WESTERN NOVELS—CROSS THE RED CREEK

WESTERN NOVELS

CROSS THE RED CREEK

HARRY WHITTINGTON

REVIEWED BY

TIM DEFOREST

Harry Whittington is known for writing brutal, engrossing hard-boiled crime fiction. So it's no surprise that his Westerns are also brutal, engrossing and hard-boiled. 

A rancher named Jim Gilmore has a miserably unhappy wife and we meet him while he's riding into new territory, looking to find new land and give himself and his wife a fresh start. But a posse from the nearby town finds him and mistakes him for a bank robber. The charge doesn't stick, but the most of the townspeople still think he's guilty. 

But Jim is sick of running from trouble, so he buys some land and begins building a home. He brings his wife to town, but she remains miserably unhappy. Soon, Jim is framed for a payroll robbery and also gets involved in looking into a year-old murder. 

Violence ensues, with sudden and unexpected character deaths adding to the sense of desperation that drips from Whittington's straightforward but very sharp prose. Everything leads up to a tense and unique showdown with the villain.

WESTERN NOVELS—COLORADO CITY KILL

WESTERN NOVELS

COLORADO CITY KILL

THE GUNS OF LEGENDE #5

BRODY WEATHERFORD

REVIEWED BY

TIM DEFOREST

After one book in the series in which they did not appear, Frank Landry and Emily O'Conner return as the primary agents of Alistair Legende to complete the Society's latest mission.  I've come to think of the Guns of Legende series as a sort-of western Mission Impossible, with agents assigned to missions as their particular skills dictated. So Frank and Emily are the Martin Landau and Barbara Bain of the series, appearing on a fairly regular basis.

This time out, the plot is driven by a series of con jobs. The villain, Tate Holbrook, is running a scam on Colorado City, taking money on the false promise to provide the city with fresh water. When he commits a murder to protect himself, Legende sends Frank and Emily (along with another agent named Tomcat Meyer) to bring Holbrook to justice. This involves the good guys running a con of their own, designed to get Holbrook away from his ever-present bodyguards.

It's a wonderfully constructed plot. Plans go awry, forcing Frank and Emily to improvise a new plan while being held at gunpoint. A half-dozen outlaw brothers show up, looking for revenge on Frank and Tomcat over another matter entirely, throwing yet another monkey wrench into their plans. And it will turn out that there might be other people around running cons of their own.

There are a number of exciting action scenes, but the story's fast pace is driven largely by the efforts of different characters to outsmart each other. It's a Western AND a multi-faceted con artist tale. And it even sneaks in a look at the differences between justice and revenge. I loved it.

WESTERN NOVELS—DUEL IN DODGE CITY

WESTERN NOVELS

DUEL IN DODGE CITY

THE GUNS OF LEGENDE #4

BRODY WEATHERFORD

REVIEWED BY

TIM DEFOREST

In this volume, we meet an agent of Alistair Legende that we had not encountered before. And the first few short chapters of the book do a superb job of introducing us to him. Lucas Chambers is a gunfighter, but we also quickly learn that he's cool-headed when facing danger; that he can come up with clever plans but also is able to improvise on the fly; and that he has Chronic Hero Syndrome. 

In the first chapter, he's going up against another gunfighter who beat an aging prostitute to death, because the woman was the sister of a friend. Soon after, he randomly meets a child who's beloved dog was stolen and immediately undertakes the task of recovering the dog. 

We also learn that Lucas' wife was murdered, leaving him with what in some ways a very cynical outlook on life. The details of how his wife died and an encounter with the man responsible are weaved into the plot. 

Lucas' mission is to prevent the assassination of presidential candidate Rutherford B. Hayes. He is to eliminate one of the assassins, take his place, and find out who else is involved in the plot. But events to not proceed smoothly. 

Lucas soon finds himself saddled with a partner he does not want--a woman who is almost certainly insane and who either loves Lucas or wants to kill him. Or both. But circumstances leave him with no choice but to accept this. 

