Book picks similar to
Return of the Outlaw by C.M. Curtis
western
westerns
fiction
historical-adventure
Haunted Falls
Ken Farmer - 2013
Marshal Bass Reeves in their first book, entitled "The Nations". The story continues in "Haunted Falls", the story of Bass Reeves as he joins other U.S. Marshals in pursuit of the infamous Dalton gang. It is full of adventure, romance, some history, excitement and a unique paranormal twist. You will not want to miss this sequel.
Outrage at Blanco
Bill Crider - 1998
Before the sun went down, the livery stable was torched, an outlaw gang robbed the bank, two men were killed, and young newlywed Ellie Taine was raped. One of the dead was the man who planned the robbery - the son of dying, legendary Texas Ranger Jonathan Crossland - the other was Ellie's husband, an innocent bystander. The dead don't know fear. Ellie is dead inside. She takes a gun and rides out after the desperadoes, cold-blooded and fearless, determined to kill the men who ruined her life. She's joined by Jonathan Crossland, who only has days left to live... but would rather die in his saddle making amends for his son than rot in his bed. Together, Ellie and Jonathan set out on a mission of vengeance and justice, one that neither of them expects nor hopes to survive. "In the hands of Bill Crider, noir seems as atmospheric and doomful as ever," Publisher's Weekly "Bill Crider is one of the most unpretentious and versatile pure entertainers in the mystery field." Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
Blood Dance (The Lost Lansdale #3)
Joe R. Lansdale - 2000
Family, friends and farms lost in the conflict, they’ve been drifting for the past decade—driving sheep, punching cattle, chasing Indians. It pays a man’s bills, mostly… but just mostly. More than panning for gold, it turns out, though that had seemed like a good idea at the time.And so they find themselves in the Dakota Territory, looking at a cold December with empty pockets and emptier prospects. Which is how otherwise (mostly) upstanding southern gentlemen come to contemplate signing-on as hired guns for a train robbery.If the robbery came off well, no one was double-crossed, and the boys retired to live a comfortable life south of the border, it wouldn’t be much of a Western. Fortunately, Lansdale knows better, and has written a rip-roarer. You probably guessed that from the title, though. Long-unavailable, having fallen between the cracks of the publishing industry, Joe R. Lansdale's Blood Dance is a genuine Western Adventure to rival any of the classics. Fans of Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour, take note.
Hard Trail to Socorro
Wayne D. Dundee - 2011
Claiming the reward, however, turns out to be considerably more difficult. First there is Veronica Fairburn, the beautiful woman who has her own business in Socorro and insists on sticking with Kendrick when he sets out to return there with his prisoner … Then there's the gang of tough ranch hands dead set on relieving him of the prisoner in order to dish out their own brand of personal revenge … Plus the Mexican desperado stalking the woman … Not to mention the band of renegade Apaches raiding throughout the region … It all makes for Kendrick having his work cut out for him. Complicating matters even more are the feelings developing between Kendrick and Veronica. But the greatest challenge of all may come from the daring passage they must attempt over the Jornada del Muerto—the Journey of the Dead, awaiting them in the merciless White Sands desert. Peacemaker Award-winning author Wayne D. Dundee is at the top of his form in this gritty, action-packed tale of desperate, determined people fighting each other and the elements in order not only to achieve their goals but also to simply survive.
Give-a-Damn Jones
Bill Pronzini - 2018
And they certainly weren’t all heroes.Give-a-Damn Jones, a free-spirited itinerant typographer, hates his nickname almost as much as the rumors spread about him. He’s a kind soul who keeps finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.That’s what happened in Box Elder, a small Montana town. Tensions are running high, and anything (or anyone) could be the fuse to ignite them: a recently released convict trying to prove his innocence, a prominent cattleman who craves respect at any cost, a wily traveling dentist at odds with a violent local blacksmith, or a firebrand of an editor who is determined to unlock the town’s secrets.Jones walks into the middle of it all, and this time, he may be the hero that this town needs.
Bear Creek
Dan Arnold - 2013
He had spent his life wandering, working in cow towns and frontier outposts, usually as a law man. He was hoping to re-connect with his family in Wyoming, when a run away horse led him in a new direction, one that would pull all the disparate elements of his life together. John will find his family, only to see them go in search of their own destiny. In the process, he will see the high country and track killers in the night. He will be reunited with old friends who will help him face times of violence and danger, his personal limitations, political imperatives, and the evil intentions of men whose souls are lost to greed. Along the way he’ll win the trust of a community, the support of a governor and the love of a woman.Hold on tight, the industrial revolution is moving faster than the newest locomotive, faster than a horse can run, and faster than the fastest gun.John Everett Sage will handle whatever comes at him, with grace, humor, lightning fast reflexes, and his personal faith in God.
Unflinching
Stuart G. Yates - 2015
When a famous ex-general's daughter is kidnapped, Detective Simms is assigned with bringing her home. Forged in the Mexican War, this man of steel knows how to survive and how to kill. But he will need all of his skill and guile to survive this unforgiving land, and bring the general's daughter home. And then, it gets personal...
