LONGARM AND THE DRAGON HUNTERS

LONGARM is the second of the longest running Adult Western series in Western fiction.  The early ones really had some eye-catching cover art.  Sure caught my set of young eyes when I was a young soldier in Germany more years ago than I care to remember.


This one is about some dinosaur fossil hunters and a young lady who catches the lawman's eye.

SAVAGE TEXAS

New Western series coming in September from William & J.A. Johnstone. Hadn't seen one of these things in a while.  The publisher will design the book cover and send one to the author ahead of time so that they can see what the book will look like. 

ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE

Another classic in Jake Logan's pioneering Western series.  The woman in the book is absolutely unloveable. 

FANCY HATCH

The Fancy Hatch series from Pinnacle Books only lasted through four novels.  Alan Riefe, who wrote as Jake Logan and J. D. Hardin, amongst many others, writes here as Zachary Hawkes. 

Fancy is quite liberated as you might be able to tell from the cover; of course the sexual overtones of her very name is a dead giveaway, too!

THE PROFESSIONALS

The quintessential Western from the great Frank O'Rourke.

THE GUNSMITH: MACKLIN'S WOMEN

The first book in what I believe is probably the third longest running Adult Western series.  I'm really going to have to go back and re-read this one, because I have very little recollection of it.  J. R. Roberts started the first few books writing in protagonist Clint Adams' first-person narrative; somewhere along the line it was changed to third-person.

The Gunsmith series continues to entertain readers nearly 30 years after its creation. 

HANGING JUSTICE

Here's probably the first series of "Adult Westerns" ever to hit the Market.  The John Slocum series started out at Playboy Press and then to Berkely back in the day. 

TOP GUNS OF THE WEST: BAT LASH

THE LONER: DEAD MAN'S GOLD

This is book #3 in J.A. Johnstone’s new western series, “The Loner”.  J.A. was kind enough to send this one to me because the one I had at the house apparently has gone the way of the dodo bird.  Thanks, J.A.!

The two “Loner” books that I’ve read so far have been very entertaining and the series seems to be doing well in readership and sales.  This is especially encouraging because Westerns, over the years, fall in and out of favor.  However, I see plenty of cowboy novels on bookshelves nowadays and this is a good sign. 

J. A.’s uncle, the late William W. Johnstone (I got to call him “Bill”), had sort of introduced the character of Conrad Morgan through the creation of Frank Morgan, Conrad’s father and protagonist of the “Last Gunfighter” novels Bill was still writing (with J.A.) at the time of Bill’s death. 

At the time Bill, Robert Kammen and I were walking the grounds of the Little Big Horn in the summer of 1987, I was more familiar with Bill’s work with the post-apocalyptic “Ashes” series and his unusual horror novels.  I didn’t really see Bill’s Westerns until some years later and now, in reprints, I see them all over the place.

The plot of this particular book is reminiscent of an Indiana Jones story in that there is a search for a lost treasure and the villain is right out of "The Wild, Wild West" (the TV show, not that dung-heap Will Smith movie).  Very interesting book and it moves right along nicely.

“The Loner” series is a good place to start if you’re looking for crackerjack Western novels.  Read them in order, though, if for no other reason than continuity. 

MISTER HENRY

Jim Miller, bless his ever-lovin’ heart, was one of the kindest, most talented Western writers of his day.  Spent many an hour with him and listening to him talk was like reading one of his books – he wrote in a “friendly” style, kind of like hearing him tell stories around a campfire. 

Jim (his real first name, but had a different last name) also autographed his books in ways that I’d never seen anyone do it – with wise ol’ cowboy sayin’s and philosophies.

I have no idea where Jim is today, or even if he is still writing (even under another name), but I do know he had a bad experience or two with publishers and may have stopped writing altogether.  Not Fawcett Gold Medal, publishers of his “Long Guns” and “Colt Revolver” series, but a different company. 