The story is punctuated not just by some great action scenes (a gunfight in a hotel room is particularly exciting), but also by the level of suspense maintained from start to finish. Lucas has to pretend to be stalking Rutherford Hayes, while at the same time watching his back in case other assassins try to take him out. And all of this, remember, is happening while he's looking after a partner who clearly lives in Crazy Town.

It all comes to a wonderfully original conclusion that I don't want to hint at--it's best if the final confrontation with the bad guys sneaks up on you without any knowledge of how its going to play out.

WESTERN NOVELS—GUNSMOKE AND ICE

WESTERN NOVELS

GUNSMOKE AND ICE

THE GUNS OF LEGENDE #3

BRODY WEATHERFORD

REVIEWED BY

TIM DEFOREST

I am continuing to love this series. Gunsmoke and Ice is the third in the series about a secret organization in the Old West that takes on missions given to it by (presumably) the government. 

In this case, the mission seems straightforward. A bank robbery in New Mexico leaves a politically-important man dead, so the Alistair Legende is tasked with bringing the killer to justice. He assigns beautiful gambler Emily O'Connor to the job. Emily's ex-husband--whiskey peddler Frank Landry-is also in the area. 

At first, though, he's not an official part of the mission. Instead, he's trying to buy a piece of the local moonshine action. The result is a story that is--at first--a little less structured than the earlier novels in the series. That's not a criticism, though. The storytelling style is appropriate to the plot, as both Emily and Frank are tossed in and out of danger.

Gradually, the action narrows to where the two are helping transport a wagon load of ice from Taos to Tombstone. For reasons that Frank and Emily do not at first understand, the one survivor of of the original bank robbers is relentlessly pursing that ice shipment. The plot allows for a lot of great action--with bullets flying fast and thick-- and we meet a number of very memorable supporting characters along the way.

WESTERN NOVELS—DEATH WAITS AT YELLOWSTONE

WESTERN NOVELS

DEATH WAITS AT YELLOWSTONE

GUNS OF LEGENDE #2

BRODY WEATHERFORD

REVIEWED BY

TIM DEFOREST

Another excellent entry in the Guns of Legende series...This one starts with two separate story lines. In one of these, two agents of Alistair Legende are assigned to find a party of VIPs who are apparently lost in the Yellowstone area (which has only recently been made a park by the federal government). 

I don't want to give too much away, because the mystery behind this unfolds in a very satisfying manner, but the reason for the party's disappearance has to do with a haven for outlaws hidden in a remote section of the park. 

Another agent looks into a group of apparent bad guys (called the Scarlet Rogues because they wear red shirts) that has taken an interest in Legende's supposedly secret Society of Buckhorn and Bison. Both story lines include a solid mystery to solve, great action and strong characterizations. 

Eventually, the two story lines join together, unexpected alliances are formed, and the book is brought to a violent and exciting conclusion. The entire story is expertly constructed, with the several plot threads and the actions of the various characters all getting tied together in the climax. 

The two main protagonists, Frank Landry and Emily O'Conner, worked separately in the first novel. In this one, they work together. Because they were once married, but now claim to dislike one another, this allows for some fun interactions between them. 

Some of my favorite highlights from the book include: an encounter in a back alley in Denver that unfolds in an unexpected and very entertaining manner; a truly exciting gun fight in the streets of a small town; a scene in which two sets of protagonists simultaneously outsmart one of the villains in two different ways; and a brutal hand-to-hand fight between Frank Landry and a very dangerous opponent. 

I also learned about the Gardner Machine Gun--a real-life weapon developed in the 1870s that plays an imporant role in the novel. It's always fun when a bit of obscure history gets included in a Western. Like Front Range Rebellion, Death Waits at Yellowstone is a wonderful example of expert storytelling. The Guns of Legende series is two-for-two so far.

WESTERN NOVELS—FRONT RANGE REBELLION

WESTERN NOVELS

FRONT RANGE REBELLION

THE GUNS OF LEGENDE #1

BRODY WEATHERFORD

REVIEWED BY

TIM DEFOREST

The first in a series that has a sort-of Old West "Mission: Impossible" vibe, "Front Range Rebellion" is set in 1876 and involves a secret organization run by a man named Allister Legende. Legende receives assignments from the Federal government, then assigns agents to fulfill those assignments.

