GUN VALLEY

 

THE TRAILSMAN 117

GUN VALLEY

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, September 1991

It didn’t start out well for Skye Fargo. First the Trailsman caught an arrow from Apaches who thought he was the one who butchered their old men and raped their women. Then he stopped a slug when he came too close to the real killers. He came to in an Arizona hell with his guns gone, his life bleeding away, and one idea blazing through his brain. He had nowhere to go this side of the grave but up – and nothing he wanted to do more than to kill….

Glenn Bavousett wrote twelve Trailsman books as Jon Sharpe. Gun Valley was his last. I have read a couple of his other entries into this series, but that was a long, long time ago and I don’t remember much about them. All the authors who wrote for the series have their own take on the man known as The Trailsman, and Bavousett’s portrayal of Skye Fargo doesn’t paint him as tough, or as quick-witted as the main authors did. Fargo also takes some punishment in the form of an arrow and a couple of bullets. It was surprising to see that Fargo actually followed the doctors’ instructions to lay up for a week or so whilst recovering, although he did exercise which the doc frowned upon.

As quite a lengthy portion of the story dealt with Fargo’s recovery meant that there wasn’t as much action as I’d usually expect from a Trailsman book. This isn’t a criticism as it did fit the plotline perfectly. There is action of course especially at the end as Fargo and an old friend take on superior odds in an exciting final showdown as two separate gangs converge on The Trailsman and all three sides meet at the same time. I was a little disappointed that one character who’d been featured quite a bit throughout the book seemed to disappear somewhere in this concluding gunfight.

Being an adult western series there is some explicit sex, although this is mostly dealt with quickly and can easily be skipped without missing anything essential to the plot if you so choose. 

There are many better entries in the Trailsman series, but this is by no means bad and it did keep me entertained throughout. 

TEXAS TRIGGERS

THE TRAILSMAN

Book 136 of 398 plus 7 Giant Editions

TEXAS TRIGGERS

By Jon Sharpe

Cover art by Hiram Richardson

Signet, April 1993

The four cowpunchers that Skye Fargo ran into on the Texas trail were well-hung in the worst way. Their bullet-ridden bodies swung in the wind at the end of ropes. That was the Trailsman’s first hint of what to expect when he hit Deadwood…a town where the sheriff laid down the law of the gun…where men massed for all-out war against a cattle king who ruled the range in a tyranny of terror…where his wickedly beautiful wife was a dangerous as she was desirable…and where Skye Fargo had to choose sides in a fight where the only thing he could trust was his own trigger finger….

The opening scene where Fargo discovers the four hanging men has the Trailsman asking questions, and before he has the answers, he finds himself in more situations that add to the intrigue of just what is going on. Then there’s the message Fargo has been asked to deliver to the cattle king, Owen Tate, and no-one else – a message that doesn’t seem to make any sense. Contacting the man becomes a problem of its own as he hasn’t been seen by anyone for a while. There is a surprise for the Trailsman when finds out he has met the cattle king’s wife, Faith, before. Faith promises Fargo that he’ll get his meeting with Tate as soon as possible, but the Trailsman begins to suspect she is stalling. Why would she be doing this adds to the puzzles Fargo has to solve.

As I’d expect from a Trailsman book, Texas Triggers is full of violent action, tough characters and deadly situations. There’s a couple of explicit sex scenes too. The plot moves forwards at terrific speed and is full of twists and turns, making this a hard to put down read. There was one incident that stretched my belief a little involving Fargo’s horse as I’m not sure it would have done what it did, but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this book.

I’m not sure who wrote this entertaining entry into the long-running series but would suggest it is either Jon Messmann or J.B. Keller.  

If you’re looking to read this book, then please be aware that a later entry into The Trailsman series, book 328, has the same title. They are both completely different stories.

