IF YOU WANT A GREAT WESTERN. . .
348783
This movie isn't as well known as the Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns, or the John Wayne films, or the newer classics such as Silverado, Tombstone, or Open Range, but is is every bit as exciting.  The story is a great one, portrayed by an outstanding cast of actors and seemingly much more realistic than many other westerns.  It is a different kind of story told with passion and intensity with many of the classic and necessary elements essential to a great western film.  If you are a fan of great westerns and have not yet seen Seven Men From Now, YOU NEED TO OWN IT AND ADD IT TO YOUR LIST OF ALL TIME GREATS!
755503
I don't know if Ralph Cotton ever wrote a 'bad' book, but if he did, this one is not it!  This western novel from July, 2003, is one of the better ones from him I've read, and all the others were pretty good.

As standard are the 'good' guys versus the 'bad' guys, and Ralph's 'bad' guys can be very seedy and bad-to-the-bone characters. The Peltry Gang led by Goose and Moses, called 'Devil' by some, will not only give you dislike but also a few laughs. And when they join forces with Doc Murdock and his gang of scalphunters events get even worse. Pity be the dusty border town or Mexico inhabitants that cross the paths of these nasty men. Even the Federales get chewed up by this bunch.

Webb's posse is not so much the property of Deputy Abner Webb as it becomes that of Will Summers, Sherman Dahl, and Sergeant Teasdale, with Webb supplying the legal aspect to this huntdown of the Peltry and Murdock gangs. Eventually due to the excess of the 'bad' guys, even ole Abner takes off his badge. And Teasdale's U.S. Army personnel remove their uniforms to enter Mexico as civilians. As the killings and deaths on both sides mount up, all the survivors become just that much more determfined and deadly set in their ways to catch and eliminate their opposite numbers.

So many of Ralph Cotton's books of the west, are in a series; as far as I can determine this book stands by itself. But it is so riveting that I hope Ralph brings out at least a sequel on Will Summers and his horses, and Sherman Dahl the schoolmaster, several others that survive this keep 'em loaded, deadly shootout, western novel. These men are interesting in their own rights, and their individual stories would also be of interest.

If you haven't read any of Ralph Cotton's books, this is certainly a grand one with which to start off. And if it has been awhile since you veteran readers have read one, well 'dog-gone-it', read this one again. This historical novel will repay most readers with several days reading enjoyment. Whenever a reader saddles up to ride the trails with Ralph Cotton's characters it can be a sometimes bumpy, but always an enjoyable ride.

Recommended.

Semper Fi.
2006578
I like good traditional westerns that engages you from the first chapter.  This is one of those western stories.  Looking forward to the continuing Mule Tamer and more of Horst's western writings.  Liking the desert is liking Westerns!
1180113
This is one of the better westerns you'll find, period.  Great performances by Luke Perry as Sheriff Austin, C. Thomas Howell as the land baron possessed by greed, and Kim Coates as Tate, all around low life gunslinger and murderer (you'll recognize him from a similar role in Open Range).

The theme is a common one in the western genre told from a slightly different angle this time, Sheriff Austin (Perry) while out hunting escaped criminals, looses his wife and son, killed by those very criminals.  He quits as sheriff and goes on the hunt for revenge, accidentally killing an innocent man.  Out of remorse, he must help the family of this man defend against land hungry Lamar Horn (Howell) and his henchmen including bought and paid for town sheriff (not the same town) and including Tate (Coates), the murderer of the Austin family.

Very Good drama and action.  Well told and paced, with logical progression.  The only real complaint is one that is common to almost every film. At times, when normally people would offer a more complete explanation of pertinent things at the moment, for some reasons writers either "save" those explanations for a "later" event or exclude them all together.  But that is common in the film industry.  You will, however, enjoy this one.  You will be happy you added it to your collection.  Incidentally, this is included in a triple feature edition with 2 other good westerns starring Kevin Sorbo, Avenging Angel and Prairie Fever.  Unless you like to have the individual art work/case for each film you can pick up the triple feature at a good value.  Enjoy!
4513721
This is a good western with a great cast and a lot of action!

