his ‘bodyguard’ Randolph McDougal, and as the story develops could Randolph be falling in love? The woman in question being Miss Dempsey, one of the judges for the competition.

Ian Parnham is a very readable writer who mixes action and humour superbly – yes there are a lot of laughs to be found in the Fergal O’Brien series in both dialogue and some of the situations the two main characters find themselves in: O’Brien’s preference being to fast talk their way out of danger, which often results in failure and McDougal then having to step in to do what he does best.

And does O’Brien’s plot help Tender Valley win the award of the Finest Frontier Town in the West? Sorry, I can’t reveal that here, but I will urge you to search out a copy of this book for yourselves, and, as I was, I’m sure you’ll be thoroughly entertained whilst finding out the answer.

The Finest Frontier Town in the West is the second book in the Fergal O’Brien series and I’m very much looking forward to reading the third one very soon.

The Prairie Man

By I.J. Parnham

A Black Horse Western from Hale, August 2011

Tales about the spectre of the night known as the Prairie Man were told to frighten children, but one day those tales nearly led to a tragic accident for Temple Kennedy. His friend Hank Pierce saved his life. Temple vowed that one day he would return the favour.

Fifteen years later the two friends grew up to lead very different lives: Hank is a respected citizen while Temple is an outlaw. But, when Hank is wrongly accused of murder, Temple is given a chance for redemption. He vows to save Hank or die in the attempt.

However, in seeking to unmask the real culprit his investigation leads to a man who isn’t even supposed to exist: the Prairie Man.

Ian Parnham sure piles on the problems for his hero, Temple Kennedy. Not only does he have only two days to find the real killer, a task made increasingly difficult due to the fact the everyone else seems to think Hank is guilty, including the town lawman. Kennedy will also uncover, and have to deal with, the truth behind his parent’s deaths. And as for the Prairie Man, how can he catch someone who isn’t real?

The Prairie Man is a terrific character, who real or not, gives this story a memorable touch of supernatural mystery. As the story progresses more deaths are blamed on this spectre.

Ian Parnham keeps the suspense high by not revealing to the reader just who is responsible for what, and when Kennedy finds himself in jail the reader has to wonder how he can possibly save Hank, or himself for that matter. The book is action packed and also contains many moments of humour, particularly when Kennedy is trying to right his past wrongs.

The tangled story threads prove to have a strong grip, and I’d say any reader would find this book difficult to put down until all the answers are brought out into the open. Definitely a tale that captures the imagination, and one that will leave the reader eager to try more of Ian Parnham’s work.

The Prairie Man has an official release date of August 31^st but can be ordered now from the usual Internet sources. 

The Secret of Devil's Canyon

By I.J. Parnham

A Black Horse Western from Hale, April 2011

When Mayor Maxwell and his daughter are brutally murdered, feelings in Bear Creek run high. Even when the killer is caught and sentenced to life in prison, the townsfolk demand a lynching. So sheriff Bryce calls in Nathaniel McBain to spirit the killer away through Devil’s Canyon to Beaver Ridge jail.

At first, Nathaniel manages to stay one step ahead of the pursuing mob; but as he loses ground, he realizes he faces an even bigger problem: his prisoner may be innocent after all….

A dark secret about what really happened is buried in Devil’s Canyon. Will Nathaniel be able to uncover the truth before the mob reaches him?

I.J. Parnham presents the reader with a book that starts off like a straight-forward storyline but with the introduction of more and more characters, such as the bone-hunter Jim Dragon and his enemy Pierre Dulaine, and Emily Chambers who is searching for her missing father, all of whom seem to be involved in different threads to the story, it isn’t long before the plot throws up twist after twist that makes this book impossible to put down until the reader discovers how everything is resolved.

It’s the plots twists and turns that make I.J. Parnham’s books so appealing to me. Every time I think I know what is going on, what will happen next, Ian throws in another twist to completely throw me off track. Descriptions are kept to a minimum, just enough to allow the reader to visualise what the people, landscapes, and towns look like. Ian tells his story’s at a fast pace, uses believable dialogue, and ties everything up neatly by the end.

The Secret of Devil’s Canyon is a very entertaining read that, once more, leaves me looking forward to his next BHW. This book is available now from the usual Internet sources. 

Bleached Bones in the Dust

By I.J. Parnham

A Black Horse Western from Hale, December 2010

For twenty years, bounty hunter Montgomery Drake searched for Lomax Rhinehart, desperate to make him pay for an atrocity he committed during the dying days of the war.

