Throw the Devil Off the Train

by Stephen Bly

Catherine Goodwin and her identical twin sister Catelynn grew up in the genteel world of the antebellum South. As the Civil War loomed, Mrs. Goodwin convinced her husband to send the twins to her sister's in Boston. Though both of their parents perished, the girls never found out until the end of the war. Unable to settle her parents' estate and estranged from her sister, Catherine finally decided to go to California where Philip Draper, her lifelong friend, owned a thriving grocery store and ended each of his letters with "when are you coming to California to marry me?" Though she wasn't sure she loved Philip, she had few options, so she sold her few possessions and scraped together enough money to reach California by train. Finally, Catherine would find some stability in her life. But on the trip West, a man offered Catherine $20 to give him a tearful kiss goodbye so that he could win a bet. Hoping to use the money to upgrade her ticket to a Pullman car for the long ride to California, Catherine agrees, setting off a sequence of events that will change the course of her life forever.

Genres: Westerns

384 pages, Library Binding

First published May 1, 2011

About the author

Stephen Bly (August 17, 1944 - June 9, 2011) authored 100 books and hundreds of articles. His book, THE LONG TRAIL HOME, (Broadman & Holman), won the prestigious 2002 CHRISTY AWARD for excellence in Christian fiction in the category western novel. Three other books, PICTURE ROCK (Crossway Books), THE OUTLAW'S TWIN SISTER (Crossway Books), and LAST OF THE TEXAS CAMP (Broadman & Holman), were Christy Award finalists. He spoke at colleges, churches, camps and conferences across the U.S. and Canada. He was the pastor of Winchester Community Church, and served as mayor of Winchester, Idaho (2000-2007). He spoke on numerous television and radio programs, including Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family. He was an Active Member of the Western Writers of America. Steve graduated summa cum laude in Philosophy from Fresno State University and received a M.Div from Fuller Theological Seminary. The Blys have three sons: Russell (married to Lois) and father of Zachary and Miranda (married to Chris Ross) and mother of Alayah, Michael (married to Michelle), and Aaron (married to Rina Joye) and father of Keaton and Deckard. A third generation westerner, Steve spent his early years working on ranches and farms.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen Bly has always expressed a sense of humor in his books, but this one is the absolute funniest of them all. Part of its charm is the historical setting. The story is a true western in every sense, and the dialog is witty. Their conversations totally fit the setting even though they were filled with wise cracks and dry humor. I read this book quickly (like in less than two days) and it kept my interest the entire time despite being almost 400 pages long. However, the book I read was the large print edition, so the regular copy is probably shorter. Regardless, I loved it.

Throw the Devil off the Train reminded me of a romantic comedy but with classic western flair. There seemed to be one calamity after another that fell upon the main characters. Between the crooks and scams, the guns and fist fights, and the fast-paced plot, there was always something going on. But despite its busyness, the story didn't feel episodic to me. There was a clear direction in which the story was heading, and I enjoyed the ride. The majority of the story took place on a train, but that didn't slow things down at all.

The romance in the story was probably the most fun part of the book. This wasn't a Christian book, per se, but it was close enough (due to pretty clean content) while staying true to the time period. The humor was a bit edgy, but that was one of the things that made it so funny. All in all this novel was a fun read. I'm just sad that it ended up being Bly's last book. I've read a number of his other books and enjoyed every one of them. But of all of his titles that I've read, I'd have to say this one was my favorite. He will be missed.

[Trinity Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throw the Devil Off the Train by Stephen Bly is one fantastic book. Most of the story takes place inside of the train heading West. Two unlikely people meet and at first can’t stand each other, but before long become close friends.
This book is full of action and adventure. You won’t find a chapter in this book that doesn’t have you sitting on the edge of your seat, just waiting to find out what the outcome will be. It was hard to put it down in the evening. I would have stayed up all night to finish it if I could have.
I really like the way that Catherine and Race spar back and forth in every thing they discuss. I also like how Catherine makes Race’s saddle something to talk to.
This book is full of kidnappers, swindlers, suicides, love lost and love to come. You will find out Catherine and Race’s past mistakes and lives, but also find the present.
Throw the Devil Off the Train is a touching, tough kind of western, that will keep you turning pages. Stephen Bly the master storyteller has given us another story to enjoy time and time again. This book is so uplifting and entertaining and the words just leap off the pages.
I highly recommend any book by Stephen Bly, but this one is extra wonderful. Reading Throw the Devil off the Train has left me with such a sweet, happy feeling. A 5 plus book for sure.


Thank you to the author for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

[Deanna Mosier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, action, suspense

From the first page, Stephen Bly captures your attention, with humorous conversations between the main characters and even with the side characters. I couldn't put it down...had to keep reading about all the antics going on! Men or women would both enjoy this book!

[Kathleen Sprout · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining read. The heroine kept me guessing for several chapters. I liked that neither the heroine of hero were very admirable in the beginning, they were people to root for in the end.

[Malia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny western, I thought they made it into a movie I'm not sure, they should.