Dead Man's Range

by Paul Durst
A Black Horse Western from Hale, September 2009

The murder trail was eight years old when Jeff Carmody got out of Huntsville Prison and the only clue he had was the rowel of a broken spur he had found that night beside Clint Merriweather’s body.

Booth Anson’s rambling Anvil range hemmed the tiny Merriweather ranch on all sides, but Clint’s widow, Anne, hung stubbornly on. Anson had killed to build his empire – his was a dead man’s range.

But a woman stood in his way now – would he baulk at killing a woman? That was when Carmody picked up his gun.

Dead Man’s Range was originally published in 1958 and is a much longer read than most BHW written today. The total page count is the same but the words are in much smaller print and there are more lines per page.

Paul Durst is a new author to me. A quick search on the Internet reveals he’s had quite a few books published, and if it’s the same person, wrote under at least four pseudonyms.

Dead Man’s Range is a superbly told tale that combines the search for vengeance and land grabbing. All the characters are well drawn and I was soon hooked on finding out who really killed Clint Merriweather, the obvious culprit seemingly having an airtight alibi.

Carmody is a rock-hard hero who doesn’t back down to anyone, even a group of gun carrying riders when he’s unarmed. There’s lots of tough dialogue and plenty of action, some quite brutal; such as the killing of a young girls puppy. The book ends with an exciting, and lengthy, showdown that brings about some surprising revelations. Paul Durst’s descriptions, be they of action sequences or landscape, are first rate, as is his pacing and plotting.

Overall the book didn’t come across as dated, perhaps the only hint as to its age being the absence of swearwords and how Wash, a black man, spoke; ‘Ah din’ think Ah’d ebber cross dat ole ribber again,’ for instance. Even though I had to read that line twice to make sure I’d understood it properly didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this book and I can only hope Hale publishes a few more of Paul Durst’s westerns.

Dead Man’s Range has an official release date of September 30th but is already available from Internet booksellers.

The Plains of Laramie

by Lauran Paine
Leisure, October 2009

Frank Travis had no idea why he was being chased. He might not have been able to get away from the posse thundering after him, but no way in hell was he going down without a fight. And sure enough, he managed to down one of his pursuers…before being killed himself.

Parker Travis vows to get vengeance on the vigilantes when he hears his brother was murdered for a crime he didn’t commit. He doesn’t care that the man Frank downed was the sheriff of Laramie. And he doesn’t care that the dead man’s brother has taken over as the new sheriff. Because no one is above the law, and Parker is determined to see justice is done.

Having read a couple of Lauran Paine’s books before and not being very impressed with them I must admit to picking this one up with some trepidation. Seeing that The Plains of Laramie contained three stories I wondered if Paine would have the same impact on me as Louis L’Amour (based on the few books of his I’ve read), that I'd prefer his short stories to his full-length novels?

Contents:
Boothill’s Ferryman
First appeared in Double-Action Western, 04/1957
Vermilion KidFirst appeared in Double-Action Western, 09/1955
The Plains of LaramieNo previous publishing history is included in my copy.

Boothill’s Ferryman sees a new ferryman raising his prices to the annoyance of the townsfolk. The ferryman is soon accused of shooting a rancher in the back and the sheriff locks him up. Then the ferryman’s kin arrive and this leads to jailbreak and robbery. Outwitted at every turn, it seems the sheriff is either going to be the scapegoat or hero. The story is jam-packed with action, some of the violence quite graphic. The tale finishes with a surprising twist that leads to a triumphant, yet bitter, ending.

Vermilion Kid starts with a resentful Kid mulling over his treatment by a woman. When this young lady’s father is killed he attempts to find the culprit, only to find himself accused of the murder. If you enjoy programmes like CSI you’ll also enjoy how the killer is caught; it’s all to do with how a bullet passes through a horse. Fascinating reading.

The Plains of Laramie is the feature story of this collection, and it’s to this tale that the opening blurb applies. After an action packed opening Paine hooks the reader with many questions about what could have happened to the missing $3.000 as only $9.000 is retrieved from a $12.000 robbery. Paine explores the folly of snap judgements and how these lead to senseless killings and the desire for revenge. There’s a well-written discussion between Parker Travis and the new sheriff about the lust for vengeance due to the loss of a brother. Paine ends this story with an ingenious method of flushing the bad guy out of his hiding place.

So did this collection cause me to revaluate my opinion on Lauran Paine’s writing? Definitely! I really enjoyed the first tale, this just edging the main story in my opinion, and I’ll be delving into my collection for more Lauran Paine books soon.

The Plains of Laramie has a release date of October 1st, but is available now.

