Book picks similar to
Lawless Desert by C.M. Curtis


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Coyote Courage


Scott Harris - 2018
    In the first two books of the series, “Coyote Courage” and “Coyote Creek," readers are introduced to Brock Clemons and the small town of Dry Springs, where Brock meets a young boy named Huck, falls for a beautiful young woman named Sophie and faces a band of hardened outlaws. Brock decides to stay beyond the one night he had planned, and readers follow his adventures in town and journey in the aftermath of his visit to Dry Springs. Brock Clemons rides into the small town of Dry Springs simply looking for a place to grab a cigar and a good night’s sleep. Instead, he finds a town being strangled by a band of hardened outlaws, a young boy named Huck who is bravely facing challenges far beyond his years, and Sophie, a woman of captivating strength and beauty. Brock decides to stay beyond the one night he had planned, but will his intelligence, courage and unmatched skill with a gun be enough to save the town, help Huck and win Sophie’s heart?

El Lazo


L.J. Martin - 1991
    The Mexicans struggle to keep their gracious life-style, the Indians have sworn to defend their tribal heritage. Both are doomed by the inevitable war with the colossus to the east. America is determined to reach the shores of the Pacific. In this turbulent land comes John Clinton Ryan, an adventurer, a seaman, a man who must learn the ways of the vaquero if he is to survive. For only then will he have a chance against cruel Mexican soldados and a brutal American captain who has sworn to see him hang.

Name’s Corcoran, Terrence Corcoran


Johnny Gunn - 2018
    Now he’s returning to the Comstock looking to get his badge back and stumbles into a conspiracy that might put the sheriff, district attorney, and others in jail for a long time. A lovely working girl is brutally murdered, a Hungarian duke wants a Wells Fargo gold shipment, and the sheriff rehires him after first kicking him in a most tender spot. Corcoran was born on the ship bringing his family to this country, ran away to the frontier at an early age and brings his ideas of the old country and knowledge learned of the west to whatever mess he finds himself in. He’s carried a badge, found himself in jail, and stands four-square for right, honor, and truth. You gotta love the guy.

Sundog Comanche


Ash Lingam - 2017
    His father, Maxwell Creek provided him with his namesake of the town, Ridge. At thirteen taken on to work in the general store of a retired western gunfighter and lawman, Ridge Creek learned the tricks of his future trade. At sixteen he rides off on the trail to Austin to join the Texas Rangers. The rest is history. The whole story of Captain Ridge Creek. The year was 1848, and the young Ranger was posted in Laredo, Texas. This is the story of his battles with Iron Jacket and Lopez the Outlaw among other tales of this man the Comanche call 'With Dead Eyes'. Captain Creek’s first five years in the Texas Rangers. This is the dawn of his younger years.

Bad Blood: Lucius Dodge and the Redlands War (Lucius Dodge Westerns Book 2)


J. Lee Butts - 2005
    Caught in the crossfire, it’s everything Lucius and Boz can do to save Ruby from the slaughter and bring her back alive. Only thing is, they have to save themselves first . . .“A writer who can tell a great adventure with authority and wit.” —John S. McCord, author of the Baynes Clan novels“One of the top writers of Westerns working in the genre today.” —Peter BrandvoldAbout 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.

Mac's Way


Reg Quist - 2012
    Work on the Santa Fe Trail, and on a Mississippi River boat give him a start, but the years of Civil War leave him broke and footloose in South Texas. There he discovers more cattle running loose than he ever knew existed. Teaming up with two ex-Federal soldiers, he sets out to gather his wealth, one head at a time. While gathering and driving Longhorns, Mac and his friends meet an interesting collection of characters, including Margo. Mac and Margo and the crew learn about Longhorns, and life, from hard experience before they eventually head west. Outlaws and harrowing river crossings are just two of the challenges they face along their way.

A Man Named Cully:


Orris Slade - 2018
    Having worked both as a U.S. marshal and a bounty hunter he ruthlessly pursues villains who plague the West. The son of a clergyman, Cully has strayed from the faith but not from righteousness.As committed as Cully is to law and justice, shrewd and ruthless outlaw “Smiley” James lives a life of crime. With his hardened gang of killers he has created a horrific mail-order bride scam. Young women are lured from the East to become brides for ranchers or businessmen in the West. When they arrive they are taken captive and forced to work in a profession that has nothing to do with wedding rings.James fancies himself as a rich businessman and is more than willing to kill anyone and everyone who gets in his way. Cully is hired to find a young mail-order bride from Philadelphia who has gone missing. The evidence leads to Smiley and his gang. Cully is outnumbered and out-gunned. This is not the first time he has faced long odds, and it may be the most dangerous and bloodiest hunt of his career.Note: Each book in the Cully the Bounty Hunter series is a standalone story that can be read out of order.

