Robert Vaughan

 The Town that Wouldn't Die

(The Crocketts #4)

by

Robert Vaughan

Will Crockett never expected to win a saloon in Sulphur Springs on the turn of a poker card. He tried to hand it back, but the previous owner wouldn’t take it. Only when Will rode into town did he learn the reason.

Sulphur Springs was under the iron grip of Sheriff Sidney Greenwall and his hand‑picked deputies. They bled every storekeeper and business owner for half their earnings, calling it a tax. And if anyone refused, Greenwall—who also served as judge—made sure the trial was quick and the hanging even quicker.

With the arrival of Will and his brother Gid, the townsfolk finally saw a glimmer of hope. Maybe the Crockett brothers were the answer to their prayers. When Will was shot down, that hope flickered, but the Crocketts were tough men, and it would take more than hot lead to stop them from breaking Greenwall’s hold on the town.

I really enjoyed this story by Robert Vaughan. Most of his westerns I’ve read over the years have been top‑notch—tight writing, strong characters, and the kind of action western readers devour. I’ve read a couple books from this series, and it’s easy to see why it’s one of his most popular. Definitely add it to your to‑be‑read list. It’s just a shame Robert isn’t around anymore to keep these fantastic stories coming. 5/5

You can get it here! Or from the Wolfpack Publishing store. 

William M. James

Border Killing

(Apache #22)

by

William M. James 

Cuchillo Oro, the powerful Apache who calls no man master, takes a wife—a white woman. Immediately the life of the two newly-weds becomes a bloodbath. A relentless gang of killer outlaws with a bitter grudge from way back, dogs their trail, trigger-fingers itching for murder and vengeance.

And Cuchillo has nowhere to run. In ultimate betrayal, his own people turn against him in violence as Apache clashes with Apache to the death.

As deadly forces closes in, Cuchillo is alone, fighting for a marriage doomed to breed on blood and destruction.

Blood on his wedding day, and more blood spilled after. This Apache should never have taken a bride, but the woman he married was tougher than rawhide. She went hand‑to‑hand with an Apache warrior and beat him, and later stood her ground against vicious killers who thought she’d be easy prey.

I didn’t find this entry quite as strong as others in the series, but it was still a solid read. The prose was crisp, the pace never faltered, and there was plenty of action to keep the pages turning.

You can get this book from Amazon or Piccadilly Publishing. 4/5 

Norman A. Fox

 The Thundering Trail

by

Norman A. Fox

He rode home to bury a father and inherit a war.

When Chan Loring finds his foster father dying from an outlaw's bullet, he inherits two impossible tasks: drive four thousand longhorns across a thousand miles of hostile trail to a promised Montana basin, and recover a small black metal box from the man who pulled the trigger.

That man is Caesar Rondeen—saloon kingpin, master schemer, and the engine behind a twenty-year feud with the Lorings. Rondeen is already one step ahead, his spies sown every mile from Texas to Whispering Basin, and a revelation ready to stop Chan cold: Chan is no orphan foundling at all, but a Rondeen by blood—son of the very outlaw King Loring shot down years ago.

But Caesar Rondeen has held his last ace too long. As Chan pushes the herd through waterless wasteland, Comanche country, granger law, and outlaw ambush—with a bristling foster-brother at his side and the half-Spanish, half-Scots daughter of his rival riding every mile alongside him—the truth unraveling around him may be the one thing that sets him free. The trail decides everything. The only question is whether Chan will survive long enough to let it.

Chan Loring reached home just in time to watch his father die, and to hear the old man’s final command. Drive four thousand longhorns north. Steal a black box from Caesar Rondeen. Two tasks that sounded hard enough, but proved far tougher than Chan ever imagined.

This is a story built on secrets and riddled with lies. As Chan pushes the herd toward the northern line, Rondeen throws everything he has into stopping him. Yet even reaching the settlement called Whispering doesn’t end the trouble. Another man is already there, and he intends to fight tooth and nail to keep what he claims is his.

It’s not the strongest Fox tale I’ve read recently, but it’s still a solid yarn, packed with action, treachery, and enough twists to keep the reader guessing until the dust finally settles. Well written as usual and sure to have western readers enjoying the ride. 4.5/5

This book will be available from Wolfpack Publishing on the 11th of August. 

Get it here!

J.E. MacDonnell

 The Pawn

(A Peter Bentley Story)

by

J.E. Macdonnell

Captain Peter Bentley and the destroyer HMS Wind Rode are chosen for a mission so perilous that success depends upon remaining invisible. 

Deep inside enemy waters, Bentley must hide his ship off the Japanese coast, waiting for the moment a secret new super-battleship leaves harbour. One brief radio signal will summon the Allied fleet but if his destroyer is detected, the operation is doomed and every man aboard faces almost certain destruction. 

Bentley knew he was the pawn in this lethal game of naval chess and that his ship’s survival depended on several factors. Outnumbered, hunted by enemy warships and submarines, and forced to navigate treacherous waters under cover of darkness, Bentley and his crew must rely on courage, skill and unwavering discipline to survive.

The tale of how Peter Bentley earned his VC is a fast‑moving naval adventure that keeps the pages turning. Bentley and Wind Rode are sent north on a simple mission: wait for a Japanese battleship to emerge and signal the rest of the fleet. Once warned, the fleet will close in and destroy the enemy ship.

But the plan unravels quickly, and Bentley soon finds himself locked in a life‑or‑death fight against a behemoth of the sea.

This was one of my favourite MacDonnell novels years ago, and it still is — well written, action‑packed, and an all‑round enjoyable read about the Australian navy in World War II.