BUFFALO GUNS

THE TRAILSMAN

Number 139 of 398 plus 7 Giant Editions

BUFFALO GUNS

By Jon Sharpe

Cover art by Jerome Podwil

Signet, July 1993

Skye Fargo came to western Kansas to find that vast sea of grass drenched with blood. Kiowa and Cheyenne were at each other’s throats, enraged by savage killings of their braves. No whites were safe, from the beautiful madam of a legendary house of pleasure to a trader grown too rich for his own good. And looming over the carnage was the king of the buffalo hunters, Duke Manning, a man-mountain whose brain was as awesome as his brawn, and whose ambition was bigger still. Only Fargo could rip apart the veil of mystery, and stand up to a titan of terror…as the roar of guns drowned out the thunder of buffalo hooves…. 

This is a very fast paced story that revolves around a great set of characters, be they white, Cheyenne or Kiowa. Fargo has to discover why the two tribes have begun killing each other after living peacefully for years. This adds some mystery to the tale, although most readers will probably work this part of the book out easily. It doesn’t take Fargo long either, but then there’s the problem of proving what is happening.

There are many terrific action scenes involving fists and guns. The subplots all combine, such as that of the girl kept behind walls, who eventually escapes to become the bride of the king, Duke Manning. Now Fargo has to save her too, whist trying to stop a mass Indian battle that will also see many whites fall victim during the war. 

Being an adult western series there are a few graphic sex scenes, but these don’t take up many pages and can be skipped easily if you don’t like this kind of explicit writing in your westerns. It would be a shame if you passed this book by because of them as it turned out to be an exciting fun read.

I’m not sure who was behind the pseudonym of Jon Sharpe this time, although I have seen it credited to J.B. Keller. There has always been some confusion as to which books she wrote, some naming series originator Jon Messmann as being the author of some of the books credited to her and vice-versa. 

One thing I’ve always liked about the Trailsman series is that the cover art depicts actual scenes from the story and Jerome Podwil has illustrated them superbly.

DEVIL'S DEN

THE TRAILSMAN

Number 269 of 398 plus seven giant editions

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, March 2004

When Dave Donaldson heads into Indian Territory and never comes back, Skye Fargo agrees to track him down and—if at all possible—bring him back to safety. Finding the young man near the lawless land of Devil’s Den, Fargo learns that Dave isn’t just in trouble—he’s part of it, tangled up with a gang of killer smugglers. It’s up to the Trailsman to keep Donaldson alive—and let the others fall where they may…

After being ambushed for reasons unknown Fargo meets up with a friend and agrees to find the man’s son. Dave Donaldson had headed into Indian Territory to start a freight line only to be never seen again.

Fargo’s hunt soon has him riding into the lawless Indian Territory in time to save an Indian girl from outlaws who are set to destroy her wagonload of honey. And here lies the mystery element of the story, why are outlaws out to kill the girl and her father and bring an end to their honey selling business?

Fargo’s questions seem to point to the man he’s looking for being a member of outlaw gang. Throw in a gambler, a man hungry woman or two and the Cherokee Lighthorse and you have an explosive mix set to detonate when they all come together at Devil’s Den.

Jon Sharpe is a pseudonym and the author behind the penname for this book is James Reasoner and he provides us with a first class Trailsman story that grips from the opening scenes. Filled with great characters the tale unfolds at an ever-increasing pace that includes plenty of action.

For Trailsman fans this book is a must read. If you’ve never read a book from this series, Devil's Den would be an excellent entry point.

Just a note of warning, if you do decide to search for this book, do so by its number, 269, as there are three books in the series that share the title of Devil’s Den. The other two are numbers 77 and 390, both of these being written by different authors.

SILVER FURY

THE TRAILSMAN

Book 138 of 398 + seven giant editions

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, June 1993

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

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

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

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

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

GOLDEN BULLETS

THE TRAILSMAN

Book 142 of 398 + seven giant editions

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, October 1993

Skye Fargo knocked on the door of the Black Hills Mining Company looking for the missing father of a beautiful girl he couldn’t say no to. The door was opened by Linda Ayler, the luscious lady who ran the operation – and Skye was in the kind of trouble he couldn’t get out of even if wanted to. He had two women to satisfy in very different ways, a string of murders that kept getting longer, a labyrinth of lies with death waiting for him at every twist of the truth, and a mine shaft that seemed to go down to hell itself. It would take Skye a lot of digging to uncover the truth about who killed who and why – and a lot of shooting to keep him from being buried with it….