So when Drake’s friend, Wallace Sheckley, told him that he had found Lomax, Drake followed him to Sunrise, but Arnold Hays and his gunslingers were holding the town in the grip of fear. Nobody would help him and worse Wallace had gone missing and Lomax was nowhere to be found.

With Arnold Hays the key to Drake finding out what has happened to both his friend and his enemy, he must turn to his gun to get the answers he needs….

Ian Parnham sure packs a lot of action into this book and fills it with great characters. There are a couple of surprises for Drake too that lead him to question his twenty year quest for vengeance, such as has he been wrong about Rhinehart all along? Before he finds the answer to that question Drake will find himself fighting alongside his target.

The bleached bones of the title become a gruesome yet pivotal aspect to the story, which moves swiftly, all the time building towards a lengthy shootout in the old abandoned fort that outlaw Arnold Hays has made his headquarters. His method of keeping the townspeople in line shows what kind of a savage man he is. Unfortunately for Drake, the townspeople’s fear of Hays means they turn against the bounty hunter too.

Although this story didn’t have quite as many plot twists as I’ve come to expect from Ian Parnham I still found this book to be a fast, gripping, and entertaining read that has left me eagerly awaiting his next book.

Bleached Bones in the Dust is officially released at the end of December but should be available now from the usual Internet bookstores.

The Legend of Shamus McGinty's Gold

By I.J. Parnham

Avalon, 2002

There’s enough gold to make you think you can live forever, but Shamus McGinty has hidden it where no one can ever find it. The only way to find the gold is to stop looking, but once you find it, you won’t even realize it. So goes the legend of Shamus McGinty’s gold.

After forty years, Morgan Armstrong thinks he’s close to solving the legend, but he’s at death’s door. He offers a share of the gold to the ruthless outlaw Quinn Rogers in return for finding a cure to save his life. Quinn looks no farther than Fergal O’Brien, purveyor of a “universal remedy” he claims will cure anything and everything. Too bad for Morgan that it hasn’t cured anyone yet, and too bad for Fergal when Quinn finds that out. His ultimatum to Fergal is simple: cure Morgan or die.

To avoid the wrong end of Quinn’s gun, Fergal and his trusty bodyguard, Randolph, must find a way to help Morgan. Their treatment just might be the key to solving the legend of Shamus McGinty’s gold.

Ian Parnham presents the reader with a superb blend of exciting western action and well-timed humour – this latter appearing both in conversation and situations. Fergal O’Brien and his bodyguard Randolph McDougal are a perfect pairing even though McDougal is looking forward to the time he can ride away from his duties as bodyguard and leave Fergal to face the outcomes of his cons himself. The other characters are equally well crafted, Armstrong, Rogers, and a whole host of others O’Brien meets on the trail.

The storyline seems simple enough at the beginning but once the main characters come together in the quest to find McGinty’s gold in soon becomes obvious there’s more going on than first assumed. Ian Parnham soon has the reader hooked with a clever tangle of mystery and hints that all characters aren’t quite who they say they are. Fergal maybe a con artist but is he the only one?

Ian Parnham writes well and provides the reader with a fast moving tale that keeps offering surprises and unexpected twists ensuring the reader will never be sure just how everything will turn out in the end. When the final page is reached I believe any reader will have been thoroughly entertained, but be warned, the climax will leave you wanting to read the next in the series: The Finest Frontier Town in the West.

Beat to a Pulp

ROUND 1

Edited by David Cranmer and Elaine Ash

2010

Looking at the cover, with its terrific artwork by James O’Barr, you might be wondering why this collection of short stories is being featured on a blog about western fiction? Simple answer, it contains a number of western stories, and authors whose western work is regularly reviewed here write many of the other tales. A full list of stories and authors can be found at the end of this review.

When sitting down to write this review I thought maybe all I need to do is just ask Bill Crider for permission to copy his wonderful forward to the book and post it here, as I don’t see how his words can fail to encourage any reader into diving straight into this excellent collection of stories.

The twenty-seven tales within cover a broad range of genres, taking in westerns, crime, sci-fi, fantasy, pirate, ghost and war. Of course there are stories here that I like better than others but all are extremely well told. Most explore the darker side of life, of human nature, and after reading the first two or three I gave up trying to guess how each story would end, as many finish with neat twists, Patricia Abbott’s story leaving me laughing out loud.