This story will soon be available from Piccadilly Publishing. 5/5 

D.B. Newton

 The Manhunters

(A Jim Bannister Western)

by

D.B. Newton

Jim Bannister had ridden too long with a noose at his back to trust any man carrying a rifle.

Branded a murderer for a killing he didn’t commit, Bannister has a twelve-thousand-dollar bounty on his head and half the territory hunting him down. So when a hard-eyed posse surrounds him on the desert trail, he figures his luck has finally run out.

But the posse isn’t after Bannister—not yet.

They’re hunting another fugitive, and after shooting his horse and stripping him of his gun, they force Bannister to lead them through the badlands. Trapped among desperate men spoiling for blood, Bannister soon realizes the hunt is turning ugly. Tempers are short, nerves are raw, and more than one rider seems ready to hang somebody first and ask questions later.

Worse still, it’s only a matter of time before someone recognizes the most wanted man in the territory.

In a land where justice comes from the barrel of a gun, Jim Bannister will need every ounce of grit and fast thinking just to stay alive.

Still on the run with a price on his head, Bannister blunders into a posse hell‑bent on handing out vigilante justice. The deputy leading them is barely holding the reins, especially with a bullet in his leg, courtesy of Bannister, after they mistook him for the man they were hunting.

Then there’s the fugitive’s wife, determined to get her husband back alive. Before long the whole affair tangles into a dangerous mess, leaving Bannister fighting to keep his true identity hidden, not just to save himself, but to protect the very man the posse wants to hang.

It’s a well‑crafted story that kept me hooked and the pages turning. The tense, mob‑justice atmosphere strongly echoes the 1940s Henry Fonda film The Ox‑Bow Incident. 

This book can be bought from Piccadilly Publishing. 5/5

William M. James

  Death Dragon

Apache #20

by 

William M. James

Apache warrior, Cuchillo Oro, vows to protect an attractive white woman through thick and thin on her way to lay claim to a piece of land. Unfortunately, the two are not the first to arrive. Or the last. Judging by the amount of killings, it's a valuable plot. And nobody's going to leave without a fight to the finish.

After being rescued by a woman who desperately needs his help, Cuchillo Oro agrees to protect her—posing as her husband to keep her safe. Their journey quickly turns violent, and after she is brutally attacked, the Apache unleashes a ferocious and uncompromising vengeance on those responsible.

This is one of the more violent Apache instalments I’ve read, packed with relentless action that keeps the pages turning. A grim, bloody, and ultimately satisfying entry for readers who love the series.

This story is available from Piccadilly Publishing.

Clay Randall

Showdown

 (Amos Flagg)

by

Clay Randall

In a town where whiskey flows faster than justice, Sheriff Amos Flagg is barely keeping order on the Texas frontier. Then a reckless killing in a saloon changes everything.

A fast-drawing gambler with a deadly reputation is suddenly wearing the marshal’s badge. A notorious gunfighter is hiding in town. And every dusty street in Academy seems ready to explode into violence.

Caught between ruthless killers, frightened townsfolk, and a lawless West where survival depends on speed and nerve, Amos Flagg must decide just how far he’s willing to go to keep the peace—and stay alive.

The showdown is coming… and not everyone will walk away alive.

When newly appointed town marshal Ottie Spain guns down a crippled gunfighter, Ab Slater, in what he calls a “fair fight,” he sets off a chain of consequences he never imagined. Overnight, Spain becomes a marked man — hunted by killers, outlaws, and even the dead man’s widow.

Caught in the middle is Amos Flagg, doing his best to hold the town together while Spain swaggers around, convinced he’s untouchable. But when death finally closes in, Spain’s bravado cracks and his true nature is laid bare.

I read a Flagg story years ago and had forgotten just how tough, gritty, and tightly wound they are. This one delivers real tension, plenty of action, and has me keen to dive into more.

Thanks to Piccadilly Publishing for an ARC of this book. 5/5

Colin Burgess

 Sisters in Captivity

by

Colin Burgess

The incredible account of Sister Betty Jeffrey OAM and the Australian war nurses who survived the bombing of evacuation ship SS Vyner Brooke in February 1942, and subsequently spent three years in Japanese prison camps in Sumatra.

During those perilous years surviving in squalid conditions, Sister Jeffrey kept a secret diary of day-to-day events which, after the war, was turned into a hugely successful book and radio serial: White Coolies. She would often write of the powerful sisterhood that evolved as the prisoners of war took strength from each other, even forming a vocal orchestra. White Coolies was a major inspiration for the 1997 film Paradise Road.

Sisters in Captivity builds on those diaries to not only re-live the years the nurses spent as POWs but also recounts the early life and influences that encouraged Betty Jeffrey into the field of nursing as a lifelong endeavour. A tireless advocate for returned nurses, she co-founded the Australian Nurses Memorial Centre with sole survivor of the Banka Island Massacre, fellow POW, and her longtime friend Vivian Bullwinkel.

Featuring 32 pages of photos including personal mementos of Betty Jeffrey, courtesy of her family, and her drawings from the prison camps, this is a powerful account of women’s resilience amidst the devastating brutality of war.

I bought this book some time ago, started it, and for reasons I can’t even remember, set it aside. When I finally picked it up again, I immediately wished I hadn’t waited. This is a tragic and deeply moving account—not only of Betty Jeffrey, but of a group of nurses who served in World War II. From the sinking of the Vyner Brooke to the massacre on Radji Beach and the brutal years in captivity that followed, Colin Burgess has crafted a powerful and fitting tribute to a group of extraordinarily determined women. Nurses who watched their friends die around them, powerless to intervene.

One of the most heartbreaking moments is a simple black‑and‑white photograph of eight nurses from the same unit—only one of whom would ever return home.