This book is action all the way, from the opening scene of Fargo walking into his hotel room to find five men and a bound woman occupying it, to the final exchange of lead and capture of a murderer. In between there’s loads more deadly situations and lots of verbal fencing that could bring about Fargo’s death if he says or does the wrong thing. 

Twist after twist, suspicion and bluff all ensured that I kept reading as ideas came into my head about just what was going on, and who was behind it, only for these thoughts to be swiftly cast aside as the author skilfully wove misleading information and hints of the truth into the plot.

Character studies are superbly done, especially those of the two main female leads, Bess Darby and Linda Ayler, who soon have Fargo’s head in a spin. Two prospective buyers of the Ayler mine proved to be very amusing as they battled to better each other with their offers. These people, and others, all making it extremely difficult for Fargo to discover the truth about Bess’s father’s disappearance and who was responsible for this and the murders. 

With the Trailsman series being classed as adult reads the book does contain some graphic sex. I was surprised to find that none of this took place until I was at least half-way through the story, the author using the first half to weave his enthralling plot and hook his readers into his fast-flowing tale.

I’m not sure who wrote this entry into the Trailsman series, but I think it was more than likely Jon Messmann, and he once again has come up with an entertaining read that explains why I keep coming back to the series, time and time again.

I also believe the cover art was done by Hiram Richardson.

TOMAHAWK JUSTICE

THE TRAILSMAN

Book 141 of 398 + 7 giant editions

By Jon Sharpe

Cover art by Jerome Podwil

Signet, September 1993

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE KILLING CORRIDOR

THE TRAILSMAN

Number 140 of 398

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, August 1993

The Pawnee were running amok from Kansas down to Oklahoma, and the only thing the U.S. Army was stopping was their arrow heads. That’s why General Eakins turned to Skye Fargo for help. Skye liked Eakins’ hotblooded daughter Annabel far better than her cold-fish father, but still took the job and headed south to a Missouri swept by a firestorm of savage fury. What he found was a woman doing a man’s dangerous job, and a mystery that went beyond Indian uprisings to unspeakable white treachery, as he followed a trail of greed and gore with his country’s future at stake and his life on the line at every false lead, wrong turn, and dead end….

After opening scenes that result in Fargo being troubled by a statement Eakins makes regarding his daughter, the author piles on the problems facing The Trailsman. Why are the Pawnee making half-hearted attacks on the soldiers and how is gold being smuggled to finance the confederate states as the threat of Civil War grows? Whilst trying to solve these mysteries, Fargo finds himself in a number of fights, some of his own making as he attempts to force those he suspects to reveal themselves.

The Trailsman is an adult western series so the book does contain some graphic sex, but after the first explicit scene these acts are dealt with quickly so they don’t interrupt the story's main plot too much. 

The book is easy to read and the pacing is superb, never letting up in the action department, each chapter have at least one round of gunplay or fist-fights. Going by the length of the chapters, I’d hazard a guess at this being written by series originator Jon Messmann, but I wouldn’t like to say for sure. One thing I did notice, and that is that Fargo doesn’t carry an Arkansas Toothpick in this book, instead he has a throwing knife concealed in his boot. Perhaps the toothpick was introduced later in the series?

The plot isn’t particularly complicated and offered little in the way of surprises and how the gold was being smuggled was easy to work out. Having said that these points didn’t lessen my enjoyment of this book and I’d recommend it to all fans of the Trailsman series.

Horsethief Crossing

THE TRAILSMAN 

#62 of 398

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, February 1987

Cover art by Jerry Podwil

There were six of them. They rode into town, looted the bank, and gunned down the innocents who got in their way. That was bad enough, but even worse, they took off with Skye Fargo’s Ovaro steed, with its saddlebag loaded with all his cash.

Skye was left with the clothes on his back, the gun in his belt, and the rage in his heart. He was going to get those horsethieves…even if he had to chase them clear across Texas…on a bucking mare that liked to throw any rider…with a luscious girl who could drain any man of energy…and with a Colt .45 loaded with just the right number of bullets to cut down the odds of six against one….