Fawcett Gold Medal really went all out on the book covers and gave them some of the best artwork I’ve ever seen.  The editor there at the time, I believe, was Louisa Rudeen and she was very instrumental in the packaging of these books.  She went all out for them.  Jim even dedicated one of his books to George Bush (the artist, not the future presidents) in appreciation for the art on the covers.  Eye-catching indeed.

Miss talking to Jim and hope we get to link up again someday. 

LAWDOG

My first time reading a J. Lee Butts Western and by all accounts, I sure picked a good one to start with.  There are other “Hayden Tilden” books out there, so now I have to go hunt for them.

A spellbinder from beginning to end.  Can’t ask for anything more than that from a Western (or any novel, really).

THE DEATH OF JOE GILEAD

William A. Luckey’s follow-up to “Long Ride to Nowhere”.  Was looking forward to more from Mr. Luckey, but don’t think I ever saw him in print again.  Too bad.  He was quite good.

RAIDERS OF THE WESTERN & ATLANTIC

Been a fan of Tim Champlin since I read one called “Summer of the Sioux” back in 1984. 

Here we have a train robbery caper – and one that has a basis in fact. 

GUNMAN'S CURSE

This was a going away gift from Author Jory Sherman in late winter of 1982 as I was leaving home to go into the Coast Guard.  I don’t remember much about the book – I’ll need to re-read – but Pinnacle sure gave it a nice cover.

JOURNAL OF THE GUN YEARS

Is there anything Richard Matheson CAN’T do?  Already a publishing legend at the time he wrote this book, Mr. Matheson decided to try his hand doing a Western.  Not only did he TRY, but he came in, blew everyone away and owned the territory from that moment on. 

I can give no higher praise than that. 

THE BRANCH AND THE SCAFFOLD

Another winner here from Michigan’s own Loren D. Estleman.  Don’t yet know if this is the novel for which he won his Fifth Spur Award (through the Western Writers of America) or if it will garner him a Sixth one.  Either way, this book is deserving of recognition as fine Western literature.

I have a special fascination with stories about Hangmen and, in particular, Judge Isaac Parker.  Parker has been used as a character template for years in Western movies and TV shows for his willingness to sentence deserving souls to the gallows, yet do it with regret and compassion.  “The Branch and The Scaffold” really captures the essence of Parker’s character and is one of Mr. Estleman’s best novels (of any kind) to date. 

THE GUNFIGHTERS: THE BEST OF THE WEST

Fawcett Gold Medal books, in the 1980’s, decided to do a “Best of The West” series of short story books, each one spotlighting a particular group or mode of transportation so common to the Old West. 

This one I was particularly interested in because  the myth of the Gunfighter is celebrated here.  I was especially psyched to see that Pat Garrett’s account of his killing of Billy The Kid leads off.  However, it turned out to be (from what I remember) dull and uninsightful.  The rest of the book, however, is worth the price of admission.

A COFFIN FULL OF DOLLARS

No movie made from this one (or vice versa) but a nice little fairy tale of its own and on its own. 

THE DALTON GANG'S "OFFICIAL" DEATH PHOTO

A pleasant photo to adorn any postcard, wouldn’t you say? 

Note the kid sticking his head through the paneling in the background. 

Too bad you can’t see Bob Dalton’s bare feet; he took bullets there, too, which goes to show he was already down – probably already dead – when shot the through bottoms of his feet.

INDIAN SYMBOLS POST CARD

This is what you can get when you haunt those "Route 66"-type gas station/souvenir shops. 

JESSE JAMES MEETS FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER (SPANISH VERSION LOBBY CARD)

The only thing even vaguely interesting about this movie is its use of Jesse James as a heroic figure and that the story is a Horror-Western.  Oh, and the fact that the title of the movie wouldn’t completely fit on my most theater marquees of the day.

BONANZA TOURIST BROCHURE

Got this one last year at a local book fair for next to nothing.  Apparently some of the exterior locations used to shoot "Bonanza" for NBC television drew crowds of tourists.  So here, in all its glory, is the souvenir brochure sold at the gift shop to all those Cartwright fans.