In this case, an insane soldier named Carlton Clark has raised an army of outlaws, robbed a train carrying gold to fund operations, and plans on making Colorado an independent nation before it joins the Union as a new state.

To foil this, Legende recruits a fast-talking whiskey salesman named Frank Landry. Frank is also very, very handy with the .36 Navy revolver he carries. Also recruited is the beautiful Emily O'Conner, who is a highly skilled and very observant gambler. Legende doesn't learn until after he recruits the two that they had once been married.

The book is an enormously fun read. The plot is expertly constructed. We get short but informative introductory chapters that bring Clark, Landry and Emily into the story quickly and effectively.

The very first chapter, for instance, recounts the train robbery carried out by Clark and his men. It's action-packed, while also teaching us that Clark is a skilled sniper, a ruthless man willing to slaughter anyone who gets in his way, and probably quite insane. That chapter tells us that Clark is a dangerous man and presents a serious threat.

When Frank and Emily are put on the case, the story jumps back and forth between them, but does so smoothly so that we can always follow the overall plot. Frank infiltrates Clark's army and Emily works to uncover a traitor on the territorial governor's staff. Both story arcs gives us plenty of action and present us with intelligent heroes who often have to think very fast on their feet to keep themselves alive and get the job done. Several great plot twist are dropped in as the story races along.

The book ends with a superb battle scene, with the situation changing rapidly, leading to a tense sniper duel...The book really is enormous fun. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

SIX-GUN JUSTICE PODCAST EPISODE #206—WORLDWIDE WEST TOUR: AUSTRALIA PART 2

SIX-GUN JUSTICE PODCAST

EPISODE #206

WORLD WIDE WEST TOUR

AUSTRALIA PART 2

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

ANDREW NETTE

G'day, cowpokes...It's time to lasso your kangaroo down, mate, as the Six-Gun Justice Podcast's Worldwide West Tour continues its stop in the Land Down Under. Join host Paul Bishop and his special guest, Australian pulp maven Crocodile Andrew Nette as they go walkabout across the Outback in search of Kangaroo Westerns...

Available now on all major podcast streaming platforms or by clicking on the player below...

WESTERN NOVELS—SHERLOCK OF THE SAGELAND

WESTERN NOVELS

SHERLOCK OF THE SAGELAND

W.C. TUTTLE

REVIEWED BY

TIM DEFOREST

The first four stories featuring Henry Harrison Conroy, vaudeville comedian turned sheriff. Set in the early 20th Century, these tales were published in Argosy Magazine beginning in 1935. They are hilarious.

In the first tale, Henry (aging, fat and balding) is no longer getting as many theater bookings. But his luck seems to turn when he inherits a ranch in Arizona from an uncle he had never met.

Henry knows nothing about ranching, but what has he to lose? He travels to Tonto City, AR and is soon embroiled in a murder case. Henry is drunk more often than sober, unable to ride a horse and unable to even come close to a target when he tries to shoot a gun. But he has two things going for him--he has a sense of right and wrong buried in him somewhere and he has a talent for Sherlock Holmesian-level deductions. By the end of the first story, he's solved the murder. At the beginning of the second story, he's been elected sheriff of Tonto County.

The stories work on two levels. First, as I said, they are hilariously funny. Both Henry and the supporting cast provide slapstick humor and witty dialogue. Second, the mysteries that Henry must solve are solid--even while leavening the stories with absurdist humor, the author builds strong plots and brings them to satisfying conclusions.

WESTERN NOVELS—THE BIG BEND

WESTERN NOVELS

THE BIG BEND

RICHARD MEADE (AKA: BEN HAAS)

REVIEWED BY

TIM DEFOREST

An intense Western dripping with great characters...Sam Ramsey owns a horse ranch in Texas in 1914. When his horses are stolen by a group of army deserters who supply Mexican revolutionaries. He pursues them into a harsh desert region called Big Bend. Along the way, he meets Nora Stewart, who's husband was murdered by a different set of bad guys. Traveling with Nora is a black man named Concho, whom we learn is a combat veteran who also knows how to survive in the desert. Sam, though tough, had never been in a gunfight aside from a brief one when his horses were stolen. 

