Rangeland Justice

by Rob Hill

A Black Horse Western from Hale, July 2010

When Jack Just, weary from long days on the trail, rides into an isolated cattle town on the Texas Panhandle, he discovers that the greedy and powerful Clovis Blacklake has the whole town in his pocket.

But when Jack discovers that Blacklake has cheated the town’s most downtrodden inhabitant out of his rightful property, he decides to make a stand.

It takes a real man to fight the ruthless Blacklake and when Jack does; the table finally begin to turn….

It seems as though this is the first Black Horse Western to appear under this author’s name, whether this is his real name or a pseudonym I have no idea.

The book begins at an almost gentle pace, even though the opening pages do include a vicious beating, and slowly builds towards its climax at ever increasing speed.

The author takes time introducing the various characters that are going to be the main players in the story, such as Jack Just, Clovis Blacklake and his sister Adela who is near blind, Sheriff Bull Brown and his part-time deputies, the crippled Indian Moses and more. There’s one, though, whom he doesn’t reveal much about: a Comanche who keeps appearing and watching events at the abandoned mission, thus adding a touch of mystery to the story. There’s other questions too, for instance is Blacklake really as bad as Just believes, as most of the townsfolk hold him in high regard.

Rob Hill doesn’t include any events that aren’t going to have a part to play later in the story, for instance the brutal beating at the beginning, which at first appears to be just showing how savage the deputies can be, sees the beaten man having an important role to play later that helps shape the outcome of the book, particularly during the showdown between Just and Blacklake during a prize fight challenge.

The story ends in a somewhat surprising way, considering the plot seems to be following a traditional western storyline for the most part, in that who lives and who dies, and what the future holds for those who survive, may not be how many might expect the book to finish.

Rangeland Justice should be available from Internet bookstores now, and I, for one, hope it isn’t too long before another book appears from this author.

The Killers of Cimarron

as by Frank Leslie

Signet, June 2010

The second book in the Colter Farrow series.

Colter Farrow is on the run from bounty hunters sent by a sadistic sheriff who branded his face. He finds refuge in the remote Cheyenne Mountains, working on a small ranch run by Cimarron Padilla and his beautiful adopted Hunkpapa daughter, Pearl. Colter thinks he’s found sanctuary at last.

But after a savage group of ruthless killers steal a cache of gold, slays Cimarron, and takes Pearl hostage, Colter is back on the vengeance trail. Aided by an aging deputy U.S. marshal, Colter is determined to bring Pearl back alive and send the killers of Cimarron straight to hell.

Colter Farrow is, at the moment, quite a different character to the heroes of Peter Brandvold’s (here writing as Frank Leslie) other series, in as much as he’s not, yet, as tough as them. In fact, at times, he allows his emotions to get the better of him. Yes he is as proficient with a gun, and gets plenty of opportunity to use it, but he’s still learning the art of survival. Teaming him up with the old, and wanting to retire, deputy U.S. Marshal Spurr allows for some excellent contrasts in character to be portrayed.

In fact Marshal Spurr is the most memorable person in this book, perhaps due to him being in it more, as Peter Brandvold switches between the main players in the story often. Pearl also makes for a fascinating character and you have to wonder as to how Farrow’s relationship with her will develop as the book races toward the end.

Peter Brandvold is known for writing very violent and savage books and this one more than matches any of his previous work in its graphic brutality, although I felt there was less of it than in some of his more recent publications.

As expected, the story is extremely well written, gritty, violent, tense, and at times humorous. The book also offers a number of surprises, mainly to do with who lives and who dies and to what the future holds for Colter Farrow and others. The end definitely has me eager for the next book in the series; let’s just hope it’s not too long in coming….

Hideout at Mender's Crossing

as by John Glasby

A Black Horse Western from Hale, July 2010

The ghost town of Mender’s Crossing was the ideal base for a gang of outlaws to operate from without interference. Then, a group of soldiers are killed defending a gold-train and the army calls upon special operator Steve Landers to investigate.

Now, Landers must face not only the gang but land baron Hal Clegg, whose hired mercenaries are driving independent ranchers off their land. He will need nerves of steel if he is to succeed when he is so heavily outnumbered. Can he cheat the odds and win?

John Glasby is one of Hale’s most prolific Black Horse Western writers, having had books published under about fifty different pseudonyms. Hideout at Mender’s Crossing is only the fourth to appear with his own name as author I believe.

