Callahan Rides Alone

by

Lee Floren

Published 1977

(Centurion Books)

Ex-Texas Ranger Al Callahan came to Montana to buy into a ranch, but it wasn't that simple. Two men tried to kill and rob him and then his would-be partner turned out to be a woman. Her main rival was another hellcat and that made the situation even worse. What with rustling and murder going on, not to mention a mighty peculiar character who walked around with a pack of wolves as bodyguards, Callahan got to thinking that maybe he should have stayed in Texas. But he had come this far so he might as well go the rest of the way

At first, I found myself a bit lost in this story, but as it progressed, everything fell into place, making for a solid tale. Not the best, but definitely enjoyable. Callahan was lured north under false pretenses to invest in a ranch run by Max Heywood, mistakenly thinking Max was a man, not a woman. From there, chaos ensues. Two men attempt to kill him, a peculiar old man with wolves shows up, he discovers Max has a brother, and learns that Max and Ann Scott, a young woman from the neighboring ranch, absolutely despise each other. Adding to the turmoil, cattle rustlers are targeting the ranch, leaving Callahan in over his head. I think I might have read this book years ago, but I couldn’t quite recall it. All in all, it was a solid entry in the western genre by an author whose work was widely published in magazines, paperbacks, and serials both in the U.S. and internationally.