This is a good western. It features a good cast of characters and it is a great storyline. A group of men transfer a wanted and dangerous criminal to a town to catch the train to Yuma. Meanwhile his gang has gathered to find out where their leader is and help him to escape.

The cinematography is spectacular.  The storyline is well written and the cast does a good job of bringing the story to life. I purchased the BluRay version of the film as it was on sale for a very good price. I then added a HDX digital copy to stream to my tablets and also to my digital high resolution projector.

This is a good movie and if you like westerns then you will like this one.

We enjoyed this film and it is a western that I was glad to be added to our film collection.
3922346
What Sam Peckinpah did for the Western film with the "Wild Bunch" Cormac McCarthy did for the Western novel with "Blood Meridian".  It is simply awesome. It portrays the violence of the Old West as bordering on the apocalyptic, with Judge Holden as relentless an avatar of dread as was Anton Chigurh in "No Country for Old Men."  It's not an easy read, but worth the effort.  And they rode on.
1049983
This was a good movie with great shots and acting! I am a sucker for a good western. And this did not disappoint. Just what you would expect if you grew up watching movies like the John Wayne films. Not that I'm comparing this to John Wayne. This was shot like those with a similar feel.
1177436
Do you like westerns? You'll enjoy this book. It's full of everything you want: Rustlers, saloon fights, lots of shooting, a pretty girl, no kissin', Apaches, gun fights, horses, the marshall, six-guns and Winchesters. The plot isn't heavy, but that's not what westerns are. They're ideal for escaping from the day, taking on vacation and imagining life in a simpler world where there were good guys and bad guys.

The story is about two cowboy drifters who help a small western town clean out the bad guys and restore order to the local society. This story has a number of side plots and personalities to keep the story moving at a good pace. I found the book a pleasant escape, although I have trouble with words such as 'hombre' and phrases such as 'plumb loco', but those are part of westerns. It was a fun read.
2328842
I'm always looking for a good western read. Well, this is perhaps the most satisfying one I've come across in years! Please--I beg you--write more!
1938535
This could be a description of any of the characters in Lou Bradshaw's books, but in this case, I'm describing yet another of a series of excellent westerns by Bradshaw.
Obviously I like them - if this is your genre, then I think you'll like them too.
880180
I just started reading western novels a few months ago, but by far this one was great stuff!  It tells a story that most western novel fans love - the west, good guys and the bad, guns and sharp wit and plenty of nerve.  Can't wait for the next installment!
1087307
I'm trying to remember exactly why I got this story; I THINK it was because someone recommended it during the 2nd Annual Labor Day Book Promo thrown by assorted Hoyt's Huns.
It reads like a really, really good western does. This is a high compliment, since I also love westerns. In fact, I like a good western better than most of the dreck sci-fi movies, but mumble mumble mumble.
Without understanding ANYTHING about the back story, this works. From the comments of the previous reviewer, it's got links to other works Kal has written, so boo-yah, I've got more good reading ahead.
Mason McGann is broke and at the end of his string. The only thing he has for sale is the location of a fleet of ships, and the people who would want to buy that are all nasty murderous types. His 'agent' is a rat-faced swine who may have tried to sell him out on the first attempted transaction, but he has no choice: either he sells the location, or he can't get his ship out of impound, and in that case, he's looking at starvation. So, he arranges to meet with the new crop of nasties.
It's just a GREAT story!
2484566
This is just great....Of course the story makes no sense but if you're a fan of old "B" westerns, you're not going to care...these are clips from so many old westerns edited together and narrated By Pat Butram...you will watch and smile
3346714
I cut my 10-year-old teeth on the exciting pages of Zane Grey Westerns, which occupied most of three shelves in the public library of the small town in which I grew up. With "The Finest Frontier Town in the West", I. J. Parnham has captured some of that flavor and rustic humor in this tale of a civic rivalry gone wrong.

