HANG McALLISTER

By Matt Chisholm

Cover art by Gino D’Achille

Panther Books, 1970
Piccadilly Publishing, March 2022

Rem McAllister was on one of the toughest missions of his violent career. He rode into Mexico – and found a whole heap of trouble brewing. For one thing, he discovered that there were some mean hombres bent on invading Texas. For another, he found himself mixed up in a vicious war. And soon enough his outsize talent for trouble got him into a situation where two different leaders and a whole army were bent on hunting him down. Even for McAllister, these were fearsome odds . . . 

This book is a must read for fans of Matt Chisholm’s McAllister. His father, Chad McAllister, was always vague about the identity of Rem’s mother, stating she was either a Mexican lady of high birth or a Cheyenne princess, depending on how drunk he was at the time of telling. Rem has never met his mother and now he might just discover who she really is when he meets an old lady named McAllister. That isn’t the only shock for McAllister regarding family as he also finds himself fighting alongside a man who claims he is Rem’s brother. At first McAllister is suspicious of both, even though they know enough about Chad McAllister to make their stories ring true. Could it be that Rem has finally found his mother and at the same time a sibling he was unaware of?

For both McAllister fans and those who just enjoy a good western read, then this book should satisfy all. From the opening scenes this book grabs the imagination, hooks the reader with questions, and creates tension with plenty of how is he going to get out of that situations. The action is almost nonstop, as McAllister battles vastly superior odds. The author doesn’t give his hero an easy time of it either as McAllister is viciously beaten a couple of times and imprisoned. 

Matt Chisholm is a pseudonym used by author Peter Watts, and yet again he’s written a book that is thoroughly entertaining. The story is packed with great characters and has a terrific plot revolving around an invasion of America. Profanity is minimal, and the violence is hard-hitting but not overly graphic. The author also has a neat twist at the end that clears up McAllister’s questions about his new found family members.

The McAllister series ran for 39 books and they can take some finding these days in paper form. If you don’t mind reading ebooks, then you are in luck as Hang McAllister and many others are available electronically.  

CUTTHROATS

SLASH AND PECOS

Number 1 of 5 to date

By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Kensington hardback, February 2019

Pinnacle paperback, July 2019

Not every Western hero wears a white hat or a tin star. Most of them are just fighting to survive. Some of them can be liars, cheaters, and thieves. And then there’s a couple of old-time robbers named Slash and Pecos . . . 

After a lifetime of robbing banks and holding up trains, Jimmy “Slash” Braddock and Melvin “Pecos Kid” Baker are ready to call it quits – though not completely by choice. Sold out by their gang, Slash and Pecos have to bust out of jail and pull one last job to finance their early retirement . . . 

The target is a rancher’s payroll train. Catch is: the train is carrying a Gatling gun manned by deputy U.S. marshals who know they’re coming. Caught and quickly sentenced to hang, their old enemy – the wheelchair-bound, bucket of mean, Marshal L.C. Bledsoe – shows up at the last minute to spare their lives. For a price. He’ll let them live if they hunt down their own gang, the Snake River Marauders. And kill those prairie rats – with extreme prejudice . . . 

Slash and Pecos are a couple of bickering old outlaws who’ve never killed anyone unless it was whilst defending themselves. Both are very likeable characters whose reflections on their past and observations on their now and future often had me grinning or laughing out loud. I will quickly add that this isn’t a comedy western, far from it.

After a lengthy gunfight with bounty hunters the story swiftly moves on to the ill-fated train robbery. This leads to them being sentenced to death by hanging. Saved in the nick-of-time, Slash and Pecos now have to face up to the realization that they have been double-crossed and have no choice but to track down and kill their old gang. Fittingly the final showdown revolves around another train robbery which contains many edge-of-the-seat moments.

There are many other terrific characters in this book too; Marshal “Bleed-‘Em-So” Bledsoe and the beautiful statuesque blonde, Abigail Langdon, who pushes the Marshal around in his wheelchair. Then there’s Jaycee Breckenridge, a long-time friend who it seems set them up to be captured, which is a revelation that Slash and Pecos struggle to comprehend. 

Descriptions of characters, landscape, architecture, trains and the many action scenes are superb, painting vivid imagery that played out in my minds-eye in a very visual, gripping tale that made this book difficult to put down. On reaching the end, I was left wanting to read the next book in the series as soon as possible.

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.

EASY COMPANY AND THE GYPSY RIDERS

EASY COMPANY AND THE GYPSY RIDERS

Number 29 of 31

By John Wesley Howard

Cover art by Samson Pollen

Jove, June 1983

When the roving band of gypsies arrived in the Wyoming Territory, their strange way of life was not welcomed. But “Easy” was sworn to protect them the same as everyone else.

