Livin' on Jacks and Queens

Edited by Robert J. Randisi

Piccadilly Publishing, November 2013

Livin’ on Jacks and Queens is an anthology of fourteen short stories all revolving around gambling put together by Robert Randisi. None of these stories have been published before and a couple of them feature characters that have appeared elsewhere, such as Scott Parker’s tale and Robert Randisi’s that sees the return of Talbot Roper.

Most of the stories use cards as the method of gambling but a couple offer other ways of winning or losing, such as Chuck Tyrell’s boat race, Randisi’s throwing horseshoes, and Christine Matthews’ betting on how lawmen will leave their jobs.

The authors are a mix of old-hands and those who are newer to the western genre and that’s where, for me, the strength of such anthologies come into their own, as they give the reader a chance to try out writers who are new to them and will, I’m sure, discover some they will be keen to explore further work from.

Of course I have my favourites among this collection, but can honestly say I enjoyed each of them. There’s stories that follow traditional western themes, one that borders on being a horror tale, and one that’ll have you thinking is this possible?

At a price of less than £2.00 and just over $3.00 how can you not afford to give this terrific collection of gambling stories a chance?

Contents:

Jacks or Better by Johnny Boggs 

A Cold Deck by Phil Dunlap 

The Reckoning by Randy Lee Eickhoff 

It Takes a Gambler by Jerry Guin 

Odds on a Lawman by Christine Matthews 

Pay the Ferryman by Matthew P. Mayo 

White Face, Red Blood by Rod Miller 

Hazard by Nik Morton 

Acey Deucy by John Nesbitt 

The Mark of an Imposter: An Evelyn Page/Calvin Carter Adventure by Scott Parker 

Horseshoe and Pistols by Robert J. Randisi 

Too Many Aces by Charlie Steel 

Missouri Boat Race by Chuck Tyrell 

The Legend of ‘Blind Ned’ Baldwin by Lori Van Pelt 

The Reluctant Pinkerton

TALBOT ROPER #2

By Robert J. Randisi

Berkley, July 2013

Former Pinkerton agent Talbot Roper has a begrudging respect for his old boss. When Allan Pinkerton dies and his sons send for Roper to attend the funeral, he has no choice but to oblige them. But Pinkerton’s sons, who now run the agency, want Roper to do more than pay his respects. They have a dangerous assignment that no man on their payroll can handle.

Now Roper is headed for Fort Worth, Texas, where someone is sabotaging the Union Stockyard company. Undercover to infiltrate the industry, Roper knows that the men he’s up against aren’t just smart; they’re deadly. And he’ll need to remember everything Allan ever taught him to finish the job…and stay alive.

Robert J. Randisi has written hundreds of westerns and crime novels and in this series he combines the best of both worlds to create a fast moving, gripping, read that is very difficult to put down before you find out who is behind the stockyard sabotage and why they are doing it.

Roper is an engaging hero and I particularly liked how he decides to go under cover, dressing differently and using a new name, yet doesn’t quite get it right meaning those he’s trying to deceive sense something is wrong about him and with each new character Robert J. Randisi introduces, Roper finds his list of suspects getting longer and longer.

Roper also has to deal with Dol, a young lady who wants to be an operative Pinkerton, to show that women can more than match the male detectives in ability to solve a crime. Roper just sees her inexperience as a hindrance that could get them both killed. Can Dol prove herself to both him and the Pinkerton brothers?

Some will know that many of Robert J. Randisi’s westerns contain explicit sexual content, so I feel I must point out that the Talbot Roper series is not one of those. What it does have is plenty of tense scenes, lightning fast action, and many twists and turns, resulting in a book that should appeal to all who enjoy well written westerns, particularly those who like plots containing mystery elements.

Let’s hope it’s not too long before Talbot Roper hits the trail again. 

Bullets and Lies

TALBOT ROPER #1

By Robert J. Randisi

Berkley, September 2012

When former Pinkerton Talbot Roper receives a job offer from an ailing Civil War veteran whose Medal of Honor is about to be revoked, he agrees to help his fellow serviceman. Some believe that Howard Westover’s medal was undeserved, but Roper is determined to track down the men who served with him and get their signed affidavits to prove that his Medal of Honor was earned…

But Roper’s journey is soon derailed when he discovers that two of his contacts are already dead – one hanged twenty years ago, one murdered minutes before his arrival. The men who served with Westover are being hunted down, and Roper’s increasingly dangerous investigation earns him the next spot on the hit list. Aware that someone has been lying to him, Roper can stay one step ahead of the assassin. But the question remains: Will his quick wit be enough to save him from the line of fire and secure a dying man’s legacy?

Readers of J.R. Roberts’ (a pseudonym used by Robert J. Randisi) Gunsmith series will have met Talbot Roper a number of times before as he’s often worked alongside Clint Adams in those books. Now Roper gets his own series and this should be on the must read list of all Gunsmith fans, and those who enjoy Robert J. Randisi’s work like myself.

Unlike The Gunsmith this isn’t an adult series, so should also appeal to westerns fans who don’t like explicit sex in their reading material.

Roper has to deal with an excellent set of characters, such as the Westovers, their lawyer Harwick, gunman Kilkenny, and old associate Donald White. It isn’t long before Roper is wondering if he can trust any of them, and this along with the undisclosed reason behind the removal of the Medal of Honor kept me glued to the book to find out the answers. Who is killing the men Roper is attempting to track down, and why? Was Roper or White the target of a sniper’s bullet? All these questions come thick and fast causing a lot of headaches for Roper as he tries to second-guess his unknown enemies next move.

The book is 268 pages long and they just seemed to fly by as I was easily caught up in the mystery elements of this gripping fast paced tale. Robert J. Randisi writes in an easy to read style that flows effortlessly, making the book a joy to read.

Bullets and Lies is a very entertaining story that left me eagerly looking forward to the next in the series, The Reluctant Pinkerton, which I believe is due out in July 2013.