Most of the Trailsman books I’ve read have been from number 100 onwards and it’s always fun to see how differently Skye Fargo is presented in his earlier adventures, if at all. The author behind the pseudonym of Jon Sharpe this time around is, I believe, Frank Roderus, and he gives us a Fargo who isn’t that much different to how he is portrayed in the later books. The only real difference being that it was never mentioned that Fargo carried an Arkansas toothpick.

The story contains plenty of action, both gunplay and explicit sex. The violence is hard-hitting and at times graphic. As well as tracking down the horsethieves, Fargo finds time to get involved with a troop of Texas Rangers fighting a superior in numbers band of Comanches which results in some very exciting, and bloody, battles.

I think Frank Roderus only wrote three books in this series, one of which I’ve already read, #64: Fargo’s Woman, and on the strength of these two I look forward to reading his other, #60: The Wayward Lassie, very soon. I have read many other books by Roderus too, and have yet to be disappointed in any of his work. 

Hot Lead: Adult Western Special

HOT LEAD #3:

THE ADULT WESTERN SPECIAL

The Paperback Fanatic, May 2019

Hot Lead is a beautifully produced fanzine and this, the third, concentrates on the rise of the adult western. This issue contains 52 pages of fascinating articles backed-up by many reproductions of book covers and associated artwork, all illustrated in full colour.

The main feature, Sex and Six Guns by Paul Bishop, delves into series adult westerns, looking at a variety of them in well researched detail. This section of the fanzine taking up sixteen pages and is essential reading for anyone who enjoys this kind of western.

Three western series get their own sections, Cimarron and Ruff Justice, both written about by editor Justin Marriott and The Trailsman by Steve Myall. All three providing some great insights into why these contributors liked these books so much. 

Then there’s a terrific article by Andreas Decker that looks at how the American series Lassiter by Jack Slade took Germany by storm. Starting with some of the original novels, the German publisher then continued the series and the number of books that have been put out featuring Lassiter is just staggering. Those long running American series like Longarm and The Gunsmith, don’t even come close! 

The final article by Ian Millsted moves away from adult westerns and is a personal look at his top ten western comics and it offers a couple of surprise entries in the countdown. One especially bringing back fond memories for me, that of El Mestizo in Battle Picture Weekly, a comic I read without fail and it now has me wanting to track down a copy of the mentioned hardback book of this comic strip. 

This issue of Hot Lead, is a must read for any fan of adult westerns. It, and the two previous fanzines, provide a lot of informative and entertaining reading that fans of this genre will find themselves returning to time and again. 

Bloody Wyoming

BLAZE #12:

By John Hegenberger

Rough Edges Press, July 2016

All J.D. Blaze wanted to do was celebrate his wife Kate’s birthday, but when you’re the Old West’s only pair of husband-and-wife gunfighters, trouble is never far away. A savage attack and a dangerous injury not only threaten Kate Blaze’s life, she also finds herself a captive of twisted killers and unsure of her own identity. But J.D. will battle with his wits, a pair of rock-hard fists, and a blazing .45 to find Kate and free her before it’s too late! 

This is the first book I’ve read in this series and it’s the first written by John Hegenberger. Blaze was launched to fill the gap left by the now finished Longarm, Slocum and The Trailsman series, and like them is written by a variety of authors, but here the writers name is on the cover rather than hidden behind a pseudonym. Like those three much missed series the Blaze books have adult content as the cover states.

Not having read any of the previous books I don’t know how well John Hegenberger has captured the characters of J.D. Blaze and Kate. Kate isn’t in this one that much, it’s more about J.D. and his attempts to free her from her captors. J.D. also allows his temper to drive his actions which will see him follow false leads and get into numerous deadly scrapes.

Adult westerns often offer the reader well thought out, entertaining action-packed reads and this book certainly falls into that category. The sexual content sandwiches the main story and can easily be skipped if you don’t really go for that part of this kind of story without spoiling the rest of the yarn.

On the strength of this tale I think it’s time I caught up on the previous books. I’m not sure why I haven’t already done so as there are some great authors working on this series which looks set to run until at least the end of 2017 with book 13: Night Riders by Michael Newton being released at the beginning on September.