Yet even after surviving the horrors of war, Betty Jeffrey and her friend Vivian Bullwinkel—the sole survivor of Radji Beach—went on to achieve remarkable things in both their lives and their profession.

I’ve read accounts of POWs before, but nothing has ever struck me as deeply as this.

5/5 plus more.  

Tom Lewis

 Australia's Coastal War

by

Tom Lewis

For the first time, acclaimed military historian Dr Tom Lewis OAM uncovers the full scale of World War II’s forgotten battles along our coastline.

From German surface raiders laying deadly mines to Japanese submarines prowling offshore and enemy aircraft launching hundreds of attacks, the war on the coast stretched across thousands of kilometres—from Darwin to Hobart, from Townsville to Melbourne.

This landmark book rewrites history, revealing a long and brutal struggle between German and Japanese forces and those of Australia, Britain, and the United States. Scores of ships were sunk, thousands of lives lost—yet much of this story remains unknown.

Among the tragedies are gripping accounts of heroism and heartbreak: the sinking of the cruiser Sydney with 645 lives lost in a duel with the raider Kormoran; a deadly mine explosion on a quiet South Australian beach; and the haunting fate of a priest abducted and executed by an enemy floatplane crew.

There are also tales of misjudgement and misadventure—like the flawed decisions during the Sydney midget submarine raids, partly redeemed by the courage of small ship commanders whose bravery remains unrecognised. Other stories are only now coming to light, including the daring attack by two RAAF bombers on a Japanese submarine still lost off the coast of New South Wales.

Australian Coastal Wars reveals it all—a sweeping and deeply human account of a war far closer to home than most Australians ever realised.

It took me a few pages to settle into this book, but I’m glad I stuck with it. When Australians talk about the war, we usually hear about Papua, Crete, Greece, Malaya, the Thai–Burma railway, and the fighting in North Africa, along with a handful of well‑known naval actions. What Tom Lewis does here is shine a light on the lesser‑known parts of Australia’s war — the events that unfolded close to home.

He digs into the smaller engagements: the bombings, the merchant and naval ship sinkings, and the scattered incidents that rarely make it into mainstream histories. Yes, the book covers the bombing of Darwin, which everyone knows, but it also reveals the 50‑plus other raids on the Top End that almost never get mentioned.

Then there are the midget submarines that slipped into Sydney Harbour, another familiar story — but Lewis goes further, exploring the submarine attacks that occurred all along the east coast, episodes I’d barely heard of.

The book is packed with these smaller, fascinating details, many of which were completely new to me.

Well worth the read. 4/5

Kirk Hamilton

 Somebody Owes Me

by

Kirk Hamilton

(Keith Hetherington)

They say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Ward Tracy found that out the hard way, when he chanced across a man in the desert who was more dead than alive, and against all the odds nursed him back to life. Before he knew it, however, he was accused of being an outlaw named Al Danton and standing trial for his very life.

What made it worse was the fact that the local lawman, a seedy prosecutor and a greedy judge all knew the truth, but they wanted to show the good folks of Darby that they knew how to deal with hardcases … with hang-rope.

Ward survived, though. He served five years in prison, breaking rocks day after day, week after week, month after month, in all weathers, and when he was finally released, he remembered the lawman, the prosecutor and the judge. And he decided that somebody owed him, big-time – and they were all going to pay the ultimate price.

Ward Tracy saves a dying man on the trail, only to discover he’s a notorious outlaw. Before Ward can explain, the local sheriff brands him as Al Danton, another wanted outlaw. The trial is a sham, the sentence is swift, and Ward is handed five years in prison. Lucky for him, because the rope was already waiting.

But prison didn’t kill the fire inside him. Three years later, after a desperate escape attempt, the truth finally surfaces and Ward walks free with a full pardon. Now he’s riding out to settle the score with the men who stole his life.

It isn’t simple. The crooked sheriff who framed him is running for mayor, and his hand‑picked man now wears the badge. Ward has enemies in every direction and none of them intend to let him live.

Then there’s the outlaw’s dying secret: a hidden cache of stolen loot. Everyone who knows about it wants their share, and Ward is caught in the middle. Greed, revenge, and old grudges collide, building toward a final gunsmoke showdown where only one man walks away.

This will be available from Piccadilly publishing through Smashwords when published. 

Norman A. Fox

 Tall Man Riding

by

Norman A. Fox

Larry Madden came back to settle a score written in blood.

Years ago, powerful rancher Tucker Ordway had Larry whipped, shamed, and driven out of town, stealing his pride and the woman he loved in one brutal stroke. Now Larry is riding back into hostile country with a hard hand, a loaded gun, and no intention of leaving until Ordway pays. But Corinna Ordway is no longer the girl he lost, and the town that once turned its back on him is sitting on a fuse.

Land claims are being challenged. Old enemies are choosing sides. And Tucker Ordway’s empire may be weaker than anyone dares admit. As gun smoke thickens and betrayal closes in, Larry’s quest for vengeance becomes a fight for survival, justice, and the only woman who ever had the power to make him forget his hate.

He came home to destroy one man. But revenge has a way of demanding everything.

Tuck Ordway was a hard, mean son of a gun, the kind who’d whip a man and think nothing of it. He’d done just that to Larry Madden, and Madden had sworn he’d kill him for it if it was the last thing he ever did.

When Madden came back, he had a plan. Simple enough: kill Ordway. But he wasn’t alone. A sharp lawyer had uncovered secrets that could tear Ordway’s empire apart—literally.

Enemies were everywhere, and a bullet in the back was easier to come by than one in the front. Plenty of folks were waiting for their pound of the old man’s flesh.

Then there was Corinna Ordway, once the love of Madden’s life, now married to another man, a man framed for murder.

Madden’s revenge would have to wait. Because before it was over, he’d be fighting for the man he meant to kill, not against him.

