Book picks similar to
Secret of the Cannon by Gordon Landsborough


western
westerns
19th-century
action-adventure

The Land of Strong Men


A.M. Chisholm - 1919
    Excerpt and one of them, Gavin, was reputed to be the strongest man in the neighborhood. The daughter, a long-limbed slip of a girl who rode like a cow-puncher, was about the boy's age. Though Godfrey French had a ranch it was worked scarcely at all. The boys did not like work, and apparently did not have to. Godfrey French was reputed to have money. His ranch was a hang-out for what were known as "remittance men," young Englishmen who received more or less regular allowances from home--or perhaps to keep away from home. There were rumors of gambling and hard drinking at French's ranch. "Well, I'll take you home," the boy said. "You can ride my pony. He's on a rope a mile from here. But I'll have to hang up this buck, or the coyotes will chew him." He found two small saplings close together, bent them down, trimmed them and lashed their tops. Over these he placed the tied legs of the buck. With a little search he found a long dry pole. With this he had a tripod. As he hoisted with the pole the spring

A Godsent Governess for the Reserved Rancher: A Christian Historical Romance Book


Chloe Carley - 2021
    

Hell in the Nations: The Further Adventures of Hayden Tilden (Hayden Tilden Westerns Book 2)


J. Lee Butts - 2016
    Until Hayden Tilden caught up with him.Smilin’ Jack Paine is one face from the past that Hayden would rather forget, but the man’s sinister grin is permanently etched in his memory, along with the chilling thoughts of Paine’s unspeakable crimes. There seems to be no other way to put that demon to rest than to tell the whole story—from the day Hayden first heard the man’s name to the day he finally wiped the grin off Paine’s face for good.Praise for Lawdog: The Life and Times of Haydon Tilden“Lawdog should assume its rightful place beside other Western classics.” —Peter Brandvold, author of Once Hell Freezes Over“Lawdog has it all. I couldn’t put it down.” —Jack Ballas, author of West of the RiverAbout the Author:J. Lee Butts is the author of 22 published books and numerous magazine articles and short works. His book Brotherhood of Blood was runner-up for the Western Writers of America Spur Award in 2005. He’s worn many hats over the years (teacher, administrator, pool manager, IBM supervisor, and western author), and he and his late wife lived everywhere from Los Angeles to Dallas. Currently he’s hanging those hats back in White Hall, Arkansas.

Road to the Breaking


Chris Bennett - 2021
    Army Fort Davis in the west Texas wilderness, has received shocking news – his father is dead. He must return home to Virginia and claim his inheritance before a maniacal neighbor can murder his widowed mother and seize the family plantation. But he’s torn by a terrible dilemma – to stay in the army and turn his back on his fortune, his mother and his beloved childhood home, or become the thing he despises; a slave master! Is there no other choice? Meanwhile, a woman desperate to redeem her family’s fortunes schemes to marry her beautiful but troubled daughter to the handsome young heir. But will Evelyn’s own plans break his heart instead? An epic journey across a young nation seething with debauchery, brutality, corruption, and political intrigue, unwittingly on the brink of an unimaginable disaster; the American Civil War. Nathan Chambers has left the violent army life behind in Texas, never imaging he’s on the very ‘Road to The Breaking’.

Pioneer Hearts: A Lesbian Western


Becky Harris - 2020
     It was supposed to be a simple trip into town. Once a year. Get supplies. Ignore the jeers and jibes from townsfolk who didn't want to understand her. Ignore how everything reminded her of Suzanne. She wasn't expecting Jeane. A damsel in distress out on the prairie? A broken down wagon and three men who meant no good closing in on her? Belle knew frontier life could be harsh, and sometimes that meant dealing with rabid animals. Only now she's stuck with Jeane. And the more time they spend together traveling back to her homestead, the more she can't get this woman out of her mind. The more she starts hoping, against all reason and hope, that maybe she can find something like what she had with Suzanne. Two women, alone together on the frontier where they can truly be themselves, learning to love again. Pioneer Hearts is a 68,000 word western about two women coming together to deal with life on the harsh American frontier, and learning that maybe there is more to life than survival!

