A Debt of Blood

A Debt of Blood

 

In, A Debt of Blood, Jeff Crawford takes Noah’s journey along a slightly different tack.
As the blurb highlights, there’s much more significance to blood than kinship. . .
Especially where the Weyland’s are concerned:

*****

Noah and Elise Weyland were proud of all three of their sons, and their wives. They were proud of their two grandchildren also. But neither Noah nor his wife had stopped grinning during the past month. Their youngest son, Caleb, had not only graduated from dental school and was brought immediately into a medical practice as a partner, he had also married his sweetheart the day following his graduation. They now lived in Houston and were enjoying the building of their lives together. Or they had been.

The telegram arrived at the ranch late one evening. Caleb’s wife had been shot and killed by a jealous former suitor. Caleb was asking that Noah come and help by doing what he could do better than anyone—help find this man so that Caleb could avenge his wife’s senseless murder. The law hadn’t been told anything, and they wouldn’t be. This was Weyland business, and Weylands always took care of their own.

Walthum Bridges was the son of the powerful and affluent Atlas and DonnaLee Bridges of Little Rock. Of course, Walthum went there first for help, but it was not found there. Walthum refused to tell why he was on the run, and his family would not support running without knowing why he felt he had to. He was offered protection, but staying was not on the boy’s mind.

This was how the manhunt began and moved from Houston to Little Rock to the sleepy village of Eliddon, Arkansas, the town where lives for some would eventually change forever and other lives would simply end. This is how Caleb Weyland learned to understand, but not fully control the rage that was inside of him, just as it had always been within his father Noah. The rage that made Noah the most feared Texas Ranger of all was now going to help Caleb obtain the justice that the young bride lying still in her grave deserved so very much. This was about a debt of blood, and men of the Weyland family were going to collect all that was due. Only this would prove to Caleb Weyland, and others, what he was truly capable of.

*****

I thoroughly enjoyed this outing with Noah Weyland, as we get to see more of the kinship that runs through the family. The character; the spirit and grit that simmers just beneath a barely civilized surface.
And woe betides anyone who scratches too deep, or – as in this story – is plain stupid enough to cause harm to a Weyland.

This is a story of revenge, pure and simple. But the way Crawford has his characters go about it is oh so appealing. Nothing is straightforward out west. There’s always someone with an agenda; out to get you; out to get one over on you.

And THAT adds nicely to the ever building tension until the story arc is ready to snap back and bite you.

A great story, and worthy addition to the Weyland legacy.

I look forward to more.

Amazon Review

 Bloodshed in Antelope Springs

Bloodshed in Antelope Spring

 

Following on from Wayne Winkle’s A Dangerous Beginning, we find John Tailer Bishop’s talents are in demand.

*****

After a successful hunt for Maggie Rankin, John Bishop is asked to look for a missing man and his wife. Their trail led to Antelope Spring, Arizona Territory.

A young man named Cruz Andrus goes with him and provides some help. One great help is that Cruz can cook. That’s what seals the deal for Bishop.

Grant Stratman is buying all the land he can around Antelope Spring to provide timber and beef for the railroad workers when the tracks are laid. Bishop finds the man and his wife may be “guests” of Stratman’s.

In order to find the couple, Bishop must first get past a hired gun, Reuben Blake, then a hired killer, Saunders. Even then, there’s no guarantee the couple is still alive.

Surprise after surprise greet Bishop on his journey.

*****

It seems a simple enough job, doesn’t it? To go and search for a missing couple in the area they were last seen. The trouble is, Grant Stratman doesn’t see it that way. He’s dreaming of the future. A future that – if things go his way – will make him rich and influential. Very rich. And incredibly influential. And the missing married couple? Well, they’re standing in the way of his dreams.

And therein lies the problem. Greed – pure and simple – makes usually sane people act in stupid ways. That, and an overconfident, bullying nature makes Stratman think he can get away with anything to secure the future he wants.