The story moves fast, and Fox keeps the tension tight. The book’s pace and grit make it clear why Hollywood came calling. The Randolph Scott film stays mostly true to the source, though a few sharp differences stand out, ones you’d only catch if you’ve seen the movie.

Fox delivers another lean, hard Western that earns its place on the shelf and on the screen.5/5

Published by Wolfpack Publishing, it can be found here!  

Dave Waldo

 Once in the Saddle

by

Dave Waldo

ONE RANCHER. ONE HOSTAGE. ONE LAST BLOODY SHOWDOWN!!

Johnny Ross thought he'd buried his gunfighting days for good. Now he had a wife, children, and a hard-earned spread of his own — a peaceful life worth protecting at any cost.

But peace was dying across the range. The new Maverick Bill handed every unbranded steer to the ruthless Stockmen's Association, and the big cattle barons wasted no time crushing small ranchers beneath their boots. Honest men were branded as rustlers, driven from their land, or left swinging at the end of a rope. Johnny wanted no part of the coming war. Until he was forced to choose a side. Standing against the powerful Western Cattle Union and its cold-blooded boss, Boone Shadbee, meant taking on men who owned the law, the guns, and the gallows. Johnny could handle a fair fight. But when Shadbee kidnapped his wife, the fight stopped being business...and turned personal. Deadly personal.

Johnny Ross had been told to choose sides. In that country you were either with the stockmen or you were a rustler, and there was no middle ground. Sooner or later he had to make his stand, and when he finally did, all hell broke loose. Boone Shadbee came after him, caught him, and somehow Ross still slipped the noose. Then a stranger rode into town — a man Ross had known long ago. Not long after, Ross’s wife vanished, and from that moment there was no turning back. Everything drove toward a gunsmoke finish where only one man would walk away.

Told in the first person, I found the story strong and fast‑moving. It was my first Waldo, and he kept the pace tight and the action coming hard.

Published by Piccadilly Publishing, you can find it here! 

Norman A. Fox

 Night Passage

by

Norman A. Fox

Five years ago, Grant McLain rode for the railroad until one bad night stripped him of his name, his job, and every chance at the life he wanted.

Now he drifts the Montana frontier playing accordion in saloons, the last man any outfit would trust with ten thousand dollars in payroll money. That is exactly why they asked him. Curly Harbin's gang has robbed the B.C. & T. Railroad blind three times running, and someone on the inside is feeding them every move. McLain is the perfect courier, too disgraced to be suspected, too desperate to say no.

One night. One train ride into the Crazy Mountains. But Harbin already knows he is coming, the darkness is full of hard men with guns, and the only thing standing between McLain and a shallow grave is the grit he buried five years ago and is not sure he still has.

Some debts can only be paid in lead.

I found myself comparing the book to the film as I read, spotting the familiar beats and differences along the way. Once I set that aside, though, the story pulled me in. Grant McLain is hired by the B.C. & T. Railroad to shepherd a payroll through dangerous country — but his real mission is the Utica Kid. The two share a complicated past, and McLain’s history doesn’t end there. Verna Kimball is another ghost from earlier days, and it’s her father Ben who brings McLain back into the fold. Their last partnership ended badly, with suspicion hanging over McLain. Trust is in short supply.

Then there’s Charley Drew, driven by her own reasons for hunting the Utica Kid, adding another layer to the chase.

The question lingers: can Kimball and his people rely on McLain this time? The answer comes in a gunsmoke‑thick finale as McLain faces off against Curly Harbin’s outlaws.

Once I stopped measuring the book against the movie, I settled into an action‑packed, tightly written Western that kept the pages turning.

Published by Wolfpack Publishing, you can get the book here!

Kirk Hamilton

 Rawhide Breed

by

Kirk Hamilton

(Keith Hetherington)

Fate brought wounded gunfighter Logan Keogh to the Rancho Estrella. He certainly would have died had the beautiful Margarita Chavez not nursed him back to health. That put Logan in the debt of the girl and her father, and to repay them, he offered to go after Tonto Ramirez, the bloodthirsty bandit who was routinely stealing Estrella cattle.

But there were sinister forces at work on the Rancho Estrella, men who, for their own murderous reasons, didn’t want Ramirez stopped.

So they decided to kill Logan before he could reach the outlaw’s stronghold.

That wasn’t just a bad mistake … it was a fatal one.

In a land ruled by bullets and betrayal, one gunfighter will deliver frontier justice—no matter the cost.

After killing Lex Weaver—brother of the local sheriff—in a fair fight, Logan Keogh has only two choices: run, or face a man who won’t stop until he’s dead. Keogh chooses the latter and makes for Mexico. But before he gets far, an ambush leaves him wounded and near death. When he finally wakes, he’s in a warm bed at Rancho Estrella.

Once he’s back on his feet, Keogh agrees to hunt down Tonto Ramirez, a bandit stealing stock from the ranch. But nothing at Rancho Estrella is quite what it seems, and Keogh soon finds himself fighting for his life all over again. Add to that Earl Weaver—hell‑bent on avenging his kin and putting Keogh in the ground—and the odds of Keogh making it out alive shrink fast.

A great story: well written, packed with action, and every bit as entertaining now as the westerns I devoured in my younger days.

You can get the book from Piccadilly Publishing here!

Louis L'Amour

 Silver Canyon

by

Louis L'Amour

“You’re not wanted in Hattan’s Point,” Matt Brennan was told moments after arriving in town. “There’s trouble here and men are picking sides.” But Matt decided he wasn’t going anywhere. Not until he found out what the dispute was about, and not before he got to know Moira Maclaren. She considered him nothing more than a drifting ranch hand, but Matt was determined to prove her wrong. To do so, he’d have to solve a mystery that was at the center of the growing violence in Hattan’s Point–a secret that could make a man rich . . . or dead. Probably dead.

