My Latest Read Western: Frank Gruber's The Marshal






























Every once in a while, I like to jump into reading a Western. It's a genre that's unfairly dismissed today by many readers, but I remain a fan over the decades, and my interest hasn't flagged any that I can tell. This slim paperback cost originally 35 cents, but I bought it from a secondhand bookstore for a mere 15 cents. How could I go wrong at that price? So, I popped like a big spender and took The Marshal home with me. Frank Gruber is an old pulp writer (1904-69). He wrote for TV and the movies, so he enjoyed a successful and varied career as an author. This story concerns a former Union officer named Thaddeus "Tad" Shad who comes to a new railroad town in Kansas. He's sort of pushed into becoming the ad hoc marshal, and is good at his job. His stern law enforcement upsets the town merchants who don't want to keep the cowboys from spending their money while having a "little fun." Like shooting up the town. Good stuff here. Great final scene, too. If you see any of Gruber's cowboy fiction, grab it. You won't be disappointed. I wasn't.
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Published on March 26, 2013 16:56 Tags: amazon, ed-lynskey, fiction, kindle, reading, writing
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message 1: by Randy (new)

Randy I've read many of Gruber's westerns and mysteries. Haven't ran across this one yet. Thanks for the heads up.


message 2: by Ed (new)

Ed Randy wrote: "I've read many of Gruber's westerns and mysteries. Haven't ran across this one yet. Thanks for the heads up."

I haven't read his mysteries. This one surprised me, delivering better than what I expected.


message 3: by Randy (new)

Randy I would recommend any of the Johnny Fletcher series. He's a P.I. sort, but mostly a con man, having to solve murders to get him and his partner out of whatever mess he's gotten them into. I've posted a number of times on Gruber, both westerns and mysteries.


message 4: by Ed (new)

Ed Randy wrote: "I would recommend any of the Johnny Fletcher series. He's a P.I. sort, but mostly a con man, having to solve murders to get him and his partner out of whatever mess he's gotten them into. I've post..."

Okay, that sounds like a good one. Thanks.


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