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The Floating Outfit #27
Decision for Dusty Fog
Freddie Woods wasn't your typical English lady. She was fast-ridin', hard-lovin' and a pretty good hand with a gun. The fact that she owned a saloon only made her more desirable.
And Dusty Fog loved her. She was the only gal in the no-account town of Mulrooney--in all of Texas--with the gumption to match his own. But Dusty's the town marshal now, and when Freddie's criminal past comes back to haunt her, Dusty has to choose: does he go gunning for the gal he loves...or ride an outlaw trail?
And Dusty Fog loved her. She was the only gal in the no-account town of Mulrooney--in all of Texas--with the gumption to match his own. But Dusty's the town marshal now, and when Freddie's criminal past comes back to haunt her, Dusty has to choose: does he go gunning for the gal he loves...or ride an outlaw trail?
- GenresWesterns
240 pages, Paperback
First published March 21, 1986
About the author
J.T. Edson
184 books81 followersJohn Thomas Edson is an English writer of Westerns.
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 16, 2019
It's so nice to revisit these stories. I'm not sure if I've read this one before or not. It didn't seem familiar to me on this read through. I loved the ending.
January 11, 2024
Another interesting addition to the series concerning the town of Mulrooney. Plenty of action and suspense. Be ineresting to see what happens with the marriage of convenience.
December 1, 2012
One of the weaker entries of the Mulrooney mini-series. Freddie's 'dark past' comes back to haunt her but while she is threatened with arrest and exposure throughout the book a clear explanation isn't offered to readers until the very end. A delegation has come to Mulrooney to discuss the possibility of running a rail spur line to Canada. Various factions want to stop the project including members of the commission and town. Apparently more background on one of the factions, Arnaud "le Loup Garou" Chavallier and his Metis, is given in the Belle Boyd and Calamity Jane titles The Remittance Kid and The Whip and the War Lance. Chavallier also make an appearance in Cards and Colts the events of which run concurrently with this story. JT just can't seem to keep himself from trying to tie all his favorite characters into one fictional universe and he names Matt Dillion from Gunsmoke as the boss of U.S. Deputy Marshal Solly Cole. Marshal Cole, a cousin of Mark Counter, is sent to arrest Freddie. He warns the floating outfit that however distasteful he may find it he will attempt to do his duty, but Dusty comes up with a creative solution to save Freddie and keep the peace. The events of this story, along with those in Cards and Colts, strongly set up for The Code of Dusty Fog which follows the progress of the rail spur. A word of caution: JT is not shy about expressing his political opinions and some may find his view and portrayal of liberals a bit offensive.
April 30, 2020
Some of the names mentioned in these novels are real people.
That is where the similarity ends.
In many ways these are modern versions of the old dime novels. The only similarity to the truth are the fact that... The author mentions real people.
However if you just want to read an old fashion cowboy shoot em up, that's what these books are.
That is where the similarity ends.
In many ways these are modern versions of the old dime novels. The only similarity to the truth are the fact that... The author mentions real people.
However if you just want to read an old fashion cowboy shoot em up, that's what these books are.
May 10, 2019
Interesting, but..... eh, I won't be reading anymore of this "series." I do love reading Westerns, tho.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews