Clay Randall

 Amos Flagg Has His Day

(AKA The Killing of Billy Jowett)

Amos Flagg #5

by

Clay Randall

Amos Flagg was a good sheriff, and the town set up a day to honor him, but that happened to be the day Ira Krug, the richest man in the Panhandle, picked for his wedding. Then Billy Jowett rode in to kill Krug for stealing his girl and was shot down by Krug's hired gunman. Things really got bad when the local ranchers went out to get revenge, and Amos Flagg had to ride out alone to stop the bloodshed.

Amos Flagg finds himself caught in the middle of a deadly tangle of jealousy, greed, and vengeance.

Hot-headed Billy Jowett has sworn to kill Ira Krug, convinced the older man stole his girl. The problem is that the young woman has already set her sights on a bigger prize. With dreams of wealth, Billy is yesterday's news and Krug is the new golden goose.

To protect himself, Krug hires Harvey Ross, an old friend of Flagg's, as both bodyguard and hired gun. Ross has been given a simple assignment: keep Krug alive and put an end to Billy Jowett.

As if that weren't enough, a blue norther is bearing down on the country, threatening to unleash its own brand of havoc. Surrounded by trouble on every side, Flagg has to wonder what will get him first.

Originally published as The Killing of Billy Jowett, this is another enjoyable Amos Flagg adventure featuring the hard-bitten sheriff and his ex-convict father, Gunner. In the previous story, Gunner was wrestling with problems involving old friends. This time it's Amos's turn, though that is only part of the trouble. With the reckless Billy Jowett running loose and danger building from all directions, the stakes remain high throughout.

This was a thoroughly entertaining read. The story moves along at a steady pace, the writing is sharp, and the characters are engaging enough to keep the pages turning. I'm still surprised there aren't more Amos Flagg stories available. A highly enjoyable western and an easy 5/5.

These are available from Amazon or direct from Piccadilly Publishing.   

D.B. Newton

 The Savage Hills

Bannister #3

by 

D.B. Newton

Jim Bannister thought the savage hills would hide him. Instead, they become a killing ground.

Hunted by lawmen and bounty riders after a deadly showdown with a powerful land syndicate, Bannister rides into the high country looking for cover—and finds himself saddled with Clay Evans, a hot-headed young drifter who’s just put a bullet in a man’s chest. With posses gathering behind them and hard country ahead, the two fugitives ride straight into a range war ruled by brutality, greed, and fear.

The Foley clan owns these mountains through terror. Ranchers disappear, cattle vanish, and anyone who stands against them ends up beaten, broken… or buried. But Jim Bannister has never been the kind of man to back down from killers.

Now the hills are about to erupt in gunfire.

Mixed up with a hot-headed youngster, Bannister finds himself accused of killing a man he never did. As if that were not enough, he also earns the wrath of Hack Foley, a vicious SOB determined to settle the score after the beating Bannister handed him. Adding to his troubles is the local sheriff, who is convinced Bannister is a wanted fugitive carrying a bounty on his head, but cannot quite prove it. Throw all these ingredients together and you have a recipe for the kind of trouble that  follows Bannister wherever he goes.

I enjoyed this book, although it did not quite reach the same heights as some of the other entries in the series. Even so, it remains a solid and entertaining read. Bannister continues to be an excellent protagonist, and the author paints the landscape in broad, vivid strokes that bring the setting to life. Hack Foley makes for a strong antagonist, while the supporting cast of minor characters adds depth and color to the story.

There is plenty of action throughout, keeping the pages turning from start to finish. 4/5.

This book can be purchased from Amazon or from Piccadilly Publishing. 

J.E. MacDonnell

 Close and Investigate

by

J.E. MacDonnell

Lieutenant-Commander Jim Brady has finally achieved what he fought his way up from the lower deck to earn: command of his own destroyer. But aboard HMAS Circe, there will be no gentle introduction to command.

In the dangerous waters around New Guinea, Brady joins Captain Peter Bentley's destroyer flotilla in the hunt for a mysterious Japanese cruiser guarding a terrifying secret. The enemy ship is impossibly fast, refuses to fight when challenged, and carries a weapon unlike anything the Allies have ever faced. When that weapon is unleashed, hardened steel melts, men die within seconds and Circe is caught in its deadly beam. Suddenly Brady's first command has become a desperate fight for survival.