I enjoyed finding out what type of story the western writers I regularly read had decided to write, some turning to genres I knew they write in alongside their westerns, others – mainly those who write Black Horse Westerns (and there’s a few of them in this collection) – providing welcome surprises in their subject matter.

Some of these stories have been published online, others are appearing here for the first time – one being a recently discovered unpublished story by Paul S. Powers who had many tales published in the pulps of old.

The book ends with a fascinating look at the history of pulps by Cullen Gallagher and short profiles of all the authors.

David Cranmer says in his introduction, “I am optimistic we have put together a collection that has something for everyone.” I would say you definitely have succeeded David, and I, for one, am already looking forward to Round Two.

Beat to a Pulp: Round One is now available here, or can be bought from Amazon.

Contents:

1. Maker’s and Coke Jake Hinkson

2. A Free Man Charles Ardai

3. Fangataufa Sophie Littlefield

4. You Don’t Get Three Mistakes Scott D. Parker

5. Insatiable Hilary Davidson

6. Boots on the Ground Matthew Quinn Martin

7. Studio Dick Garnett Elliott

8. Killing Kate Ed Gorman

9. The Ghost Ship Evan Lewis

10. The Strange Death of Ambrose Bierce Paul S. Powers

11. Heliotrope James Reasoner

12. The Wind Scorpion Edward A. Grainger

13. Hard Bite Anonymous-9

14. Crap is King Robert J. Randisi

15. The All-Weather Phantom Mike Sheeter

16. Pripet Marsh Stephen D. Rogers

17. Ghostscapes Patricia Abbott

18. Off Rock Kieran Shea

19. At Long Last Nolan Knight

20. A Native Problem Chris F. Holm

21. Spend it Now, Pay Later Nik Morton

22. Spot Marks the X I.J. Parnham

23. Hoosier Daddy Jedidiah Ayres

24. Anarchy Among Friends: A Love Story Andy Henion

25. Cannulation Glenn Gray

26. The Unreal Jesse James Chap O’Keefe
27. Acting Out Frank Bill

Railroad to Redemption

by I.J. Parnham

A Black Horse Western from Hale, August 2010

The influx of railroad men looking to build a new track to Redemption brings plenty of trouble for Sheriff Cassidy Yates. However, things seem to be looking up when Dayton Fisher, down on his luck and looking for work, arrives in town.

Dayton’s bravery persuades Luther to hire him as a bodyguard but the job turns sour when Luther hires six ruthless gunslingers to cause mayhem about town. Worse is yet to come and when Luther is killed the repercussions force Dayton to pit himself against his friend Cassidy.

Can the two men put aside their differences for long enough to defeat the gunslingers?

Ian Parnham begins this book by introducing us to the various characters that will play the main roles within this twisting tale of intrigue. There’s Dayton who arrives in town by train, broke and jobless. There’s the three brothers defending their ranch from a group of gunmen. There’s Luther, a man who works for the railroad who keeps his plans to himself. There’s a group of nuns looking for a guide. There’s a band of guslingers lead by a man called Mason Fox. Finally there’s Sheriff Cassidy – a lawman who has appeared in a number of prevoius books – who finds himself struggling to make sense of all that’s happing. At first you don’t see how all these people could possibly become involved with each other, but, of course they do.

Ian Parnham tells his story in easy to read prose that propels his tale forwards at an ever increasing speed, making this book difficult to put down. One of Ian Parnham’s trademarks is that somewhere down the line there will be a surprise or two and I never saw the excellent twist he includes in this book coming. Amoung all the action there moments of humour too, mainly through comments to, or from, the nuns. Eventually everything comes together in a violent showdown that ends the book in a spectacular fashion.

Railroad to Redemption is out now, even though it has an official release date at the end of the month.  

Sharpshooter McClure

by I.J. Parnham

A Black Horse Western from Hale, January 2010

Mike McClure had been a deputy sheriff for only a week when US Marshal Jesse Cole recruited him for a dangerous undercover mission to infiltrate the hired guns who were harassing the homesteaders of Harmony. But in a dreadful night of bloody carnage the mission ended in failure and with the marshal dead, Mike had to flee for his life.

To escape from the gunslingers on his trail, Mike holed up with Brandon Webb’s Wild West Show where he assumed a new identity. But no matter how successful he became in his new life, Mike could never forget the terrible events he had witnessed. One day he must return to Harmony and call upon all his gun skills to bring the guilty parties to grim justice.

