October 2023 MBR The Western Fiction Shelf

The Western Fiction Shelf

The Guns of Gabriel
Sheldon B. Cole
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850321, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 204pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-guns-of-gabriel-sheldon-b-cole/1136785775

Synopsis: Blake Durant is one of the crew driving Jay Hurwood's cattle to the railhead at Gabriel. The trail has been hard, but nothing more than he'd expected. Then two murders are committed, right out on the open prairie, and suddenly everyone becomes a suspect. Because there wasn't any love lost between Blake and the victim Joe Sowarth, Joe's brother Lanny is convinced that Blake is the culprit, and figures to even the score any way he can. But there is more going on around Hurwood's trail drive than anyone can imagine. The only way Blake can clear his name is by finding the real killer...and their sinister motive!

Critique: Sheldon B. Cole is as good as he his prolific when it comes to action/adventure western novels. The large print paperback edition of "The Guns of Gabriel" from the Linford Western Library series is a fun read from start to finish and is unreservedly commended for both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Roger Norris-Green (aka Sheldon B. Cole) has written 137 published westerns under 6 pen names plus 2 under his own name. Some of his westerns have received 'Best Western of the Month' awards. Roger lives with his wife Elaine in Moonta Bay, South Australia. Although retired, he is still writing and has published more than 140 western novels.

The Big Ranchero
E. Jefferson Clay
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850277, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 228pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-big-ranchero-e-jefferson-clay/1136785770

Synopsis: After witnessing the cold-blooded killing of a man named Boyd Larsen, Duke Benedict and Hank Brazos find themselves up to their gunbelts in mystery, murder and mayhem. Larsen was an insurance man investigating a claim of rustled stock on Rancho Antigua, and his notes include a familiar name - Bo Rangle, the cut-throat outlaw the pair have been tracking ever since he robbed them of a fortune during the Civil War. Benedict and Brazos set out to run the rustlers to ground and exact their revenge on Rangle. But those cattle seem to have vanished right off the face of the earth!

Critique: Another superbly crafted and thoroughly fun action/adventure westerns starring the former Union Army Captain Duke Benedict and his unlikely partner, former Confederate Sargent Hank Brazo -- and once again featuring that infamous villain of the plains, Bo Rangle and his latest outlaw band. Warning -- the Benedict & Brazo westerns are addictive. Nevertheless, this large print paperback edition of "The Big Ranchero" from the Linford Western Library series is a 'must' for the personal reading lists of all western novel fans and a prime pick for community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: E. Jefferson Clay (www.fantasticfiction.com/c/e-jefferson-clay) is one of the many pseudonyms for Australian author, comic book writer and illustrator Paul Wheelahan.

Two Guns To Apache Wells
Cole Shelton
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850338, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 210pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/two-guns-to-apache-wells-cole-shelton/1136777151

Synopsis: Rancher's daughter Rebecca Donnell is marked for death after recognizing one of the men robbing the stage she is traveling on. Her father knows only that she has vanished off the face of the earth, so he hires Shane Preston and Jonah Jones to find her -- or her body. The two gunfighters ride into the wilderness and discover the remains of the missing stagecoach. Nearby are three shallow graves. Their quest should have ended there. But the lean gunfighter and his crusty old companion know they won't rest until they settle with the killers themselves, the outlaws that call themselves the Long Knife outfit.

Critique: A riveting read with more plot twists and turns that a Texas tornado, this large print paperback edition of"Two Guns To Apache Wells" by western novelist Cole Shelton and from the Linford Western Library series is a fascinating and compelling read from beginning to end. Original, exceptional, memorable, "Two Guns To Apache Wells" is a highly recommended pick for the personal reading list of western novel fans and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Cole Shelton is a prolific writer of action packed western novels. An impressive listing of them can be found at (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/7160486.Cole_Shelton)

Race Against Time
P. J. Gallagher
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850499, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 228pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/race-against-time-p-j-gallagher/1137640879

Synopsis: Corporal Race Monro, a former Confederate officer and now a member of the North West Mounted Police, is on a mission into Montana Territory when he is attacked and left for dead by fellow trooper Bill Westerman. But Race survives, and he must complete his assignment - in addition to bringing his would-be murderer to justice...

Critique: P. J. Gallagher is among the best of the western novelist. His latest action/adventure epic, "Race Against Time" is another of his impressively original, carefully crafted and thoroughly entertaining stories that his legions of fans have come to expect. This large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series is an especially welcome addition to personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: P. J. Gallagher served in the British Army. He has written and had published close to 20 articles for The Journal of the Royal Artillery, competed for the past 20 years in Cowboy Action Shooting, and is a collector of antique firearms. There is an extensive listing of his books at: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/281621.Paul_Gallagher

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