Well, he can certainly try. But if there’s one thing were learning about John Bishop, is that he can’t abide bullies. And when it comes to doing the right thing, he’s doggedly persistent, and will see things through to the end, ensuring we’re in for one hell of a ride.

 

As before, the pace of the story rolls along at an engaging tempo. There’s plenty of action. Sharp dialogue. We learn a lot about Bishop’s values. About the philosophy of those settling the wide open reaches of the far west. About the hurdles they have to overcome in everyday life. It involves you from the outset and keeps you rooting for the good guys.

 

So, what can I say? Other than I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to what Bishop gets up to next. . .

Amazon Review

 Review - The Right Man for the Work

The Right Man for the Work

 

In The Right Man for the Work, the second book of the Return of the Ranger series, Jeff Crawford changes tack a little, and tells Noah’s story in a subtly clever way. . .
As the blurb highlights:

*****

The past was the past, and it was where it belonged—locked safely away in a box in the back of a closet in the furthest reaches of his memory. That was where former Texas Ranger Noah Weyland kept those events. Everyone knew that he had been a Ranger and a hard one, but no one knew why the Rangers had feared riding with one of their own.

Robert Wilson, originally from Wyoming and now from Chicago, had been asked by his publishers to write a book about the Texas Rangers. Eager for the opportunity, he dived into the research only to find a name kept appearing here and there—Noah Weyland, one time Ranger and now cattle rancher in South Texas. When asked, people knew the name, but were reluctant to say more. After a series of letters exchanged with Elise Weyland, a time for Robert was arranged to come sit with Noah and be the first to know the truths. Elise knew the greatness of her husband; now she wanted everyone else to know.

Day after day, the stories from the old days came out. Sometimes with pride, sometimes with trepidation. But as the pages filled with the truths from thirty years earlier, a connection was made between the writer and the one-time lawman, a connection that Noah had never made with anyone else. Robert was getting what he needed for his book, but he was also removing the weights that Noah had borne silently upon his shoulders for so very long.

The Right Man for the Work tells how some of the worst met their end, and Noah Weyland was right there dispensing judgement as he saw fit or thought necessary. Judge for yourself if he was right or wrong, but don’t offer your opinion to Noah Weyland. He has already made that decision for himself.

*****

Yes, we find out much more about Noah’s life by way of anecdotes from his past, recorded for posterity and for future generations to learn the deeds of a remarkable man.
In doing so, we discover much more about how violent the west of old could be, and why it was we needed men like him. Men prepared to do what was necessary to ensure decent folk had a chance to make a new future.

In a nutshell? I really enjoyed it, and was drawn to the ethos of the times, and of a character who wasn’t proud of the lives he’d taken, but who, nevertheless, wouldn’t ever back down from killing ruinous men – and sometimes women – if the occasion demanded it.

A definite ‘must’ for any lover of the western genre.

Amazon Review

 Wanna Read an Excerpt?

Then go right ahead

You'll find it here. . .

N. N. Light Bookheaven

 What D'Ya Do When There's No Law?

Mountain Man Apprentice: Law of the Land: A Mountain Man Adventure (Hammer and Grizz Mountain Man Series Book 2)

 

The second adventure in a brand new mountain man series from Ash Lingam, and as with the first book, you’re in for an absolute treat. . .
As the blurb highlights:

******
An early blizzard hits the Rocky Mountains; Grizz James and Brick Hammer batten down the hatches to prepare to weather the storm. When they get four unexpected visitors in the middle of the worst storm of the year, things begin to go off the rails. The Crow chief, Aiga, is at death’s door, and two of the visitors try to give him a helping push to the other side. The result is three angry mountain men hell-bent on revenge despite the weather. The chase is on for the town of Twins Springs down the mountain, where the culprits seek their escape.
******
Without going into detail, (as I don’t want to spoil the treat in store for you), this story is all about revenge – Law of the Land style. Because, hang it all, when you do someone a good turn – and one that might save their life – you don’t expect them to stab you in the back.