Available as both print and ebook.

Is this the end of the Trailsman?

THE TRAILSMAN #398:

ARIZONA AMBUSHERS

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, December 2014

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

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

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

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

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

Burning Bullets

THE TRAILSMAN #394

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, August 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

Six-Gun Inferno

THE TRAILSMAN #393

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, July 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Colorado Carnage

THE TRAILSMAN #392

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, June 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

Night Terror

THE TRAILSMAN #391

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, May 2014

1861, the Arkansas swamp country – and the winds of war are in the air.

In the wilds of Arkansas swamp country, someone – or something – is on a killing spree. And the only things left behind are the victims’ heads. Fargo would rather just pass through and not get too involved. But there are some acts of savagery that cannot be ignored. And the Trailsman is about to face off against a killer unlike any he’s ever met….

This book is filled with tense situations as the main characters are often stalked by the killer who rips its’ victims heads clean off through pure brute strength. As if this gripping storyline isn’t enough to hold the readers’ attention, Jon Sharpe also combines it with the mission Fargo is on when he encounters the Night Terror. The Trailsman is delivering secret Union Army documents to an undercover general that must not fall into Southern hands as they contain vital information about the coming Civil War.

Fargo finds himself involved with a strange mix of characters of both sexes, none of whom he feels he can really trust, and in some cases these feelings prove to be justified. And even if you begin to think you know which way some of these wonderful characters are going to jump then Jon Sharpe throws in twist upon twist to completely throw you off track.

Descriptions of the swamp country are superb, as are the many action scenes, some of which are quite gruesome. Dialogue snaps off the page easily and often contains humour adding a touch of lightness to the darker tones of the Night Terror storyline.

Jon Sharpe, in this case David Robbins writing behind the pseudonym, smoothly brings both story threads together, that sees enemies joining forces in an attempt to deal with a much bigger foe. The final confrontation between all is as brutal as you’d expect and makes for a very memorable battle that reveals horrors of all kinds.

And is Fargo successful in seeing that the documents reach their destination? That I can’t say here, but I will add that the answer to that question makes for a great ending to an excellent book. 

Outlaw Trackdown

THE TRAILSMAN #389

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, March 2014

Wyoming 1861 – where a young killer has gone on a spree and has Fargo in his gun sights.

After Skye Fargo is tossed in the pokey for brawling in the town of Horse Creek, the last thing he expects is the marshal asking for his help. The notorious Cotton gang – led by a fifteen-year-old terror – has robbed the bank, and they have to be stopped. But the Trailsman doesn’t know that the young killer has a very special reason for riding wild – revenge.

The author writing behind the pseudonym of Jon Sharpe this time is David Robbins, and as expected he’s written a book packed full of savage action, cracking dialogue and a plot that twists and turns as well as offering a couple of surprises that I didn’t see coming.

For those who like strong characters of both sexes then you’ll find them here too. Marshal Coltraine, who Fargo wants to trust. Amanda Brenner, a young woman with a fast mouth and a secret. Hoby Cotton, the young killer who maybe more than a match for the Trailsman and leaves Fargo in a very sticky situation that’ll had me wondering how he’d escape in one piece.

The story races along at a frantic pace and is told in short chapters that usually end on a cliff-hanger making this a very hard book to put down until the end is reached and sees Fargo questioning the motives behind Hoby’s vengeance trail, before everything is neatly wrapped up in a fast exchange of gunfire.

Outlaw Trackdown is an excellent entry into this long-running series and has me wanting to read more immediately.

 Buy at Amazon.com

Apache Vendetta

THE TRAILSMAN #387

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, January 2014

1861, New Mexico Territory – no one stops an Apache out for vengeance.

Years ago, Skye Fargo barely survived a scrap with an Apache called Red Knife. Now Red Knife needs Fargo’s help to find the white men who raped and killed his daughter. The army wants Fargo to do it so the Apaches will be pacified. But Red Knife wants blood, not justice – and the Trailsman soon finds himself caught between his orders and his old foe’s rage….