A Wild Journey for Payback


Ethan Westfield - 2020
    Having no interest in gold or fame, he had his fill of adventure before arriving in the untamed backdrop of the wild frontier. When he first set foot in Bozeman, Montana, trouble was the last thing he expected to find, but after the sudden attack of three notorious felons wanted by the law, he figured out that his stay there would not be a child's play, as he wished. As if that weren't enough, running low on bullets and cash will soon throw him on the mercy of a ruthless rancher, who has nearly complete control of the town. Will Smith finally take the risk to accept a tempting job offer from the vicious man?Rumors about Smith spread in town like wildfire, but little did he know that this crime was only the beginning of his perilous adventure. While riding on a rainy day, he rescues a helpless woman, trapped in a criminal's dirty hands. Smith will soon find out that she is Josephine Compton, the daughter of a powerful cattle baron, and he will take it upon himself to return her to the ranch. How will their unexpected encounter change their lives once and for all?Even though Josephine and Smith meet under the worst variety of circumstances, the attraction between them is impossible to deny. However, their love cannot flourish, as Smith's temporary stay in Bozeman will soon turn into a bloody undertaking without end. Will he manage to choose the right side and fight for good against evil? Or will they both be doomed to a dreadful fate?An action-packed story, featuring complex and fascinating characters, and twists and turns that will take your breath away. A must-read for fans of Western action and romance."A Wild Journey for Payback" is a historical adventure novel of approximately 60,000 words. No cliffhangers, only pure unadulterated action.

The Wichita Connection


Randall Dale - 2019
     Wichita holds memories for both of the targets of the “hit,” and even though they hate each other, they reluctantly join forces to hunt down the person who ordered the hit on them. Their pursuit takes them on many adventures together, occasionally getting sidetracked to chase down bank robbers and murderers such as Blackjack Parmeter. The result is that their dislike for each other turns into reluctant respect, along with some surprising Wichita connections to their past lives and families. This new action-packed adventure has everything a Western reader could want, or need. Gunplay, mystery—and much, much more!

On the King's Sea Service: A John Phillips Novel


Richard Testrake - 2013
    At first taking their cue from the previous struggle of the then fledgling United States, the rebellion soon degenerated. The initial violence began to feed upon itself and bloody revolution spread across all of France. Surprisingly, the struggle spread into neighboring countries. Early in 1793, Great Britain and Republican France went to war. This lasted, with a pair of short interruptions, until 1815. For much of this war, Britain strained at every seam to prevent French forces from crossing the Channel. For much of the war, the Royal Navy was the bulwark that prevented invasion, just as it did a century and a half in the future. Our fictional Royal Naval officer in this book is representative of those larger than life figures that saved the British Isles from conquest.

Montana Rose


Deann Smallwood - 2016
    There’s no doubt in her mind that if given another chance, she can make a success of homesteading. She will not fail this time. People scoff, saying ranching is too much of a job for a lone woman to undertake. But Rose is no ordinary woman. She may be petite, stylish, and beautiful, but she is also strong and driven. Every aspect of ranching brings joy to her heart. Then why is she here in Wise River, Montana, taking orders from a mean-spirited school board and attempting something she has no clue how to do? Teaching? Jesse Rivers carries his own baggage on his wide shoulders. He’s been called home by a dying stepmother to take over the Rocking R Ranch and the care of a belligerent and wounded brother. A rugged, lanky cowboy, Jesse is also demanding, surly, and afraid to love. No, he can’t love. What if he has buried inside him the same volatile anger as his father, resulting in brutality by strong fists or a whip? Then Jesse meets Rose. Strong willed, outspoken, determined, and oh-so-desirable.

Drums Along the Khyber


Philip McCutchan - 1969
    James Ogilvie is the third generation.Pitchforked with mixed feelings into imperial Britain’s elite military academy, Sandhurst, and then into the family regiment, he finds himself in 1894 a subaltern en route to India – a torrid journey out that teaches him the first lessons of military life and the command of men.His initiation is made more difficult by the vindictive attentions of the adjutant, Captain Black, and by the high expectations placed on him by his own irascible father, his Divisional Commander on the North West Frontier of India.Ogilvie gets his first taste of action when the Royal Strathspeys are sent through the Khyber Pass to contain the rebel Ahmed Khan outside Jalalabad. Fighting the border tribesmen brings brushes with death, but also many opportunities for the kind of glory that can forge a distinguished military career. But as the campaign goes on, Ogilvie also starts to doubt the entire Imperial project.‘Drums Along the Khyber’ is a thrilling historical adventure story, rich in period detail. It is the first in the Ogilvie series of novels by Philip McCutchan. ‘The adventure-writer succeeds who makes you read faster than you really can…Drums Along the Khyber has something of this quality’ – The Sunday Times Philip McCutchan (1920-1996) grew up in the naval atmosphere of Portsmouth Dockyard and developed a lifetime's interest in the sea. Military history was an early interest resulting in several fiction books, from amongst his large output, about the British Army and its campaigns, especially in the last 150 years.Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.