They threw everything at Matt Brennan. He was beaten, shot, threatened, even framed for murder — but he never walked away. He stayed because of Moira Maclaren. He intended to marry her, and nothing on earth was going to turn him from that path.

From the moment he first saw her, he knew their story would end at the altar. Her father had other plans, but Brennan wasn’t the kind of man who backed off when told to.

He’d only meant to pass through town, right up until they forced him to choose a side — and then he saw the girl. After that, they murdered his business partner. Then the gunfighter from Mobeetie showed them exactly how tough he was.

I read this book years ago and didn’t realize until now just how strong a story it really is. Brennan’s hardness, his unwavering direction, and the sheer grit he carries make him unforgettable. Moira takes her time adjusting to Brennan’s unusual ways, but she gets there. And Mother O’Hara? She sees the ending long before any of them do.

There’s plenty of grit and action throughout, and Brennan is far from indestructible. He’s beaten badly more than once, and he’s shot — but none of it slows him down. If anything, it reminds you what kind of man he is. It also makes me want to revisit the other L’Amour stories I read long ago.

5/5

William W. Johnstone

 Betrayal of the Mountain Man

by 

William W. Johnstone

&

J.A. Johnstone

They called him fastest gun alive, but Smoke Jensen is determined to stay on the right side of the law. That is, until he's jumped by six low-life robbers who steal his shirt - and his identity. Smoke's tried for robbery and murder, and sentenced to hang in morning. Someone's out to frame the Mountain Man...someone who's made a big mistake. Barely managing to escape on the morning of his hanging, Smoke's going after the desperados who've set him up. The gang thinks they have nothing to fear; they've already divided up the loot and gone their separate ways. But Smoke's going to hunt them down one by one. Because nobody frames the Mountain Man. Nobody who plans on staying alive, that is.

Smoke Jensen faces the possible loss of his Sugarloaf ranch, and even for a man used to trouble, this time the odds are stacked high. Then Ebenezer Dooley and his gang frame him for bank robbery and murder, turning a bad situation into a disaster.

Convicted on damning evidence and sentenced to hang, Smoke refuses to die for another man’s crimes. After a jailbreak, he rides out to hunt down the men who set him up. Clearing his name is only half the mission—vengeance is the rest.

A strong, fast‑moving entry in the Mountain Man saga, this instalment delivers the action, grit, and frontier justice longtime fans expect. Even if you can guess where the trail leads, the journey is still a satisfying one.

5/5

Barry Cord

 Gun-Proddy Hombre

by

Berry Cord

(Peter Germano)

Brett Havolin was too late when he reached his friend Tony Mareno’s Flying Club outfit. Tony was already dead. The ranch was left to him, and Havolin planned to sell it and get out as fast as he could. But with his friend murdered, he wasn’t about to leave without finding the killer. Then the offers to buy him out started coming thick and fast, and Havolin knew the two things had to be connected.

It wasn’t until later, when he came across an unposted letter, that he finally understood what was really going on. From that moment, he was more determined than ever to track down the killer.

This was a good read with mystery on two fronts: who killed Havolin’s friend and why everyone is so desperate to buy the spread. Another great cast of characters and a story that keeps you guessing right up to the violent end, where a twist hits that you won’t see coming.

Once again, Barry Cord—Peter Germano—delivers a tale that leaves me wanting more of his work.

(This work was also published as Maverick Gun)

5/5 

William Heuman

 Mulvane's War

by

 William Heuman

Mulvane rides from the high country to Boulder City - and into the middle of a range war. When he takes the sheriff's badge, he wonders how long he'll stay alive.

Mulvane might not have been the brother Rosslyn Elder sent for, but he was no second‑string substitute. Some would say he was the better man—harder, sharper, and far more dangerous. Once he stepped into the range war between cattlemen and sheep herders, both sides learned fast just how tough he really was.

This is a tough, gritty western with a lead character carved out of stone. Mulvane comes across as granite‑hard, and the supporting cast is drawn with the same rugged authenticity. Heuman delivers a straight‑up, hard‑edged tale packed with action and momentum.

4/5 

William W. Johnstone

 Fury Over Texas

by

William W. Johnstone

& 

J.A. Johnstone

At the height of the Civil War, a Confederate soldier was captured and held in New York’s infamous Elmira prison camp. He managed to escape during a snowstorm—after killing a sadistic guard—and made his way to Texas. There, he started a new life in the small lumber town of Pine Lick where he served as sheriff until he retired. Today, his son wears the badge; his nightmares of the war are long forgotten. But tonight, his past will return with a vengeance . . .

When nature unleashes its fury.

Sheriff Mack Armstrong is as fine a lawman as his father, dedicated to protecting the townspeople of Pine Lick—especially when trouble shows up. But when he hears that a mysterious newcomer is armed, angry, and looking to kill a man named Armstrong, he barely has a chance to react. Another force of nature arrives—even deadlier than the stranger. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime hurricane, the worst he’s ever seen. The windstorm tears apart the sawmill, the church, the homes. The torrential rains destroy the dam then flood the streets. And all Sheriff Armstrong can do is save as many people as he can—before the stranger gets revenge. . . .

A tale of revenge, destruction, and violence puts Sheriff Mack Armstrong to the test. His town has been nearly obliterated by a brutal storm and floods, and a determined killer is willing to do anything to get to Mack’s father. The story delivers plenty of action and tension, keeping the pages moving.

Overall, it’s not the strongest Johnstone novel I’ve read, but it’s solid. Some of his books can be hit or miss; this one lands somewhere in the middle. The vivid descriptions—especially of the storm—stand out, and I’d still recommend it to fellow western fans.

