Synopses & Reviews
Texas Ranger Andy Pickard is assigned what appears to be a routine duty. Donley Bannister, a West Texas horse trader, has killed a thug named Cletus Slocum, who stole one of Bannisters horses. Ranger Pickard is ordered to find and arrest Bannister and bring him to trial.
The Bannister case turns out to be anything but routine. Pickard picks up Bannisters trail and finds him holed up with some cohorts who wound and vow to kill the young Ranger. Ironically, Bannister saves Pickards life by fending off the would-be killers and taking Andy to a cow camp where his injury can be treated. When he is able to ride, Andy locates and trails Geneva Bannister, Donleys young wife, hoping she will lead him to the wanted man. The trail takes unexpected turns and detours: Near Fort Concho Andys mission is interrupted by an ugly racial incident in which a black soldier is killed; Bannister is shot by outlaw Curly Tadlock and left for dead; and Tadlock brutally assaults Geneva.
Andy Pickard, newly married, still unsure of himself and his choice of Rangering as a career, must unravel this tangled series of events and accomplish his mission of bringing an accused killer to justice.
Review
“Elmer Kelton is truly a Texas legend.”
--Rick Perry, Governor of Texas
“If youre looking for a trail guide through old Texas, Elmers your man. So, pack your possibles, tighten your cinch, and get ready for a helluva ride.”
--Lucia St. Clair Robson, author of Shadow Patriots
“Elmer Kelton does once again what he does better than anyone: tell a turbulent story calmly . . . [his] reputation continues to expand. He has earned his prestige word by honest word.”
--Stephen Harrigan, author of The Gates of the Alamo
“Kelton tosses in some dramatic and satisfying plot twists to give this tale extra punch. This is an exciting outing, with Keltons signature western authenticity and characters drawn outside the typical western formula.”
--Publishers Weekly on Other Mens Horses
“[Kelton is] the premier writer of western literature. The native Texan, who has authored more than 50 novels, is a legend and an author known to work the shades of gray.”
--Senior News (Austin, Texas) on Hard Trail to Follow
“As with all of Kelton's westerns, characters are colorful and well drawn, the action is fast and bloody, and the plotting carefully thought out, making this another supercharged yarn.”
--Publishers Weekly on Texas Sunrise
Review
Praise for the novels of Ralph Compton
“Compton may very well turn out to be the greatest Western writer of them all...Very seldom in literature have the legends of the Old West been so vividly painted.”—The Tombstone Epitaph
“If you like Louis LAmour, youll love Ralph Compton.”—Quanah Tribune-Chief (TX)
“Thrilling stories of Western legend.” —The Huntsville Times (AL)
Synopsis
Texas Ranger Andy Rickard must unravel a tangled series of events and accomplish his mission of bringing an accused killer to justice.
Synopsis
Texas Ranger Andy Pickard, newly married and unsure of himself and his choice of career, is given what appears to be a routine assignment: find and arrest a horse trader named Donley Bannister who is accused of murder. The difficulty begins after Andy locates Bannisters West Texas hideout and is shot by one of the traders cohorts. In an ironic twist, Bannister saves the rangers life by taking him to a cow camp where his wound can be treated. Then Bannister disappears.
This routine assignment gets even more complicated after Andy heals well enough to ride and follows the traders young wife, hoping she will lead him to her husband. Near Fort Concho the rangers mission is interrupted when Bannister is shot and left for dead by an outlaw who takes Geneva Bannister hostage and brutally assaults her.
Even after Bannister is apprehended, danger lurks; one of the traders enemies is determined to ambush the ranger and his prisoner. From the experience, Andy Pickard learns a valuable lesson: nothing stirs emotions in Texas as men stealing other mens horses.
Synopsis
WITNESS TO AN EXECUTION
Ever since he lost his wife and daughter, Samuel Tucker has wandered, drunk and bereft of a reason to go on. Now, far from his native Texas in Oregon’s Rogue River region, Tucker secretly watches as two men gun down a third. After they leave, he takes the dead man's pistol and makes it to the next town.
There, he learns the identity of the murdered man: Payton Farraday, a well-liked local rancher—and the second Farraday shot to death within the last two years. He also becomes a suspect in the shooting. But Emma Farraday, the victim’s niece, believes in his innocence—and the two must reveal the machinations of some wealthy and powerful men to prove it. If they don’t, Emma could lose the ranch and Tucker could lose his life—just when he’s found a new reason to live…
About the Author
Elmer Kelton (1926-2009) was the award-winning author of more than forty novels, including The Time It Never Rained, Texas Standoff and Hard Trail to Follow. He grew up on a ranch near Crane, Texas, and earned a journalism degree from the University of Texas. His first novel, Hot Iron, was published in 1956. Among his awards have been seven Spurs from Western Writers of America and four Western Heritage awards from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. His novel The Good Old Boys was made into a television film starring Tommy Lee Jones. In addition to his novels, Kelton worked as an agricultural journalist for 42 years, and served in the infantry in World War II. He died in 2009.