As I read it, I kept hearing dialog from "Blazing Saddles" in my mind, with echoes of O. Henry's short story, "The Ransom of Red Chief". Despite the less-than-heroic main characters, this book would be an excellent story to entice a young male reader. In fact, as I first began reading, I wondered if this wasn't a YA novel geared to male tastes.

The story follows a patent-medicine or "tonic" salesman named Fergal and his shill/bodyguard/sidekick Randolph as they become embroiled in the contest between two Western towns, New Utopia and Tender Valley, to win the title (and ten thousand dollars). You know right away that this will be a bumpy ride for these two men when you learn that they are remembered in Tender Valley mainly for the stomach pains and "rush to the bushes" their tonic provided for the townspeople on their previous visit.

But if that's the case, why are they welcomed with free drinks in the saloon and pats on the back? When inveterate salesman Fergal learns of the contest between the two towns, he proposes an ingenious scheme to insure that Tender Valley wins the title.

And that's when things start to fall apart. Literally.

At 192 pages, The Finest Frontier Town in the West seems like it would be short for a novel, but adequately novel length. After all, many of Zane Grey's novels were around 200 pages in length.

Actually, though, it is 192 pages in fairly-large type (in a locked-in font even on the Kindle) that seems designed to give the reader a feeling of perusing the pages of a nearly-faded epic found in the dusty corner of a room in a Western ghost town. In a user-chosen font and size, its length would be closer to novella.

Yet even though the author's font choice made it more difficult to read than it needed to be, I devoured this novel in one sitting. It's good. It's really good.
3816952
Peter Brandvold is as good as you will find if you want to read great novels of the Old West. This is one of the .45 -Caliber series involving a one-of- a kind character by the name of Cuno Massey. If you are a fan of Westerns,and are aware of "The Trailsman Series",Massey is somewhat like Skye Fargo,not a Lawman,but a man who wanders the Old West ,confronts injustice in a wide variety of forms,and especially where no law and justice exists,makes sure what's wrong is made right.
 His novels are exceptionally well constructed and written and have great storylines. If you like Westerns that are filled with historical connotations,great expressions and stories that will tell you what life was really like and what it took to survive in a world where injustices ran rampant and where both justice and injustice was often delivered from the barrel of a gun;you'll quickly appreciate Peter's novels.
You'll quickly learn to like Cuno Massey as you will also like Brandvold's other characters such as Ben Stillman in the series by that name;and Lou Prophet and his partner Louisa Bonaventure,in another series.
 Peter is one of the top writers of Westerns today;and little wonder since he has not only studied writing professionally but has also lived and worked and travelled all his life in the country he writes about. His writing skills soon become apparent but also does his knowledge and experience with the country and ranch life because of his personal experience of working on them.
 This novel is typical of what you can expect from Brandvold and after reading one  of his novels;you'll yearn for more of them.
2885238
I am a bit long in the tooth as they used to say, and as a child I remember reading the dime store novels that my grandfather had in his attic. My favorites were Jack Schaefer's "Shane" and "Destry Rides Again" by Max Brand...ahhh the good old days. If you like stories that embody the old west without the sugar coating that Hollywood puts on it then Van Holt is your go-to guy. I have read quite a few of his books and I have to say they take you all the way back to that rough and tumble era.

"Wild Country" is one of these. Jeff Pickett is a guy that trouble seems to find no matter where he goes. This fact is driven home when he finds himself in the middle of a manhunt while camping out in the middle of nowhere. He is also proof that "no good deed goes unpunished", who would have thought that helping a dying man could get you chased all over the wild country by an angry mob. But that is just what happened.

Van Holt has gamblers, cheaters, outlaws and a love triangle for you to sink your spurs into. If you are like me you will be casting your favorite stars in the roles of these characters in your mind. Find out how it all comes together and be on the lookout for the next great book by this genius.
2256430
You'll enjoy this book and lose yourself in the old west. Plus the price is right too. Here's the last words.