This book is superbly paced and full of well-drawn characters on either side of the law. The two story threads causing all sorts of problems for Landers, as does the beautiful Freya Morgan and her Apache sidekick. Even though the reader expects all these threads to be linked you’re never quite sure if that’s how things will turn out.

The action sequences are well described and full of excitement, from the spectacular train robbery near the beginning, to a stagecoach robbery and the final showdown. Mistrusts between various characters, who find themselves working together through need rather than wanting too, adds some well-crafted tensions to the story.

As you’ve probably gathered, I found this to be a very entertaining read that has me wanting to search through my collection of BHW to see if I have anymore by John Glasby.

Hideout at Mender’s Crossing is officially released at the end of this month but should be available now from the usual Internet sources.

100 Recommendations

Some of you may find this listing of interest:
100 book recommendations to get you through the summer

It's been put together by Online College, which is an American site, and they've been good enough to choose The Ox-Bow Incident that I reviewed here to add to their recommendations complete with a link to WFR. It can be found in the section sub-titled "Books Turned Into Films" Hopefully this may get a few new readers to try a western.

Loner With a Gun

as by Ryan Bodie

A Black Horse Western from Hale, July 2010

Hank Masters was a good man, a gentle man who wouldn’t have hurt a fly, so when he was framed and then hanged for a crime he didn’t commit his son Flint swore revenge.

Now Flint Masters must leave his life as a gun-guard in Durango to travel to Jaramillo, where his father’s life was taken. He will avenge himself on the lying, cheating town of Jaramillo until he has done justice to his father’s memory. And woe betide anyone who stands in his way….

Ryan Bodie starts his story after the killing of Hank Masters and it isn’t long before Flint Masters is about to find out just what happened to his father by experiencing the same kind of death himself. But Flint is sprung from jail just in time and finds himself on the run and the hunt for him takes up a good portion of the book.

Even though the reader, and Masters, know who is behind the crimes in Jaramillo we don’t know the why. And it’s this question that keeps you turning the pages.

The book is filled with well-drawn characters, Jack Gatling – the bad guys right-hand man and gunman – being particularly memorable. It’s also interesting to see how his boss, Herrod, starts to fall to pieces as his empire begins to collapse around him.

Overall this a fairly traditional western that proves to be an entertaining read, as I expected from this author – Ryan Bodie being a name used by the very prolific writer Paul Wheelahan – and I look forward to his next book with anticipation.

Loner With a Gun is officially released at the end of this month but is available now from Internet bookstores.

Texas Horse Trading Co. #2

HANGTREE PASS

by Gene Shelton

Diamond, July 1994

Sometimes there’s only one place to find justice: on the wrong side of the law. And that’s exactly where the down-and-out duo of Willoughby and Brubs do their business…

One’s a Yankee, the other’s a Rebel – so you can’t expect these two unlikely partners to agree on much. But when it comes to horse-trading, Dave Willoughby and Brubs McCallan see eye-to-eye: If you can’t buy ‘em, steal ‘em. And better yet, steal from the lowlifes who deserve it. But now, the boys are a little worried. The Texas Rangers have come riding into town…

And they’re looking to string up some horse thieves.

Having enjoyed the first Texas Horse Trading Co. book I had high hopes for this one, would it measure up to my expectations? The quick answer is yes!

Like the first book Hangtree Pass contains a well-balanced mixture of action, suspense, humorous situations and lively dialogue. There are some excellent problems for Willoughby and McCallan to overcome, not least being chased by Texas Rangers, their bluff when trying to talk their way out of this confrontation makes for a great plot thread. Of course this isn’t the only sticky situation they try to talk their way out of; there’s trying to sell a stolen horse to it’s original owner – this ownership something Dave and Brubs are unaware of. And Brubs’ rules for picking weapons for a duel are both hilarious and memorable.

So Hangtree Pass more than stands up to the quality of the first book in this series. It’s packed with incident and exciting reading. Gene Shelton’s writing style is extremely readable, and difficult to put down – not least due to the inclusion of a number of cliff-hanger chapter, and scene, endings that just urge the reader to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next.

Next for me, is the third book in the series, Skull Creek, a book I’m looking forward to reading immensely.

Celebration Time!

Western Fiction Review is 2 today!