Thankyou to Net Galley and Kensington Publishing for an ARC of this story.

Sundown McCabe

 Slade

by

Sundown McCabe

Find it here at Piccadilly Publishing!

Someone wanted Luke Slade out of the way so they could steal his land. So they framed him for murder and looked forward to watching him hang. But it didn’t work out that way. Oh, Luke had to pay for the crime he didn’t commit, sure – but with a lengthy prison sentence, not a noose. And when Luke got out of the penitentiary, he came straight back to the town of Pecos River, where he had a mystery to solve – and some old scores to settle.

Luke Slade was only eighteen when he was framed for murder. The case was wrapped up neatly, tied with a bow, and handed to the court as if it were undeniable. The judge sensed something wasn’t right, but instead of the noose, Slade got twenty‑five years—still a lifetime for a crime he didn’t commit.

Fifteen years later, he walked out on parole with one thought burning in his mind: he was heading back to Pecos River, and the people who set him up were going to answer for what they’d done.

But those responsible weren’t about to let Slade tear down what they’d built. Before long, there was a bounty on his head. He wasn’t entirely alone, though—someone in town had begun posting flyers claiming his innocence. The trouble was, Slade might not live long enough to see the truth come out.

Sundown McCabe (Roger Norris‑Green), an Australian author, wrote a mountain of westerns for Cleveland Publishing—stories known for their speed, grit, and relentless action. This one delivers exactly that. I read so many of his books growing up that I may have crossed paths with this one before, though I can’t swear to it. Either way, it’s a strong, satisfying western that won’t let fans of the genre down.

This book will be published by Piccadilly Publishing on August 1 2026.

5/5  

William M. James

 Death Dragon

Apache #20

by 

William M. James

Get it here from Piccadilly Publishing!

Is it destiny or chance that brings Cuchillo Oro into the desert to interrupt a gruesome scene of blood and death?

The proud Apache of the famous golden knife is drawn into a deadly conflict surrounding a mystical Oriental woman, Water Lily, who possesses a disquieting blend of irresistible physical attraction and awesome spiritual power.

Her story is a strange one, threaded with brutality and teeming with bizarre ritual.

Once again Cuchillo is fighting in a world where fear and terror are a way of life, where death will strike whoever moves last ...

After saving a young Chinese woman from her brutal father, Cuchillo Oro finds himself dragged into a fresh cycle of violence, used as an unwitting pawn in a game he never meant to join. He feels an unexpected pull toward the woman, Water Lily — a feeling he hasn’t experienced since the death of his wife. But Water Lily carries a secret, and when it finally surfaces, it’s one I genuinely didn’t see coming.

As expected from the Piccadilly Cowboy stable, the story delivers its trademark brutal, unflinching violence. It’s raw, direct, and unapologetic. Having read a few of these books when I was younger, I don’t remember Cuchillo relying on his knife quite this much. The final bloody showdown pushes things even further, ending with yet another surprise that hits hard.

I’m not entirely sure which of the three regular contributors — Terry Harknett, John Harvey, or Laurence James — wrote this instalment, but it captures everything I remember about the series. It’s exactly the kind of gritty, relentless storytelling I expected, and I’m already looking forward to diving into the next one.

5/5  

Barry Cord

 Trouble in Peaceful Valley

by

Barry Cord

(Peter Germano)

After riding into Peaceful Valley at the request of a letter warning of dire trouble, Deputy Marshal Matt Vickers faces a war between cattlemen and sheep herders. Trouble has been brewing for years and now it is about to explode. The sheep herders are backed by a gunman who had once been a school teacher. The other side were led by a foreman who was tough and fast on the draw. Throw into the mix a band of rustlers and a feisty woman and Vickers has more than his share of trouble.

Barry Cord (Peter Germano) delivers what feels more like a mystery‑driven western than the action‑heavy stories I usually associate with the genre. There’s still some solid action, just not at the level I’ve come to expect from other westerns. Even so, the story moves well and the characters have real strength to them.

Trouble in Peaceful Valley originally appeared as an Ace Double under the title Hell in Paradise Valley, though I’m not sure what prompted the title change.

While it’s not my favorite Barry Cord novel so far, it certainly doesn’t put me off reading more. The good continues to outweigh the bad—and to be clear, this one isn’t that bad at all.

4/5

Jon Sharpe

 Dakota Deception

Trailsman #217

by

Jon Sharpe

(David Robbins)

Skye Fargo wants to help a lovely heiress...

But where there's no will, there's no way!

Normally, when the Trailsman says "no" to a job, it's final. But wealthy spitfire Charlotte Weldon has the knack for arousing his curiosity. Especially when Charlotte's sister runs off with their father's will--and without it, the family fortune is lost. All Charlotte actually wants now is her sister dead....

And since Fargo knows the truth, she wants him dead, too...

Skye Fargo turned the job down at first, but curiosity finally got its hooks in him. It didn’t take long to track down Darlene Weldon—and even less time to learn the ugly truth. Her family wanted her dead. And once they realized Fargo knew it, they added his name to the kill list.

As if that wasn’t enough, trouble was riding hard in the form of the renegade Moon Killer, a blood‑crazed butcher who left no one alive. For a while, it looked like Fargo might be headed for an early grave.

I’m told that “Jon Sharpe” on this one was actually David Robbins, and it shows. The writing has his trademark pull, tight action, sharp tension, and a story that keeps you turning pages. It’s one of the stronger entries I’ve read in the series.

5/5

 

Barry Cord

 Cain Basin

by

Barry Cord

(Peter Germano)

Drifter Steve Crystal travels from town to town, searching for his missing wife and child. Then an attack on him outside Cain Basin leads him to assume a new identity...