The Trailsman #335

RIVERBOAT RAMPAGE
as by Jon Sharpe
Signet, September 2009

Skye Fargo has seen a lot of scam artists, and the Trahearne brothers are pure gold. Conning people with crocodile tears and fixed fights, they support themselves and their lovely sister, Laurie. Fargo knows their game. But so does Owen Mullaney – their latest dupe and a man with a killer reputation. Now the only thing between the Trahearnes and the bottom of the Mississippi River is the Trailsman.

This book is filled with superbly drawn characters, from the Trahearne brothers and sister, to Alexis Rimbard and Emory. In fact the two girls, Laurie and Alexis provide one of the most entertaining scenes in the book, as Fargo becomes an object of desire for them both.

What starts out as a fairly straightforward plot soon plunges into mystery as Fargo and the Trahearnes board the riverboat and the Trailsman becomes suspicious of a guarded cargo. Even when he discovers the guards are army personal things still don’t ring true and the plot then moves through a number of twists and turns as it races to its exciting climax.

There’s plenty of action as is to be expected both from this series and from author James Reasoner, the writer behind the pseudonym of Jon Sharpe for this particular entry into the Trailsman series. With a couple of surprising revelations about a one or two of the characters, all the plot threads are neatly tied up.

If you’re a fan of James Reasoner’s work, the Trailsman books, or are just looking for a fast moving western to read, then I’d suggest picking up a copy of this as soon as possible.

Misfit Lil Robs the Bank

as by Chap O’keefe
A Black Horse Western from Hale, September 2009

Misfit Lil’s misalliance with the reckless Texan cowboy Luck M’Cline began while her true friend, mature frontiersman Jackson Farraday, was away in the Henry Mountains. Lil’s crackshot skills saved M’Cline from the claws of a wounded man hating cougar but her actions earned her the enmity of M’Cline’s former sweetheart, Virginia Whitpath. An unladylike fighting showdown with Virginia on Main Street, plus shooting pranks in a saloon with M’Cline, put Lil at the mercy of another arrival. Mesmerist Dr Francois Guiscard, late of a Paris hospital infamous for the experimental treatment of madwomen, was entrusted with curing Lil of her behaviour problems.

Lil had wanted only fun. Could she regain her freedom when Dr Guiscard had devilish plans to capitalize on her unique abilities?

Chap O’keefe (Keith Chapman) pushes the boundaries of the traditional western in this, the sixth Misfit Lil story to be published by Hale. As expected the book moves forward at tremendous speed and sees Lil attempting to bring down Guiscard without the help of her hero Jackson Farraday. There’s plenty of action that includes a well- written catfight between Lil and Virginia.

There are two elements to the plot that provide extra interest, that move the story away from the traditional western tale. The first is the art of hypnotism, and Keith Chapman includes some fascinating facts about the history of the mesmerist. The second is the use of drugs to remove resistance and thus enable rape.

And what of Lil’s relationship with M’Cline? Sorry I’m not going to reveal how that ends – if indeed it does – but will say that the story ends with an exciting showdown in a setting that painted vivid imagery in my mind, and brought to mind those old horror films from Hammer.

So a western that blends the traditional with more challenging subject matter in a well paced plot that once more proves the Misfit Lil series is definitely worth reading.

Misfit Lil Robs the Bank is officially published on September 30th, but is available now from Internet booksellers, and as Chap O’Keefe westerns usually sell-out quickly, I’d suggest you order your copy as soon as possible.

Death Comes Riding

by Terrell L. Bowers
A Black Horse Western from Hale, September 2009

Lucas usually avoided contact with the Indians, but fate sometimes stepped in. When a simple job turns out to be a death ride, his relationship with one Indian in particular changes his life forever.

In the midst of an impending war between the assembled tribes of the Black Hills and the army, Lucas partners Daniel Books, a half-Cheyenne who doesn’t really belong on either side of the war. Daniel helps Lucas seek out the men who robbed and shot him, and left him for dead.

Then there is Iris Ducane, the girl who captured Lucas’s heart, already being courted by Captain Bagot, a suave Creole Frenchman from the nearby fort, who wants her for himself…and he is willing to kill Lucas to win her hand!

Set against a backdrop of the coming together of the tribes and the Battle of the Little Big Horn, Terrell L. Bowers packs a lot into Death Comes Riding. His characters are well created and his dialogue is well written, including lots of grin inducing sarcasm, particularly when Iris and her uncle discuss the differences between men and women. There’s plenty of action as Lucas attempts to retrieve a stolen payroll and expose an insurance scam. The contrasts between Lucas and Captain Bagot provide some fascinating reading, which ends in an exciting duel between the two men.

I’m surprised I haven’t read anything by Terrell L. Bowers before as he’s been writing westerns for quite sometime having quite a long list of books published by Hale. More of his work has been published in America by Avalon (seemingly a series set in Broken Spoke, and one of these books has been published by Leisure too). Reckon it’s time to see what else I can find.

