December 2023 MBR The Western Fiction Shelf

The Western Fiction Shelf

Fool's Gold
Eric Niven
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850413, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 252pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Fool's%20Gold

Synopsis: Trouble struck with the powerful boom from a large caliber rifle, the sound quickly evaporating like a rare morning mist in the hot desert air. The Whip felt the passing of the heavy slug as it blasted a hole in his hat and then tore off some wood molding on the back of the stagecoach before kicking up dust in the road. Whoever was shooting had just barely missed him, and the Whip knew he was in serious trouble. He leaned over, creating a smaller profile, and began yelling and snapping the reins on the rumps of his four-horse team in a desperate attempt to increase their pace.

Critique: The gun play action is fast and furious from start to finish in author Eric Niven's western novel "Fool's Gold". First published in Great Britain in 2020, "Fool's Gold" is now readily available to American fans of the western genre with the publication of a large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series. Original, well crafted, memorable, and a fun read from cover to cover, "Fool's Gold" will be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Eric Niven lives and works in the actual area where his western books take place. Among his close friends are cowboys, ranchers, farmers and even a competitive gun slinger. He lives with his wife Cathi on a ten acre spread at the base of the Blue Mountains in rugged southeastern Utah. When he is not researching or writing, Eric is commonly found jawing with friends at the local hardware store.

Where Guns Talk
Sheldon B. Cole
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850406, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 198pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/where-guns-talk-sheldon-b-cole/1137640896

Synopsis: Ahead was a cold-blooded killer, and an innocent woman who wanted to believe he was no such thing. Behind was a God-fearing tyrant by the name of Isaac Madie, and Madie's three sons, all of them with vengeance in mind. And Blake Durant was caught smack in the middle. He wanted to rescue the woman and return a fortune in gold bullion to its rightful owners. But Madie had other ideas. And if it came to that, so did Ringo Nyall, the killer who'd set his mind on the gold...and the girl!

Critique: Non-stop action and a compelling western adventure, they just don't come better that "Where Guns Talk" by Sheldon B. Cole. Originally published in 1967 and now readily available for personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections in a large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series, "Where Guns Talk" is a welcome and highly recommended read for all dedicated western fans.

Editorial Note: Editorial Note: Editorial Note: There is a comprehensive and available listing of Sheldon B. Cole's novels at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/19648928.Sheldon_B_Cole

Coyote Terror
James Clay
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850475, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 264pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/coyote-terror-james-clay/1137640886

Synopsis: Range detective Rance Dehner arrives in Conrad, Texas for a few days of fishing, and finds himself in the midst of trouble. Akando, who heads a band of Indian renegades, has demanded that the town bans Indian children from attending its school. He threatens that if his orders are defied, Conrad will be attacked by Coyote, a mythical creature of Indian lore. Schoolmarm Angie Knowland is determined to keep the school open to all children, and is supported by the Wichita chief Sahale. But a series of gruesome murders terrifies the townspeople, and leads to explosions of violence and the possible demise of Rance Dehner!

Critique: A deftly scripted and compelling read from beginning to end, "Coyote Terror" by western novelist James Clay is now available and highly recommended in a large print paperback edition and an ideal pick for the personal reading lists of dedicated western fans and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: There is a complete listing of books by western author James Clay on GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/201553.James_Clay

Only The Fastest
Adam Brady
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850437, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 191pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/only-the-fastest-adam-brady/1137640889

Synopsis: Old Dick Clayton and his niece Hope were in big trouble. The local land baron, bully-boy Aldo Latimer, wanted their ranch - at any cost. But what made the old Clayton place worth so much to him? Why was he willing to try every dirty trick in the book to get it? All Dick and Hope knew was that they needed protection...and when Buck Halliday rode in, they figured they'd found it. Buck wasn't looking for gun-work right then, but he liked the pair. So he signed on. But the stakes were so high that soon he wasn't sure who he could really trust...

Critique: Adam Brady is a master of the action/adventure western genre and "Only The Fastest" is one of his very best. A simply riveting read from start to finish, This large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series is a welcome pick for both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Editorial Note: There is a substantial listing of Adam Brady westerns available at: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4832559.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

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