In a case of mistaken identity, Steve Crystal, who happens to be looking for his missing wife and child, and he is beaten and left unconscious on the trail into Cain Basin. His attackers thought he was Marshal Jim Bretman, summoned there by Sheriff Arch Akers. They were wrong—and when Crystal finally came to, he discovered the killers had eventually found their real target, for the marshal lay dead beside him.

With a score to settle, Crystal takes on Bretman’s identity and rides into Cain Basin, straight into the trouble brewing there. This time he intends to show the men responsible just how tough he is—and that they should have finished the job when they had the chance. But as the situation begins to unravel, Crystal may have taken on far more than he can handle.

Another strong story by Barry Cord (Peter Germano), filled with great characters and fast‑paced action. I read it in a single day because I had to know what was coming next.

Sam Bowie (Todhunter Ballard)

 Thunderhead Range

by

Sam Bowie

(Todhunter Ballard)

Dale Thorne returned home with one purpose: vengeance.

His target was King Parson, an ornery, brutal tyrant of a man—the same man who’d driven Dale off Thunderhead Ranch and driven Dale’s mother into an early grave. Waiting for him, too, were the remnants of a broken family: two half brothers. Les—already dead, killed the night before Dale’s return—and Ford, simmering with resentment toward both his father and his brother.

And then there was Lucy Colton, who despised everything and everyone connected to Thunderhead Ranch.

But Dale hadn’t come back empty‑handed. He carried one crucial piece of knowledge: His father had rewritten his will the night before he died, leaving everything not to Dale’s mother nor King Parson, but to Dale himself. Now Dale was home to uncover that will—and reclaim what should have been his all along.

The story was solid—maybe not great, but certainly engaging—with action that steadily escalated toward a brutal, satisfying finale. The writing held up well, and the plot kept me entertained throughout.

The characters were equally strong, especially Lucy, a fiery, strong‑willed woman who added real spark to the narrative. There was also a welcome thread of mystery as Thorne tried to uncover who murdered his brother.

And for those who enjoy digging into author backgrounds, Sam Bowie is yet another pen name used by the remarkably prolific Willis Todhunter Ballard.

4/5

Lee E. Wells

 Vulture's Gold

by 

Lee E. Wells

Hank Allen owned The Golden Vulture mine, The Golden Vulture saloon, and most of the rest of Paso Grande lock, stock and lawman. New people may come into his town from time to time but not for long, unless he says it s all right.

Kate Brent hires Jerry Crane to escort her to Paso Grande, determined to uncover the truth about her brother’s death. Everyone insists Apaches were responsible — until a letter arrives claiming his own partner, Hank Allen, was behind it.

No sooner do they reach town than Crane is jumped by Allen’s hired muscle, and things only escalate from there. Allen isn’t the type to let trouble simmer, and Crane soon realizes the only way to deal with a deadly crew like this is to cut the head off the snake.

Unfortunately, the best thing about this book is the cover. I struggled to stay engaged and found myself skipping sections. The writing is serviceable and the action is plentiful, but something essential just isn’t there.

3/5

William Heuman

 Gunhand from Texas

by

William Heuman

Standing out in front of the Elkhorn National Bank, unshaven, his black hair beginning to curl at his neck, his clothing about as badly worn as that of any of the trail riders who'd come up with him from Texas, Emmett Kane definitely did not look like a man who had a bank draft for 12 thousand dollars in his shirt pocket. It was no surprise that Madge Wilson offered him a job as a ranch hand. What was a surprise was when a cowboy warned him not to take the job.

After finishing a long cattle drive and ignoring a clear warning to stay out of Madge Wilson’s troubles Emmett Kane does exactly what he was told not to. His grit and capability don’t go unnoticed, and before long Madge appoints him as her new foreman, a decision none of her hands see fit to challenge.

The action comes hard and fast as two rival outfits start pushing their stock across Squaw Run, aiming to take over Pine Tree’s winter range in Vermilion Valley—the only decent grazing left once the snow sets in. But nothing is quite what it seems, and Kane digs in, tough as rawhide, to defend the brand he’s sworn to ride for.

This is my second Heuman novel, and it’s every bit as strong—if not stronger—than my first. Kane is a hard-bitten lead who shoulders the job he’s given, while the supporting cast each brings their own weight to the story. The winter setting is painted in broad, vivid strokes; you can almost feel the cold rolling off the page.

Read in one sitting in front of a warm fire, Gunman from Texas is a gritty, well‑crafted, action‑packed tale that cements Heuman firmly on my must‑read list of Western authors.

5/5  

Barry Cord

 Boss of the Barbed Wire

by

Barry Cord

Ben Sladeen left New Orleans to move to a ranch at Two Mile called the Barbed Wire. An old enemy follows him there and buys an adjacent ranch. His painful past in New Orleans returns to haunt him in the guise of the King brothers and Curly Temper. 

Ben Sladeen tricks his boss, John Cross, into signing over the Barbed Wire ranch partly to honor a promise to a dead woman, partly to keep it out of the hands of Curly Temper, his sworn enemy. He tells himself he’s doing the right thing, but as events unfold he starts to wonder whether his motives are as noble as he claims.

At the same time, rustlers are bleeding the Barbed Wire dry.

Adding to the trouble, Cross’s daughter Laura wants the ranch sold  so she can take her father away on the next stagecoach. Sladeen, however, is certain of one thing: whatever his reasons—good or bad—he’ll fight like hell to keep Curly Temper from getting his hands on the Barbed Wire.

I really enjoyed Cord’s (Peter Germano’s) writing. It’s sharp, well‑paced, and reads like an old‑school western film—the kind I prefer over most modern ones. Maybe that makes me old‑fashioned.