With the Japanese cruiser closing in and conventional tactics offering little hope, Brady must trust his instincts and risk his ship, his crew and his career on one audacious attack. Driving Circe through rain, shellfire and point-blank danger, he prepares to take on an enemy that should be unbeatable.

For Jim Brady, there can be no turning back. It is time to prove that he belongs on the bridge…and that sometimes the only answer to impossible odds is to attack.

This is a solid entry into the series. Brady had joined Bentley's flotilla and they are tasked to investigate what could be a Japanese secret weapon. There is plenty of action with submarine and cruiser engagements, plus Brady is still finding his feet in his first ship.

Well written if not the strongest instalment. However it is still enjoyable and worth the read. 4/5.

Available on Amazon or from Piccadilly Publishing. 

Kirk Hamilton

 Man Trap

by

Kirk Hamilton

(Keith Hetherington)

Outlaw leader Waco Boyd commands one of the deadliest gangs in Arizona Territory. Their latest train robbery leaves Jim Rawlins devastated when his fiancée is murdered in cold blood. Determined to bring the killers to justice, Jim offers a huge bounty on the gang, turning greed into his greatest weapon. Soon, even Boyd's allies begin to wonder whether the reward is worth more than their loyalty. To finish the job, Jim assembles a hard-bitten band of gunfighters as dangerous as the men they pursue. Once the outlaws are cornered, Jim discovers that the greatest threat is no longer in front of him. The men riding beside him have plans of their own, and the bounty hunter may become the final victim of the deadly hunt.

In this action-packed Western from Kirk Hamilton, it’s a case of hiring killers to hunt killers.

When outlaw Waco Boyd and his gang derail a train to rob its passengers, Jim Rawlins suffers a devastating loss when his fiancée is among those murdered. Determined to exact justice, Rawlins assembles a ruthless posse of gunmen and offers a staggering reward of $50,000 for Boyd’s capture. Driven by bloodlust as much as greed, the hunters set out on the trail of the outlaws. But as the pursuit intensifies, Rawlins discovers that the men he has hired may be just as dangerous as the quarry they seek, and some would not hesitate to kill him if it meant claiming the reward.

This is one of Kirk Hamilton’s stronger Westerns, although it is rare to find a weak entry in his catalogue. Tough, gritty, and populated by hard-edged characters, the novel delivers plenty of action from beginning to end. The pursuit of Boyd’s gang provides constant tension, while Hamilton’s sharp, confident writing keeps the story moving at a brisk pace. A highly entertaining Western and an easy 5/5.

This book will be available from Oct. 1 at Amazon or Piccadilly Publishing. 

Mel Odom

Rancho Diablo

 by

Mel Odom

Army Scout Sam Blaylock rode into the small Texas town of Shooter's Cross looking for deserters, not trouble. While up in the mountains, he discovered a wilderness plagued by nature and haunted by superstition, but one that he thought he could tame with his experience and strong back. He didn't know he was going to have to kill to keep the home he planned for his family, but he didn't let that stop him. Sam had been looking for a home for his family for years. That search had been interrupted by the Civil War. Now Sam is putting down roots, and not even the Devil himself can stand in the way.

Sam Blaylock arrives in Shooter's Cross on the trail of deserters, but it isn't long before his attention is drawn to the abandoned Rancho Diablo. Purchasing the ranch seems like the opportunity of a lifetime, yet it quickly comes with a price. The man who sold it has every intention of reclaiming it, and before long Blaylock finds himself the target of a bushwhack. While trying to turn the struggling property into a profitable operation, he must constantly watch his back. Fortunately, the crew he gathers around him is tough, loyal, and dependable. With their help, Blaylock just might have a fighting chance of holding on to Rancho Diablo.

I've had this book sitting on my Kindle for a few years, and I'm not sure why it took me so long to finally read it. Shooter's Cross is the opening story in the series, and it does an excellent job of laying the groundwork. We meet Blaylock as he arrives in town and begins the difficult task of establishing the ranch so that his wife and children can eventually join him.