So when they do?

Well, let’s just say, that’s begging for trouble. Mountain man style. Because Mountain men don’t need no ‘civilized’ justice. The kind where hardened criminals get away with murder and the kinda behavior that reveals their true nature. Such individuals need a reckonin’!
And Grizz, Brick, and their friend, Phoenix, are on hand to ensure that reckonin’ is handed out, double-quick!
The story is slick, tight, and delivered in a way that involves you from the outset. And most of all, it’s a delight to read.

Amazon Review

 A Story With Bite!

(And Big Balloons)

Savage Mesa

In Savage Mesa, the second Tom Mix adventure by Scott McCrea, our showman hero really has his work cut out:
Mexican bandits, Comanche renegades, the harsh reality of the nature of the wild west, and would you believe it – a hot air balloon – all conspire against him to make life as difficult as possible.

*****
The Cabrerra Brothers thought they had a perfect escape plan after stealing the plates for the new five dollar bill: hijack a balloon at the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West Show! Their plan goes haywire with the appearance of Wild West star Tom Mix, a band of renegade Comanches, and an emergency landing on Black Mesa, Oklahoma. Tom Mix and the bandits might survive … but only if they band together against the renegades.

*****

One thing’s for sure, life isn’t dull when Tom Mix is about . . .
And THAT’s what really stands out in this latest adventure. It’s easy to read; fast paced; packed with action; and full of characters you’re soon rootin’ for, as well as those you can’t wait to meet a grizzly end. It’s great fun to read.
Scott McCrea doesn’t disappoint. And do you know what I particularly like?
Even though you’re reading a work of fiction, the main character – Tom Mix – doesn’t always get his own way. Nor does he escape, unscathed, from the many scrapes he gets himself into. He gets shot up, beat up, tripped up. And it adds that touch of reality to an already entertaining work of fiction that – as I’ve said before – would be right at home in the Saturday Matinee’s I used to enjoy as a kid. Great stuff!

Amazon Review

 There's a Storm Brewing

Are YOU Ready for it?

Shootout at Russell Springs
A Pearl Brothers Western Adventure

A tornado tears through the open plains of Kansas, leaving death and destruction in its wake.
Yet that force of nature isn’t the only thing that might ravage the land.

The Plains Indians are massing in their hundreds. Cheyenne, Comanche, Lakota, Kiowa, and Arapaho. All of them, turning their eyes toward the foreign settlers who encroach ever further into their ancestral hunting grounds with each and every passing year.
Already on the run from the law, the notorious Reno Gang also come calling, thinking that the residents of Elder Grove will be no match for a bunch of murdering horse thieves.
And just who are the two strangers from the east that come to town, acting all friendly, yet asking sly question about the Pearl brothers?

One thing’s for sure. . .

Another storm is brewing. And when it strikes, not everyone will walk away.

Out Now!

Amazon Buy Link

 Wanted . . . Dead or Alive!

See My Review of. . .

Steve Savage: Bounty Hunter

I was attracted to this book by the blurb, which, as you can see is a rather good hook:

 

******

All Steve Savage wanted was to work his ranch and raise his family in peace, but a gang of rustlers had other ideas. They stole his herd and shot one of his men, leaving him for dead. The gang of outlaws didn’t know what they were unleashing when they stole from a Savage. The sheriff tried to do things his way, but Steve was having none of it. He swore to teach them a lesson they’d never forget.

Together with his cousins, Ty and Tucker Savage, Steve sets out to find the herd and bring the killers to justice... dead or alive. His actions have unexpected consequences, though. Consequences that will change his life forever.

******

So, what do you get?

A profoundly satisfying read. That’s what.
The story has an engaging pace, relatable characters, a sound story line, and just the right balance of action and story arc to keep you rootin’ for the good guys, and in anticipation of the bad guys getting’ it!
I enjoyed it a great deal and can see myself reading more Steve Savage adventures.

Amazon Review