The Traveler


Don Coldsmith - 1991
    Now he is the Storyteller, weaving long-ago tales and trading as he traverses the lands of the People. Married to the beautiful Plum Leaf, the Storyteller sets out on the great adventure that will be his own life. He witnesses the changes the white men have brought--the taking of scalps, the preying of brother upon brother, the knives made of shiny, smooth metal. He journeys far and wide, to the land of the buffalo and to the heart of an enchanting young captive named Pale Star, who will be his shinning light and destiny in the dark days ahead. He is known by many names to those he meets in the wilderness: Storyteller, trader, Traveler--and one day he will become a legend as the half-man, half-spirit called the Watcher.

A Bad Place to Die


Easy Jackson - 2018
    It takes guts, grit, gunslinging--and one hell of a woman . . .MEET TENNESSEE SMITH: SHE SHOOTS FROM THE HIP.There aren't many options for an eighteen-year-old girl in the Old West. Especially an orphan like Tennessee Smith. She can either sell her body in a seedy saloon or take her chances as a mail-order bride. Tennie chooses the latter. Joining a wagonload of women across Indian territory, she arrives in the God-forsaken town of Ring Bit, Texas. Her husband-to-be is surprisingly decent. But after tying the knot in a quickie ceremony, he pops even more surprises on her. First, he introduces Tennie to his three young sons. Then he drops dead on their wedding night . . .Some women would hightail it out of there. Not Tennie. She'll do whatever it takes to save the ranch and raise those boys. Rusty is thirteen, Lucas is ten, and Badger is six. They need a mother. Tennie needs a job. And the town needs a marshal. Sure, the local gamblers, outlaws, and thieves have no use for the law. Then again, they never met a lawman, or woman, like Tennessee Smith . . .

Mail Order Bride: Her Christmas Joy


Emma Ashwood - 2018
     Tally May Jones needed a life that was more than just helping out at her father's haberdashery store in their dusty small town on the East Coast. She believed she had found it when she saw the advertisement from Jacob Tucker a rancher from Cedar Fields. But life as Mrs Jacob Tucker was not at all as she had dreamed. Yes, he was a handsome man - handsome beyond expectations, but he was cold-hearted and seemed only to want a bride to fill the role of housekeeper in his home. Tally was homesick and lonely. She was thankful for the company of Ellie the daughter of the ranch’s right hand man and Jacob’s friend, Pete. Tally is almost at her wit’s end living the lie that her life out West has become, when she is called upon to help Ellie and Pete. She knows it is wrong to keep secrets from her husband, but she also understands the fear those around her have for her husband. He could be unreasonable and unfathomable. And Tally was kept in the dark as to his secrets, causing her to not understand his hardheartedness. With Christmas fast approaching Jacob turns even more cold, what could be done to thaw his heart? Was it possible for an innocent to break down the walls of grief thrown up by a brave man to shield himself from love and hurt? Could the promise of a newborn heal the wounds etched deep in the soul of a man who had lost all he once loved? Allow the author to lead you through the trials and tribulations of two families brought together by loyalty and love, and see whether love can indeed overcome all hardships.

The Ranchman


Charles Alden Seltzer
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Blood on the Plains


John D. Fie Jr. - 2015
    Matt Hutchins, the lone survivor of a wagon train massacre Found and raised by the Sioux, Matt not only learns the ways of the Sioux, but his survival skills are keenly honed with his tracking abilities used by both the Army and later by the sheriff of a town named Buffalo Flats Matt lives alone on the open plains with his trusted friend and horse ‘Ole Friend, a gift given to him by the Chief Buffalo Robes, the one who taught him how to survive