Death Comes Riding has an official release date of September 30th, and I’d suggest getting your order in soon, before this one sells-out, as it’s already on sale at the usual Internet booksellers.

Gunsmoke

By T.T. Flynn
Leisure, October 2009

The Mexicans call him Ponchito, Little Mild One. Buckshot Bledsoe knows the six-foot, scar-faced, blue-eyed man named Jim Tennant may look calm on the outside, but he’s burning with vengeance inside. Buckshot’s counting on that need for retribution to convince Jim to come back to San Angelo. Things there are bad and only getting worse. But to save the town, reclaim his lost love, and clear his name, Jim will have to face down the very men who came so close to killing him the first time—and he may not be lucky enough to survive twice.

Contents:
Dead Man Deputy First appeared in Western Story - 01/04/1941
Lodeville First appeared in Star Western – 08/1937 – as Lodeville Calls a Gun-Doctor
Shadow First appeared in Adventure Magazine – 07/23/1926
The Trail to Monterey First appeared in Fifteen Western Tales – 05/1945 – as Guns of the Lobo Trail

Before each story Leisure have included information about T.T. Flynn, for instance about his marriage to Mary C. DeRene, and, of course, about his life as a writer and how each of the four stories in Gunsmoke came about, even saying how much he was paid for a couple of them.

T.T. Flynn packs a lot into these short stories, meaning they are fast moving tales filled with action. His descriptions of both people and settings are second to none. He also uses a lot of dialogue, and it’s this that gives away the age of these tales, as there is a lot more ‘cowboy lingo’ than you’d expect to find in a western written today - not that this type of language is detrimental to this excellent collection of stories.

The first two stories fall into the traditional western category, involving revenge, rustling, stampedes and gold mining. Both these tales have touches of mystery, for instance who is the wounded stranger who arrives in Lodeville. The first story also has a superbly drawn bad guy who also seems to be one step ahead of the hero, Jim Tennant. The fourth story is set during the Mexican war and has a twisting storyline that keeps the reader – and it’s heroes – wondering just what is going on. This story also has the strongest female role.

But it is the third tale that was the standout story for me. This is set around the railroad, and involves a hardworking father of twelve who gets fired due to being drunk whilst celebrating the birth of triplets. Flynn really creates a wonderful feeling of hopelessness for this man as his world comes crashing down. The main element of the plot is a horrific fire in one of the railroad’s buildings during a snowstorm, and it’s how different men react to this that comes across so strongly, the story becoming an exceptional study of human character.

Never having read anything by T.T. Flynn before, I can definitely say, that on the strength of these four stories, I’ll be hunting through my collection of old western pulps for more of his work very soon, and checking Leisure’s back catalogue for more of his books.

Gunsmoke should hit the shelves on October 1st, although it seems to be available from Internet booksellers now.

Shoot-Out at San Lorenzo

as by Henry Remington
A Black Horse Western from Hale, September 2009

Blue gunsmoke roils as a vicious gang of killers puts the homes of Arizona settlers to the flames. Who is behind the terror attacks?

Security man James Slaughter suspects the mayor of San Lorenzo, Joe Hagerty, may be the mastermind for he is buying up the settlers’ dispossessed land cheap and fast. Does the mayor’s haughtily beautiful wife, Jane, know more than she reveals? And who is the mysterious Mr Black who arrives at their casino in a private stagecoach in the middle of the night?

Now the trouble comes thick and fast as Slaughter searches for the gang’s hideout and their psychopathic leader. Lightning strikes and guns thunder!

This is the fourth BHW by Henry Remington, the first, A Man Called Slaughter, appeared way back in 1999, and I’m wondering if all four books feature the man called James Slaughter? As Henry Remington is a pseudonym it would seem highly possible that John Dyson uses this author name for books about Slaughter only.

John Dyson has long been a favourite of BHW fans and this book shows why. James Slaughter is an excellent character that is definitely not your clean-cut western hero. He’s a rough, ex-bounty hunter (ex in this book anyway) who doesn’t give a damn about what anyone else thinks of him, he doesn’t worry about the consequences of chasing after married women either.

There’s plenty of action as Slaughter attempts to discover the identity of the man who led the attack on, and destruction of, a train and the massacre of its passengers. The mysterious Mr Black makes for a formidable adversary. The female lead, Jane, is beautifully portrayed and plays an important role in saving Slaughter’s life, but also has to go through some brutal treatment of her own. Dyson handles dialogue and descriptions equally well, and includes a neat twist at the end that I didn’t see coming.

Shoot-Out at San Lorenzo has a release date of September 30th but is available now from Internet booksellers.