Sam and Concho initially clash with each other, but are soon working together after Nora is captured by the horse thieves. What follows is an extended and incredibly vivid scene in which the two men, carrying only one canteen and without horses or weapons, cross 40 miles of desert in a desperate attempt to rescue Nora. The action scene covering the actual rescue is also fantastic.

The 1914 setting also makes the book interesting. For most of the book, the story unfolds in ways that would be no different than if it was set in the 1870s. But at one point, a Lewis machine gun plays a vital role. Later, an airplane plays an equally vital role. 

I'm not completely happy with how the books ends, but won't discuss details because I don't want to include spoilers. But that's a very subjective opinion and the book as a whole tells a fantastic and exciting tale.

WESTERN COMICS—RIO: THE COMPLETE SAGA

WESTERN COMICS

RIO: THE COMPLETE SAGA

DOUG WILDEY

REVIEWED BY

JAMES REASONER

I was eleven when Jonny Quest premiered in 1964, about the right age to start wondering if I was too old to be watching cartoons. Now I know, of course, that you’re never too old to watch cartoons if you enjoy them. Back in those days, it didn’t take me long to realize that Jonny Quest was one cartoon I certainly needed to watch, because I thought it was great. Jonny’s globe-trotting adventures reminded me of the Rick Brant novels, my all-time favorite series of boys’ adventure books. At the time, I had no idea that the series was created and developed by a writer/artist named Doug Wildey.

In time I became aware of Wildey’s involvement in the series and learned that he had a significant career in comic books and comic strips as well as animation. But if I ever knew he produced a Western comic book called RIO for various publishers in the Eighties and Nineties, I’d forgotten it, until a friend mentioned on Facebook that he was reading a complete collection of Wildey’s Rio stories. That sent me in search of a copy, which proved to be surprisingly easy to obtain since there’s an ebook edition that’s available on Kindle Unlimited (CLICK HERE). Since I’ve come to enjoy reading comics digitally (yeah, that surprised me, too), I grabbed it immediately.

Rio is a former outlaw and gunfighter who has gone to work as a troubleshooter for President Ulysses S. Grant. He’s been promised a pardon if he carries out the missions Grant assigns to him. The first one involves taking on a cruel railroad baron and his hired guns in “The Hide Butchers”. That’s the first part of a three-part story that continues in “Satan’s Doorstep”, in which Rio clashes with the U.S. cavalry, and “Robber’s Roost”, in which he ventures into a Mexican village that’s been taken over by outlaws.

In another long, three-part story, “Mr. Howard’s Son”, Wildey fills in more of Rio’s background and reveals that he once rode with Frank and Jesse James and their gang. Rio encounters Jesse again, as Old West outlaw history buffs will realize pretty early on, and the events in this story foreshadow the famous owlhoot’s real-life fate later on.

Rio encounters another old friend, Doc Holliday, in “Hot Lead for Jonny Hardluck”, as a trail that begins with a botched stagecoach robbery ultimately leads Rio to San Francisco. From there, still in company with Doc Holliday, Rio pays a visit to Tombstone in “Red Dust in Tombstone”, a tale that also involves Wyatt and Virgil Earp and Buckskin Frank Leslie. Finally, the volume concludes with “Reprisal”, an unfinished story Wildey was working on at the time of his death, in which Rio tangles with Mexican revolutionaries who are after a load of gunpowder smuggled over the border.

I really enjoyed reading RIO: THE COMPLETE SAGA. Wildey’s artwork is superb all the way through, and his scripts have a gritty tone to them reminiscent of Spaghetti Westerns and the novels written by the Piccadilly Cowboys in the Seventies. The historical aspects seem reasonably accurate, and I think fans of traditional Westerns would enjoy these stories, as well. It’s an excellent collection, a lot of fun to read, and I give it a high recommendation.