I read this one in large print. Maybe that’s a sign of getting older… or maybe it’s just the only way to get many of the classic westerns through the library these days.

5/5 

J.T Edson

 A Town Called Yellowdog

by

J.T. Edson

The citizens of Moondog, Texas, stood staring at the small, blond, insignificant cowhand—only he seemed to be the biggest man present, towering over his two companions, and neither of them lacked size. Cold fury worked on Dusty Fog’s face as he pointed to the signboard announcing the name of the town.

“My brother came here because you begged for help,” he told them. “Danny put his life on the line

and you hadn’t the guts to back him. So he died. The name of this town’s all wrong and I aim to see

it put right. You!” His finger stabbed at the Blue Bull Saloon’s bartender. “Take your paint brush and cover over ‘Moondog’ on that sign. Put ‘Yellowdog’ in its place. Yellowdog, hombre. That’s what your town is—it and everybody in it.”

Slowly, his head hanging in shame, the bartender obeyed; for he and every man in the crowd knew that Dusty spoke the bitter truth.

Danny Fog rides into Moondog hunting for two missing Texas Rangers. They arrived ahead of him…and vanished. Now he’s in danger of becoming the third.

His cover blows almost the moment he hits town, and from that point on he’s playing against a stacked deck—Stella Howkins and her crew of hired guns run Moondog with fear, and the townsfolk are too terrified to speak. Just when Danny finally uncovers the truth, he’s murdered.

That’s when his brother, the Rio Hondo gun wizard Dusty Fog, rides in, backed by the deadly Ysabel Kid and the giant Mark Counter. Together, they aim to uncover what really happened…and settle the score in blood.

I’ve always found J.T. Edson’s work a bit uneven, but this one hits the mark. The action is constant, the mystery is tight, and the violence feels a notch higher than in many of his other books. The writing is sharp too—none of the rambling over‑descriptions that bog down some of his later novels. It left me hopeful that there are still plenty of great Edson stories waiting to be read.

5/5.

Rory Black

 The Shadow of Iron Eyes

Iron Eyes #14

by

Rory Black

(Michael D. George)

Blinded after an accident, bounty hunter Iron Eyes roamed aimlessly until he heard the hungry crackle of flames devouring a ranch house in the distance. As he rode closer, he smelled the cold, metallic stench of spilled blood, and worse, the stink of burning bodies. Dismounting, he tried to learn more about what had happened to these people … but that was when he stopped a bullet, too.

Wounded, he fell, then lay helpless as his assailant came closer, intending to finish the job.

What happened next led the bounty hunter south to a place where only the Devil would feel at home. A place where the law had never ventured, a place where Iron Eyes would have to kill anyone who stood in his way.

Iron Eyes is nearly blind—temporarily, but badly enough that he moves through the world in a fog. In that dazed state he stumbles upon a burning ranch house, the bodies inside already beyond saving. Before he can make sense of the scene, a hidden gunman shoots him down.

When he finally wakes, he discovers his attacker is a girl named Sally—young, sharp, and far more dangerous than she first appears.

Thrown together by circumstance, these unlikely partners set out after the killers, riding hard toward the Mexican border, where their pursuit ends in blood and violence.

As a story, it isn’t the strongest entry in the series, but it isn’t the weakest either. This is the first time readers meet Squirrel Sally, who becomes a recurring presence in later Iron Eyes novels. Iron Eyes himself remains exactly as expected—unyielding, impossible to kill, and stubborn enough to keep going even half‑blind.

The odd piece is Mason Burr, a cold‑blooded killer whose storyline barely intersects with the main plot. He drifts alongside the narrative only to cross paths with the true villains near the end, without contributing to the final showdown. His inclusion seems mainly to set up how Squirrel Sally eventually acquires the stagecoach she uses in future books.

Still, the writing is solid, even if this installment doesn’t quite stand with the best of the series.

3/5 

Ralph Hayes

 Four Ugly Guns

Buffalo hunter #2

by

Ralph Hayes

The four men were as tough as their names: Duke Pritchard, the boss. McComb. Diablo, the Mexican. And the Superstition Kid, considered to be the fastest gun in ten counties. They left O'Brien's friends bullet-stuffed and dead. 

The buffalo hunter didn't know why. All he knew was that he was going to track down the Pritchard bunch and pay them back, if he had to trail them clear to Texas.

When O’Brien discovers his friends murdered by the Pritchard gang, it triggers a brutal chain of events. The lone buffalo hunter refuses to stop until every last one of them is in the ground. Shot, beaten, and pushed to the edge, he keeps going, driven by the need for justice. I’m sure I’ve read one or two of these books before, though I can’t quite remember. This one, though, I really enjoyed — fast‑paced, tough, and sharply written. My copy is the Centurion Books edition, listed as published in 1970.

5/5  

C. William Harrison

 Unarmed Killer

by

C. William Harrison

Big Matt McKenna hadn’t touched a gun since that night in Kansas when he went kill‑crazy.

He rode into Sentinel as a veterinarian, hoping to bury the past. But within five minutes he’d made himself a couple of enemies.

Sentinel was about to become the battleground of a range war — cattlemen on one side, homesteaders on the other — and McKenna found himself squarely in the middle. He tried to fight guns with his fists, and it nearly got him killed. Beaten so badly he lost his memory until the pieces of his past began to return.

When they did, he knew there was only one path left. Fight fire with fire. Pick up the gun again.

There was just one problem — he wasn’t much good with it.

C. William Harrison, the pen name of Chester William Harrison, was a prolific American writer best known for his Western novels and hard‑driving pulp magazine stories.

Unarmed Killer was a fast read with plenty of tension and enjoyable characters. 

5/5