The Outlaw Hunter
Kathy E. Fisher - 2014
He hunted outlaws like some men hunted wolves or mountain lions. The bounties he collected were simply payments rendered to a workman, and he was a man good at his work. Under Eli’s flint-hard exterior, that was merciless to outlaws, ran a wide streak of kindness that showed itself the day he picked up a starving orphan in Dodge City and took him along. He soon learned that the twelve-year-old Rob Slater harbored a common intent with him – to run down the elusive Parson gang. He for the $10,000 reward, and Rob, because Jude Parson had murdered his folks. Rob asked Eli to teach him the trade so one day he could look Jude Parson in the eye and square things with the killer. Under Eli’s tutorage the two came to turn the outlaw world on its ear until the day Eli honored his brother’s dying request and took his young daughter into his care touching off a series of unexpected changes that would forever mold their futures.
Logan's Word: A Logan Family Western - Book 1
Donald L. Robertson - 2014
Now, two years later, deep in the Comancheria, Josh Logan rides to fulfill his dying friend’s request. As he rides through the rolling, West Texas hills, blood-thirsty Comanches could wait in the next ravine or around the next hill. Yet, he is determined to fulfill his promise. His message delivered, he must make a decision that could cost him his life. Will Josh stay and help Rory’s father save his ranch from sharp-shooters, murderers, and land-grabbers, or continue to Colorado to join his brother Callum before the snow flies? Logan’s Word, Logan Family Western Series Book One, is a fast-paced, action-packed Western in the tradition of the great Western writer, Louis L’Amour.
The Long Shooters
Daniel C. Chamberlain - 2011
Ballou perfected the art of the judicious killer. His ability with his cherished Stephens target rifle is legendary, making a nearly miraculous shot that no one else – North or South – could accomplish. After the war, he disappears… Samuel Roark is a small-time rancher and part-time lawyer. One personal tragedy after another leaves Samuel gripped by periodic bouts of depression. When a hidden marksman of uncommon skill murders his son, the death leaves Samuel on the brink of total madness.Roark’s wife Sarah, a woman of strength, grace and startling beauty is now both emotionally and physically exhausted by the tragic circumstances that have beset her family. After discovering her husband’s quest for revenge, she does everything in her power to prevent what she fears will ultimately destroy him.Matthew Shaw is a known manhunter and soldier of fortune that people call on when they’re willing to pay someone else to deal with obstacles in their lives. When required, Shaw reluctantly uses his considerable marksmanship to achieve those ends. Now Shaw finds himself caught between a job he truly believes in, and a very good reason to walk away when he realizes he’s falling in love with Sarah, the wife of the man who hired him.
Cry of the Hawk
Terry C. Johnston - 1992
Forced to serve as a Yankee after his capture at Pea Ridge, Confederate soldier Jonah Hook returns from the war to find his Missouri farm in shambles.
Fargo
John Benteen - 1969
Fargo lives with a gun in his fist. Guns and killing are all he knows. And Fargo likes what he knows. Want to start a revolution? Want to stop one? Send for Fargo. Want to blow a bridge, stage a prison break, rob a bank? Fargo's your man. The Army taught Fargo how to kill with pistol, rifle, machine gun. He became an expert with knives, shotguns and women on his own time. Fargo hates the quiet life. He knows he's going to get it sooner or later. He hopes it won't be too much later because he wouldn't know how to be old and comfortable. So while it lasts, Fargo plans to grab the world by the throat and take what he wants. If the world doesn't like that, it can try to stop him ... if it can.
The Guns of Frank Eaton
David Althouse - 2017
Frank’s thirst for a reckoning takes him across the lawless Indian Territory, to Southwest City, Missouri, to the wide-open mesa lands of eastern New Mexico and, finally, to Albuquerque. Curses hide behind every corner of the devil and death trail as Frank rides hell-bent on a quest that will send him into legend either as an outlaw, or a hero. “David Althouse is one of the freshest voices in Western historical fiction today.” -- John Legg, author of Blood of the Scalphunter “David Althouse captures the majesty and mayhem of the western frontier through a masterful style of storytelling rich in colorful descriptions of people, places and events. Althouse’s historical knowledge of the Great American West and Southwest, coupled with his lyrical and panoramic depictions of the mountain and mesa rich backdrops, brings the Old West alive for readers who often have to pause and catch their breath to keep up with the action. In David Althouse’s stories, the reader sees the sights, hears the sounds and smells the gunpowder!” -- Justin Brotton, Editor, Distinctly Oklahoma Magazine To follow author David Althouse, visit www.davidalthouse.com
Trail Hand (Leisure Western)
R.W. Stone - 2006
Ambushed while guiding a horse drive, Owen Burke somehow needs to find the bandits who attacked him while evading capture by the man who thinks he was behind the raid.
Lone Star Law
Louis L'AmourMarcus Galloway - 2005
Here, too, are superb, action-packed entries from today's outstanding Western storytellers -- distinguished award winners as well as daring newcomers, including Peter Brandvold · Randy Lee Eickhoff · Marcus Galloway · Ed Gorman · Elmer Kelton · Rod Miller · Robert J. Randisi · James Reasoner · Dusty Richards · Troy D. Smith · L. J. Washburn Edited by renowned author and anthologist Robert J. Randisi, Lone Star Law spans the existence of this elite investigative law enforcement agency. From fending off hostile Comanche to tracking serial killers, from aiming Winchesters and Colt revolvers to firing up laptops and state-of-the-art forensics technology, from targeting rustlers and outlaw gangs to leading harrowing hostage negotiations, the men and women who don the badge and white hat of the Texas Ranger stand as steadfast deliverers of American justice -- the Lone Star way.