Virgil's Herd


C.J. Petit - 2017
    But the short trail drive proved to be anything but routine when late that first night, they were set upon by men wielding deadly clubs and Virgil found himself face down in a quickly flowing creek taking him downstream to what would surely be his death. All he could feel was the icy cold water and excruciating pain. He had given up and there was nothing he could do.

Yavapai Gold


R.O. Lane - 2018
    The two men are former Texas Rangers. Along with Sutton's daughter, the former Rangers ride into the Bradshaws with outlaws on their trail, who know that Sutton has a map to buried gold. Sutton's brother years before had buried the gold before being killed by Yavapai Indians, who considered the Bradshaws sacred territory. Kilcannon marries Sutton's daughter, who is then kidnapped by the outlaws, who kill her father. Kilcannon rescues his wife and the two of them find ways to get the gold back to Prescott, the capital of Arizona Territory. Outlaws kidnap Kilcannon's wife again, but she's armed and dangerous. She kills Buster Oldham, leader of the gang of outlaws, with her pocket pistol, and Kilcannon rescues her and kills the last of the outlaws. It's another classic western with a bit of romance by R. O. Lane.

Preacher With a Gun (Jubilee Book 1)


Brad Dennison - 2015
    When marshal Vic Falcone takes a bullet, he calls on the town preacher Tom McCabe to strap on a gun and wear the badge. The man who shot the marshal is in the town jail and awaiting trial, and the man's outlaw brother is out there somewhere, intending to free him. A lot for McCabe to handle, but even though he's a preacher, he's also the nephew of the gunfighter Johnny McCabe.

A Long Way To Texas


Dave Sebeslav - 2018
    On the way, he makes friends and enemies. Once there, he finds danger and the love of his life.

Guns of Apache Springs


John Legg - 1988
    Until he meets the beautiful prostitute Addie Heller. But Guthrie can’t avoid trouble, not with his background. Tensions mount as a corrupt mayor and his gun-totin’ henchmen aim to take over the town, including the fancy bordello owned by friendly, helpful Ma Snow, and Guthrie is called on to use his skills. But just as Guthrie is making headway in calming the town, the past returns in the form of Luke Taggart. And the violence explodes as Guthrie faces off with Taggart and his vicious gun pals.

JL Tate, Texas Ranger


Lou Bradshaw - 2015
    A short time later we find him up to his chin in the embrace of a lovely lady outlaw. He’s able to get himself untangle, only to come face to face with nearly a half ton of stolen Civil War gold, which the great State of Texas has placed a claim on. JL and his Ranger partner, Spade Carson, become involved with the gang seeking to recover the gold and a rival gang seeking to take it, by whatever means necessary. A sweet young lass is right in the middle of the fray, and Tate is of course, in no way immune to the charms of Eve. From Odessa to El Paso, there is no safety for Tate and Carson. Ambushes, night raids, and lust for the yellow gold, keep the two Rangers living on the raw gritty edge. But they must keep going forward because there’s no going back.

Return of the Coyote (The Coyote Saga, #2)


Ron Schwab - 2017
    Death. Destruction. Despair. He vowed to seek out the barbarians who laid waste to the small Sioux village, leaving but only a very few women and children alive. Assembling a rag-tag search party, Ethan embarks on a journey to find the killers while maintaining a glimmer of hope that he has not seen the last of someone near to his heart.Return of the Coyote, the sequel to Night of the Coyote, is a story full of twists and turns. Readers of the first book will delight in the convergence of paths of characters both old and new, and the promise of the vision of the coyote looms over Ethan's journey.

Fate Rides A Tall Horse, 1869


Gary Church - 2019
    Obsessed with finding his brother’s killer, Johnny makes himself very visible in a place where people often assume new identities and don’t want to be found. It will require all of Johnny’s experience and skills to stay alive. His man-hunt results in action, adventure and romance, which all combine to reflect life on the Texas frontier and a number of people find their fate is altered; by not only their decisions but by chance meetings with strangers, including one who rides a tall horse.