Lt. Matt Kincaid has enough on his hands defending the gypsies. But another stranger invades the territory – an eccentric Englishman – who starts to slaughter buffalo for pleasure. Kincaid knows the Indians will never stand for that, and when the Arapaho launch a savage attack, “Easy” is in deep trouble.

The author of this book has created an excellent mix of characters that cause all kind of problems for Easy Company. To start with it is mainly the gypsies that the soldiers of Outpost Nine have to deal with. Many of these incidents having a touch of humour to them. I felt Captain Conway’s exasperation as each gypsy said his name was John Smith as they won’t divulge their real names to whites. One of the gypsy children also adds a touch of mystery to the tale as he was obviously not born a gypsy, so who is he?

The Englishman, Sir Fletcher, seems harmless enough until it’s revealed that he’s really come to Wyoming to carry out a scientific experiment. What this is both shocking and amusing, but something that will certainly lead to retaliation from the Indians. 

After a brief attack by Indians on the gypsy caravan at the beginning of the book there’s not much gunplay until near the end. Everything in-between builds to an action-packed assault on Outpost Nine by the Arapaho.

The Easy Company books are often referred to as an adult series, so you may be surprised to know that there isn’t any explicit sex to found in this story. Yes, it’s hinted at but that it.

I don’t know who wrote this book, but I found it to be an easy read. I did feel there was a bit too many character tales of their pasts that had nothing to do with the story and due to this they felt like padding. The author utilizes most of Easy Company’s main characters so if you have a favourite, you’ll find them playing a part in this tale. There’s also a new soldier, and like in other books of the series you just know he’s going to be the cause of trouble and his exploits bring about the humorous final lines of the book.

Not one of the best books in the series, but certainly very readable and entertaining. 

LUCK OF THE DRAW

FARO BLAKE

Number 2 of 31

By Zeke Masters

Pocket Books, June 1980

Between the whores and the hell-raisers in the boomtown of Abilene, Faro Blake’s nightly game at the Texas Rose was thriving. But when a greedy trail boss used the business end of a gun to relieve Faro of his take, it seemed like a good time to hit the trail.

Trouble is, the trail he hit, hit back – dropping him by turns off the back of a moving train, into a camp of Comancheros, under the thumb of a crooked marshal and into a no-holds-barred love tussle with a beautiful, brutal lady jailer.

It would take a tornado to blow Faro out of this one. No problem. Kansas is tornado country, ain’t it?

Zeke Masters’ Faro Blake is another of the many adult western series that came out during the latter 1970’s and the 1980’s. Like the majority of them, the authors’ name is a pseudonym and I believe the person writing behind the pen-name for this book was Donald R. Bensen. 

I found this book to be a fast, easy read. The straight-forward plot sees Blake getting into all kinds of scrapes which eventually lead to him going undercover to try and discover the whereabouts of some stolen gold. Blake seems to have an easy-come, easy-go attitude to life, which is why he is content to accept having his winnings stolen from him at the beginning and having no desire to track down the thief. This outlook on life makes him standout from other western heroes who would be hell-bent on retrieving their stolen property and making the thief pay the hard way. 

Blake’s anger does rise as the story progresses as he gets battered and bruised, used and abused, before being chained up in a dank underground cell at the mercy of the beautiful jailer mentioned above. How to escape her clutches soon becomes his one-and-only goal. This all leads to one hell of a final battle as all the different sides arrive at the small Inn Blake is being held captive at. I’m not sure why the blurb mentions a tornado as there isn’t one in the story, perhaps it’s referencing the frantic gunfight that brings the story to a close?

Being an adult western series, the book does contain some graphic sex, but this doesn’t take up too much of the story. Although Blake beds most of the women he meets the author only uses one or two paragraphs to describe these scenes. There is one such encounter that takes up more of the story, lasting for a couple pages, so these parts are easy to skip if you so desire.

There are some interesting comparisons to the real-life tale of the Benders as travellers vanish when visiting the inn. The beautiful jailer is called Kate, although her family name is Crakes. The crooked marshal is named Bender, as are the majority of people living in the nearby town of Bendersville. Setting the story in Kansas also provides another link to the family of serial killers.

Overall, a found this to be an entertaining book and I’m sure I will read more of this series somewhere down the line.

THE MASSACRE TRAIL

GUNSLINGER

Number 1 of 10

By Charles C. Garrett

Cover art by Chris Collingwood

Sphere, 1979

John Ryker was a gunsmith. One of the best at a time when speed and skill with a shooting iron were as vital to survival as food in your belly.

Then one day Ryker sold a man a gun – a Deringer – that later killed a President. That incident set Ryker on a vengeance trail of blood and conflict that would test his gun-skill to its farthest limits. And so, the gunsmith became a killer – one whose professional mastery of the West’s armoury of death-dealing firepower made him the deadliest around . . . 