WESTERN NOVELS—FARGO: PHANTOM GUNMAN

WESTERN NOVELS

FARGO 

PHANTOM GUNMAN

JOHN BENTEEN

REVIEWED BY

TIM DEFOREST

In this one, Fargo is hired to kill Billy the Kid. But the book is set in 1910, meaning Billy had supposedly been dead for nearly thirty years...A rich Texan with a grudge against Billy from decades ago has reason to believe the famous outlaw is still alive. Fargo travels to Lincoln County to find Billy and soon finds a tense situation. 

Memories of the Lincoln County War are still sharp among the residents there even after three decades and that war seems likely to begin again. If Fargo finds and kills Billy, that might be the spark that starts the bloodshed all over again. 

The novel is an interesting one, with the mystery of whether Billy is still alive being resolves in a fascinating way. Fargo ends up siding with the underdogs when fighting breaks out again, leading to a pitched battle in the streets of Lincoln. Soon after, Fargo is locked in a deadly knife fight with a the leader of the opposition. 

As is typical of the Fargo novels, this one is fast-paced, well-written and filled with exciting action set pieces.

 

WESTERN NOVELS—MAD MORGAN'S HOARD

WESTERN NOVELS

MAD MORGAN'S HOARD

PHILIP KETCHUM

REVIEWED BY

TIM DEFOREST

Mad Morgan's Hoard by Philip Ketchum quite literally starts with a bang, as someone bushwacks the protagonist Brad Collier. Collier gets the drop on the bushwacker, but finds himself drawn into a bizarre and dangerous situation. There is, supposedly, $50,000 in gold (the proceeds of a bank robbery) hidden nearby. A cantankerous old man known as Mad Morgan is said to know where the gold is. Brad soon finds himself an unwilling pawn as several local factions of bad guys try to find the gold. 

But Brad knows how to take care of himself and is able to think on his feet. He himself does not object to finding the gold, though he plans to return it to the bank for the reward. 

But where is the gold? In fact, does the gold actually exist? Does Mad Morgan (or his pretty granddaughter) really know where it is? As Brad dodges bullets, these questions about the gold add quite a lot to the overall tension.

The end result of all this is a fast-moving story that often takes off in unexpected direcations. Ketchum's ability to create realistic characters who often share very human moments with each other is on display in Brad's relationship with a pretty widow he meets. And that pretty widow plays an unexpected and delightful role in the novel's final resolution.

WESTERN NOVELS—LAST STAND MESA

WESTERN NOVELS

LAST STAND MESA 

L.L. FOREMAN

REVIEWED BY

TIM DEFOREST

Mike McLean is on the run after robbing a bank--this isn't something he normally does, but he made an unwise decision after the bank foreclosed on his ranch.

Now he's found his way into a valley where small ranchers are trapped on one side by gunmen working for a big Eastern-owned ranch. And trapped on the other side by an oulaw gang.

McLean agrees to organize a cattle drive for the ranchers in exchange for a share of the profits. He has a good plan for getting the cattle out of the valley, but unexpected events literally turn everything against him. The cattle are scattered, he loses the trust of his new friends, a sheriff shows up with a warrant and--to top it all off--he finds himself locked in a pitch-dark blacksmith shop and obligated to fight a blind knife duel.

It's a great plot with unuusal twists and turns, especially towards the end when it appears his only hope of survival is to turn outlaw and agree to commit a murder. That ending includes several successive gun battles that keep the action moving swiftly, as well as an unexpected act of self-sacrifice by a supporting character that just might give Mike a chance to live.

SIX-GUN JUSTICE PODCAST EPISODE #205—WORLDWIDE WEST TOUR: AUSTRALIA PART 1

SIX-GUN JUSTICE PODCAST

EPISODE #205

WORLDWIDE WEST TOUR

AUSTRALIA PART 1

Put some shrimp on the barbie, pick up your didgeridoo, and grab a cold can of Fosters as the Six-Gun Justice Podcast's World-Wide West Tour stops in the Land Down Under for a look at the massive body of indigenous Australian Westerns produced by homegrown print publishers—such as  Cleveland, Horowitz, and others—along with the fistful of Kangaroo Cowboy wordslingers who gunned Western stories down by the hundreds...

Available now on all major podcast streaming platforms or by clicking on the link below...

WORLDWIDE WEST—AUSTRALIA