May 2023 MBR The Western Fiction Shelf

The Western Fiction Shelf

A Badge for Brazos
E. Jefferson Clay
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850239, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 233pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-badge-for-brazos-e-jefferson-clay/1136785790

Synopsis: Trouble was brewing in the town of Harmony, between the gun-toughs who manned the Two-Bar ranch, the hardcases who hung around the Rawhide Saloon, and the beleaguered miners out at Whipple Creek. Into this explosive situation rode Hank Brazos and Duke Benedict. With a thin bankroll, they were looking to earn some fast money to continue their hunt for a Civil War guerrilla who'd killed their comrades and stolen a fortune in Confederate gold -- a fortune they themselves planned to get their hands on. So Brazos pinned on the sheriff's badge in return for a hundred dollars a month...and soon found himself taking his responsibilities more seriously than he'd thought possible!

Critique: Another gem of an action/adventure western by a master of the genre, this large print, paperback edition from Linford Western Library, "A Badge for Brazos" by E. Jefferson Clay is forthrightly recommended for both the personal reading lists of dedicated western fans and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: There is a website dedicated to the novels of western author E. Jefferson Clay at https://readfrom.net/e-jefferson-clay

Trail to Nowhere
Sheldon B. Cole
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850253, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 199pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trail-to-nowhere-sheldon-b-cole/1136785769

Synopsis: Blake Durant was on his way to Crimson Falls when he stopped by Jessica Gray's ranch for water. Before he could move on again, the young widow's son came galloping into the yard, bruised and bloodied. Three men had stolen their two calves, and beaten young Jesse when he tried to stop them. Much as he knew he should just ride on, Blake knew he couldn't. So he stood shoulder to shoulder with the Grays against a vicious land baron with an army of lawless gunman on his payroll. And when the smoke finally cleared, the winner would take all!

Critique: A riveting read with more unexpected plot twists and turns than a Disneyland roller-coaster, the large print paperback edition from Linford Western Library of "Trial to Nowhere" by Sheldon B. Cole is especially recommended to the attention of dedicated western novel fans and will make an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: There is an impressive listing of available western novels by Sheldon B. Cole at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/19648928.Sheldon_B_Cole

Kilraine!
Jack Crow
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850086, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 212pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Kilraine!

Synopsis: Kilraine is the fast gun who left to protect his family. Grace Jefferson is Kilraine's wife who was shot when their ranch was raided by night riders. Lucy Jefferson is the daughter he's never seen. Sam Jefferson is Grace's father whose murderers claimed self-defense. Carver Giles killed to have it all. Eli Carter is a brave young man who stood up for the town. Utah Williams is Giles' hired killer.

This cast of deftly crafted and memorable characters comes to life in "Kilraine!", a classic western novel about good against evil -- in which the final showdown would pit three guns against a living ghost and possibly tear a family apart forever.

Critique: A classic revenge novel set in the Old West, this large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library, "Kilraine!" by Jack Crow is a compelling page turner of a read from cover to cover. An ideal selection for both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Brent Towns is an Australian author who writes under several other names such as Jack Crow, B S Dunn, Sam Clancy and Jake Henry, as well as his own. He has written 17 Westerns to date. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/16668470.Brent_Towns)

Payback Canyon
Rob Hill
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850130, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 204pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/payback-canyon-rob-hill/1136775899

Synopsis: Due to a combination of laziness and bad judgement, sheep farmer Wiley Hansen is broke. He tells his daughter Grace that he has arranged paid work for her on a neighboring farm. She willingly agrees in order to help the family finances. But in reality, he intends to put her up for auction in the local saloon. But Grace manages to escape when the auction is disrupted by the arrival of a notorious outlaw. Believing she has been kidnapped, her brother Joe sets out to find her and bring her home. And when Joe does eventually discover where his sister is, what he finds is far from what he expected!

Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and an inherently interesting western that showcases the literary and imaginative storytelling talents of novelist Rob Hill, this large print paperback edition of "Payback Canyon" is a solid pick for the personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Rob Hill is the author of eleven Black Horse Westerns. He is also the author of two Victorian Crime stories published by The Crowood Press and has also written travel, history and educational articles for newspapers and magazines.