I wouldn't describe this as the most action-packed Western I've ever read, but there's enough action to keep the story engaging. The primary purpose of a first book is often to establish the characters, setting, and direction of the series, and Shooter's Cross accomplishes that remarkably well.

Mel Odom is an old school writer, delivering strong prose and a story that keeps the pages turning. By the time I reached the final chapter, I was eager to continue with the rest of the series.

Rating: 5/5

This book can be purchased through Amazon or Wolfpack Publishing. 

William S. Brady

 Comanche!

(Peacemaker #1)

by

William S. Brady

War taught him to kill …to stay alive!

McLain had nothing left in Missouri. His wife was dead, his farm was burned out.

The Civil War taught him the bloody art of killing, and now he was alone. He owned a brace of Colt Dragoons pistols, a Sharps carbine, and a horse. He followed the rebel guerrilla trail south to Texas …

And there, the Nokoni Comanche took his horse and plunged him into violent struggle for survival that was even more savage than the White man’s war.

A brutal fight for life that sent McLain down the killing trail again.

But this time in pursuit of a dream.

John T. McLain headed for Texas after the war with nothing left to his name and the hope of building a new life. Instead, he rode straight into a world of trouble.

Walking Bear and his Comanche warriors were on the warpath, with a small troop of soldiers firmly in their sights. The main body of the small force had been drawn away from a remote outpost, leaving only a handful of men isolated, surrounded, and cut off from help.

The sergeant in command asked McLain to ride for assistance. He agreed, but by the time help arrived, the garrison had been wiped out and the only woman at the post, Alice Patterson, had been taken captive.

Faced with the disaster, the captain leading the relief patrol chose the easiest way to protect his own career: he blamed McLain for everything. Suddenly branded responsible for the massacre, McLain was left with only two choices. He could run for his life, or he could find Alice Patterson, the one person who could clear his name.

McLain was never the kind of man to run.

Published under the famed Piccadilly Cowboys imprint, Comanche is not as relentlessly violent as the Edge series or even some of the Apache adventures. Nevertheless, it is a solid and enjoyable western, with strong writing and plenty of action to keep the pages turning.

I remember reading a number of these books as a teenager, and I suspect I may even have read this one before. If so, I had completely forgotten the story, which was no bad thing. It allowed me to experience and enjoy the novel all over again.

If the ultra-violent excesses of Piccadilly's harder-edged titles, such as Edge, are not to your taste, then Comanche may be just the western you're looking for.

You can pick it up from Amazon or direct from Piccadilly Publishing. 5/5.

   

Clay Randall

 Bushwhacked

Amos Flagg #4

by

Clay Randall

As a kid, Danny Lee saved the life of a jailbird – Amos Flagg's old man.

On the job, Sheriff Amos Flagg shot and killed a rustler named Brady. Now Brady's woman vowed revenge. She hired the fastest, slickest killer money could buy – Danny Lee.

Lee took the job, and he was a pro – he meant to do it, and do it right ...Kill Amos Flagg

Danny Lee rode into town with a single purpose: kill Amos Flagg.

The trouble was that Amos's father, Gunner Flagg, knew exactly who he was. Years earlier, when Gunner had ridden the owlhoot, Danny Lee had saved his life. Bound by an old debt and torn between loyalty and family, Gunner agrees to keep Lee's identity secret until he leaves town.

But Danny Lee never intended to leave without settling his score.

When Amos is ambushed and left hovering near death, Gunner realizes the man who once saved him is now hunting his son. With vengeance burning in his veins, he saddles up and rides into the very jaws of hell to bring down the friend who became his enemy.

I really enjoyed this one. Gunner Flagg takes center stage as the story follows his relentless pursuit of revenge and justice. As always, the writing is sharp, gritty, and packed with action. The cast of characters is excellent, and the tension builds steadily all the way to a thrilling finale. A hard-hitting Western that keeps the suspense high right down to the last page. 5/5.

This book can be purchased through Amazon or from Piccadilly Publishing.