Trust, this is a word that Fargo has trouble with in this tale. How can he trust an Apache’s word that he will not kill those responsible for his daughters’ death? An Apache who is feared throughout the land, a brutal killer who says he will stop killing if the Trailsman helps him track down his prey.

Jon Sharpe really piles the problems on for Fargo in this story, as it’s not just Apaches he has to keep his eye on, as the word is out of his mission and white men want his blood for helping a notorious killer. This all makes for some extremely tense situations and some exciting violent action.

The author, David Robbins writing as Jon Sharpe, adds a few lighter moments to balance out the more savage aspects of this tale, such as Fargo being disguised as a woman to sneak into a girls’ home, a funny scene when you consider that the Trailsman has a beard.

As this story gallops towards its bloody, and graphic, climax it becomes apparent that Red Knife is always a step ahead of Fargo. Can the Trailsman succeed in capturing the men he hunts and take them back to the army alive or will the double-crossing Apache fulfil his quest in killing those men slowly? That I can’t reveal here, but I’m sure fans of both the Trailsman series and David Robbins’ writing will enjoy finding out.

Thunderhead Trail

THE TRAILSMAN #385

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, November 2013

Fargo is used to tracking down killers and thieves, but he’s never had a quarry like this before. A rancher has just had his one-of-a-kind stud bull wander off into the mountains, and he’s offering a hefty sum to whoever gets it back. But the Trailsman isn’t the only hombre going after the horned bounty – and the disappearance may not have been as random as it seems….

The impressive bounty for the bull draws in a wild mix of characters ranging from three young boys to a seventy-year-old lady, all eager to claim the money. These are not the only people Fargo has to deal with as he’s made enemies of three brothers who are constantly trying to kill him. Then there’s the bull, a massive beast that kills those it feels threatened by….which is just about everyone. If that isn’t enough then someone is killing off the opposition and leaving no trace and there’s a handful of Blackfeet on the prod too.

The action doesn’t let up for one minute in this well told tale that’s filled with edge-of-the-seat situations, memorable characters, savage violence, and dialogue that, at times, had me laughing out loud. As the bull hunters began to fall to the mystery killers’ bullets or knife I soon found myself wondering if anyone would be left alive to claim the bounty on the animal. The author, in this case David Robbins writing as Jon Sharpe, also had me pondering on how the bull could be captured and taken back to its owner…if anyone could get anywhere near it without being killed.

I know some readers are put off this series due to its reputation of containing lots of graphic sex, and yes that was true of the early books, but these days they don’t contain anywhere near as much. This book has one such encounter and that takes up only a couple of pages, so I would say don’t let the adult tag that has been applied to The Trailsman series put you off trying this book as you’ll be missing out on a great read.

High Plains Massacre

THE TRAILSMAN #383

By Jon Sharpe

Signet, September 2013

When a small band of settlers seems to vanish into thin air from their camp in the Black Hills, the army asks Skye Fargo to find out what happened. Unfortunately, he’s also saddled with a young greenhorn officer with too much starch and not enough experience. But the tenderfoot is about to learn from the best – while the Trailsman is about to go up against something much worse….

This makes four in a row that sees David Robbins writing behind the pseudonym of Jon Sharpe and this book offers all fans of his work everything he’s known for. Great characterization, superbly witty dialogue that is laced with humour and sarcasm, and hard-hitting action scenes, of which there are many.

David Robbins also brings back Bear River Tom, who last rode alongside Skye Fargo in book #374: Fort Death. Tom is a fellow scout who has a fascination with something that makes him a very difficult character to forget and it’s his comments that lead to a lot of the laughter inducing exchanges that add some lighter moments to this savage tale.

The first part of the story has plenty of mystery that easily hooks and drags the reader into the plot, mainly based around how a whole group of settlers can vanish without a trace. This leads to a run in with a vicious group of outlaws whose leader has some strange demands of the Trailsman when Fargo is held prisoner.

The massacre of the title proves to be a gut-wrenching slaughter that will have every reader urging Fargo on to deal his own brand of justice to those responsible.

If you like this series and/or David Robbins’ storytelling then make sure you don’t miss this one.