Grizzly Moon
Patrick Dearen
Five Star Publishing
c/o Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
https://www.gale.com/five-star
www.cengageptr.com
9798885781046, $25.95, HC, 218pp

https://www.amazon.com/Grizzly-Moon-Patrick-Dearen/dp/B0BJW9BMCG

Synopsis: For nineteen years, Wash Baker has been haunted by firing into the night at what he thought was a grizzly, only to kill his young son and narrowly miss a second boy, Trey. Now, in 1899, confirmed tracks of grizzly (a species of bear unknown in Texas) have been found at a Davis Mountains camp meeting attended by Wash and his daughter, Grace.

The congregants include Trey, now an adult and courting Grace, and Trey's father, Ed Mulholland. Long ago, Mulholland's big talk about the dangers of a grizzly led Wash to panic and fire the fatal load of buckshot. With all of them now striking out to hunt down this confirmed grizzly, Wash has a chance to right the wrongful shot and perhaps deliver judgment on Mulholland.

Meanwhile, up from Mexico has come twelve-year-old Rosindo Mesa, seeking to kill the same grizzly before the next full moon in order to free his dead father's wandering soul.

Critique: Of special note is that although "Grizzly Moon" by Patrick Dearen is a work of fiction, it isbased on the actual 1899 hunt for the only documented grizzly ever found in Texas. A quick paced and fun read that will appeal to readers with an interest in historical fiction set in the Old West and is a riveting read that is a highly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Patrick Dearen (patrickdearen.com) was inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame in 2022, and is the author of twenty-seven books. His ten nonfiction works include A Cowboy of the Pecos, The Last of the Old-Time Cowboys, and Saddling Up Anyway: The Dangerous Lives of Old-Time Cowboys. His research has led to seventeen novels, including The Big Drift, winner of the Spur Award of Western Writers of America. His other novels include When Cowboys Die (a Spur Award finalist), Perseverance, When the Sky Rained Dust, The Illegal Man, To Hell or the Pecos, Dead Man's Boot, Apache Lament, Haunted Border, and The End of Nowhere.

Thunder Falls
Neil Perry Gordon
Independently Published
www.NeilPerryGordon.com
9798987563205, $16.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Falls-Education-Leopold-Wolf/dp/B0BTGGWLSR

Thunder Falls: The Education of Leopold Red Wolf belongs in any collection strong in Western fiction and Native American literature. It explores the evolution of protagonist Leopold Wolf in the mid-1800s. His journey led him to become an outspoken Native American rights advocate at an era when the concept of Native rights was barely an idea, much less a reality.

The roots of Wolf's quest actually begin when he is eight and observes his mother's terrible death when a cannonball is fired through their house by the Confederacy during the opening days of the Battle of Carlisle. Tasked with taking care of his father at too young an age, Wolf grows up with the weight of the adult world on his young shoulders. This sets the stage for his later involvement in the Carlisle Indian School, which employs Wolf and Son Woodworking in a much-needed building job. Little did he realize that the business arrangement would lead to social change and revised purpose in his life.

Neil Perry Gordon juxtaposes fictional drama with historical fact in a satisfying way, bringing to life the milieu of the late 1800s and the political influences on Native American lives and futures. As Wolf comes to many new realizations that revolutionize his life trajectory, so readers absorb the politics and influences of times which lead Wolf to make uncommon decisions that lead him to become an advocate for Native Americans.

The story unfolds a rich contrast between ethical and moral values and the social compass of changing White society and Native Americans alike as issues of assimilation, repression, and civil rights rise to the forefront. This showcase of history encourages important dialogues between contemporary readers and book clubs interested in the too-wild West and methods by which it was perceived, tamed, and controlled.

Libraries and readers seeking a fictional story that attracts with realistic scenarios and influences will find Thunder Falls a powerful social observation of many of the forces in this bygone world which continue to influence behaviors and choices today. The story concludes in a cliffhanger which portends further coverage of Wolf's journey and education, maintaining that, despite all the events that have influenced him, his real education is just beginning.

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