The cover above is from my copy, which is a 1979 reprint. The book was first published in 1977 with cover art by Colin Backhouse – which you can see below. 

The Gunslinger series came from the group of British authors who would later become known as the Piccadilly Cowboys. This series was written by Angus Wells and Laurence James, the latter being the author of this book.

What set this series apart from the others is that each book features a different gun. This time it’s the Deringer and its copies known as Derringers. Each book contains loads of information about the weapons both Ryker and others use, making this series a must read for anyone who has an interest in guns of this time period.

Like the vast majority of the series written by the Piccadilly Cowboys, it’s vengeance that sees Ryker hit the killing trail. At the beginning of the book, Ryker is just a gunsmith, he’s never killed anyone before. He sells a Deringer to a man who gives it to John Wilkes Booth who assassinates President Abraham Lincoln with it. Northerners then seek out anyone who they claim helped Booth achieve his aim, and the gunsmith who sold the Deringer becomes a target. Two men ride to Ryker’s hometown and finding him away, brutally kill his father instead. Ryker now wants revenge.

I always enjoyed seeing how Ryker changes, he’s a quick learner in the art of killing. He makes mistakes that nearly see him killed. He uses information customers gave him to hone his techniques whilst having their guns repaired. People such as John Wesley Hardin and an unknown man who carries a razor in a pouch behind his neck – a man Ryker thanks for giving him an edge.

Killing his father’s murderers isn’t the end of the book by far. Ryker has dealings with a banker named Goldburgh who claims ownership to the gunsmith’s family home and his store. The sheriff of Tucson, Nolan, encourages Ryker to become a bounty hunter to get the money he needs to get out of dept with the bank. The second half of the story sees Ryker head to Desolation, a town taken over by six Confederate deserters. Can Ryker, still learning his new trade, save the town from these savage killers and get the money he needs to payoff Goldburgh?

Laurence James does a superb job in introducing Ryker and some of the support characters who will have parts to play later in the series. James blends the gun information into the story in a natural way so these sections don’t come over like someone lecturing the reader about these weapons. As expected, the book is packed with bloody, descriptive violence and it also includes a little explicit sex. Like in many of James’ books, you’ll also find a character who’s an albino. 

The Gunslinger series has always been one of my favourites to come from the Piccadilly Cowboys and I’d encourage anyone who likes their work to read this series. Whilst the paperbacks aren’t easy to find these days, you’ll be pleased to know that Piccadilly Publishing has just begun to put this series out as ebooks and The Massacre Trail is available now.

MARAUDERS' MOON - in pictures

MARAUDERS’ MOON
By Luke Short
Comic Book version

This comic contains two stories bound back-to-back. These are both adaptations of books by well-known authors. Double Western Pictorials were published in Australia by the Junior Readers’ Press and distributed by Gordon and Gotch (A/sia) Ltd. Dell also published Marauder’s Moon in America in October 1957 as a picturized edition too. The Australian version isn’t dated so I can’t tell you when it was published. It measures 18.5cm X 13.5cm and has a colour cover, the interior being black and white. I believe the inks were done by Mike Peppe.

The story was original published under a different title, Silver Horn Breaks, in 1937. It appeared as a seven-part serial in Western Story Magazine and has since been published a number of times in paperback and hardback as Marauders’ Moon.

I’ve never read the full-length book version, so I have no idea how much has been missed out to make it fit the 32 pages of this comic. Each page has five or six panels that are well illustrated, although I did feel that too much dialogue was crammed into some of them. The artist draws people, horses, firearms, buildings and landscapes with equal skill.

The story is fast moving although at times I found it a bit dialogue heavy – perhaps this is a problem with it being adapted into short comic form and too much talk had to be crammed in to explain what was happening? Fistfights and gunfights erupt regularly adding some welcome relief to all the talking.

Luke Short’s tale follows Webb Cousins, who doesn’t take centre stage as other characters are featured as much as him. Cousins has been arrested for train robbery, something he’s innocent of. Held on a ranch he manages to escape only to be captured again by another rancher. Seems the ranchers are at war with each other and one side is determined to wipe the other out. Cousins picks a side but can he save the day? There’s a little more to the range war than is first apparent, and there’s also the beautiful daughter of one of the ranchers who may complicate matters – although she hardly appears in the comic, perhaps there’s more about her in the full-length story?

Overall a fun read, even though it was predictable. It certainly didn’t make me want to search out the original and read that too. Luke Short is a pseudonym for Frederick D. Glidden, an author who is a popular choice for many western readers. 

This comic adaption of Marauders’ Moon is paired with Max Brand’s Silvertip and the Stolen Stallion.

Click on the image below to see a larger version of the opening pages.