What starts out as a straight-forward western plot soon becomes more complex as Brandon Webb’s Wild West Show is introduced to the storyline. Those who have read other books by Ian Parnham will be expecting twists to the story and this book has plenty of those.

Ian Parnham also has his hero horrifically disfigured, which came as a shocking surprise that added an extra element to the story, one that is used to great effect latter in the tale.

The book is fast moving, full of action and well-crafted characters – particularly McClure, who can’t seem to do right no matter how hard he tries. Ian Parnham creates a gripping air of suspense during the Wild West Show’s final performance that results in an exciting showdown.

Another book that proves I.J. Parnham is an author worth reading.

Sharpshooter McClure should be available now from the usual Internet bookstores or from the publisher direct.

Riders of the Barren Plains

By I.J. Parnham
A Black Horse Western from Hale, July 2009

Jeff Steed rode into Carmon looking for work, but when he got caught up in a bank raid he found himself running from both Sheriff Cassidy Yates and the bank raider Blake Kelly. To escape from the net that was inexorably closing in on him he assumed the identity of a dead man. But as that man was the leader of a supply convoy, he had to undertake a hazardous journey across the Barren Plains to the silver miners at Bleak Point.

With the convoy being escorted by the lawman who had been trying to catch him and the bandit he double-crossed hiding out in the Barren Plains, can Jeff ever hope to survive?

Having read one of I.J. Parnham’s books before, and really enjoying it, I had high hopes for this. Would I be disappointed in Riders of the Barren Plains or would it live up to my expectations?

Right from the start the author gets his hero involved in a series of circumstances that has the reader wondering how he can come out of them on the right side of the law - never mind with his life. As the story progresses at rapid speed, Steed finds himself getting into more and more dangerous situations that see him trying to conceal his identity behind a fragile web of lies. Each time I thought I knew how Steed would solve a particular problem, Ian Parnham threw in yet another plot twist that kept this reader glued to the pages, making this book almost impossible to put down.

Having Steed riding with Sheriff Yates gave the author the opportunity to create some superb, tense, battles of wits as suspicion rises in the lawman’s mind. This isn’t Yates only problem as a headstrong girl searching for her sister joins the party. As mistrusts strengthen and the shadow of the Dark Riders falls across them all, so Ian Parnham ups the pace, which includes well described fist-fights, knife fights and plenty of gun action, as secrets are slowly revealed and surprises sprung and solved.

Characterizations are beautifully developed and Ian Parham’s descriptive prose paints vivid imagery within the minds eye, so well you can share the fear and frustrations of Steed, taste the dust and feel the heat of the Barren Plains.

So, to answer my earlier question, yes this book did live up to my expectations and more, meaning Riders of the Barren Plains is my top choice of the BHW I’ve read this month, and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this book to fans of the western genre.

Readers may also be interested to know that Sheriff Cassidy Yates appears in a number of Ian Parnham’s books.

Riders of the Barren Plains has an official release date of today, July 31st, but is available now from many Internet booksellers. I suggest you get your order in asap before it sells out.

Wanted: McBain

by I.J. Parnham

A Black Horse Western from Hale, 2005

The wanted poster showed Sheriff Cassidy Yates that his ex-deputy, and friend, Nate McBain was a wanted man, a member of Fernandez’s outlaw gang. It’s Cassidy’s duty to arrest McBain, but when he finds him McBain claims he’s working undercover in an attempt to bring Fernandez to justice. Is McBain’s explanation really true? One thing is for certain: when Cassidy learns the truth, it will test to the very limit the strength of his friendship and duty as a lawman.

When I began reading this book I felt the author revealed too much of the truth behind McBain’s actions, I felt all the promised mystery elements had been explained far to early on. But I needn’t have worried, for I. J. Parnham was setting the reader up for a tale filled with twists and turns, double-cross and triple-cross as all the characters struggle to sort out the events they’re involved in. And my initial thoughts of having the plot explained early on soon disappeared in this maze of deception.

There’s mistrust between outlaws, and the lawmen hunting them are at odds with each other too. As the lawmen compete in a battle of wills it seems that McBain will succeed in whatever his real agenda is.

I.J. Parnham doesn’t fill his book with superfluous characters or events, what he does do is create a very entertaining read through a fast moving tale that builds twist upon twist until the satisfing ending.