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Range War in Whiskey Hill
Almost ten years ago, eighteen-year-old Colt McCrae was sent to jail for a crime he didn't commit. When his estranged father is murdered, he is released, and returns to Whiskey Hill, Wyoming. He's not welcome by everyone. Colt means trouble-because he knows who killed his father. Ruthless range baron Frank Drummond wants the land and will bury anyone who dares oppose him. But Colt is no longer a kid with a chip on his shoulder. He's a prison-hardened man with a mind for justice...
373 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
3 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Charles G. West
71 books75 followersCharles G. West first arrived on the western literary scene in March, 1998 with his first novel, Stone Hand, published by Penguin under their Signet imprint. The book was the first of a three-book series, featuring Jason Coles, master tracker. The public response to those first three books called for more western fiction by West, and as of January 2014, Signet has published forty-five.
Inspired in his youth by great adventure authors like A.B. Guthrie and Vardis Fisher, West has always sought to be true to the men and women who braved the dangers of the savage frontier that was ultimately forged to become the American west. Novels by Charles G. West are classified as historical/westerns due to his diligent research in his subject matter, choosing to weave his fiction into the fabric of the actual places and events, being true to the times as well as the people. As a result, his protagonists are usually not heroes, but are often called upon to perform heroic deeds.
Insisting that his protagonists must be instilled with a sense of fairness in addition to courage. West readily admits that many of the characters in his books are patterned after his two sons, both of whom are graduates of the University of Montana, one still lives in Kalispell, Montana - and is the source of much of the author's detail on the ways of the mountain man. Both sons share West's love for the Big Sky Country.
Presently, the author resides in Ocala, Florida with his wife, Ronda, whose name is found on the dedication page of every West novel.
Inspired in his youth by great adventure authors like A.B. Guthrie and Vardis Fisher, West has always sought to be true to the men and women who braved the dangers of the savage frontier that was ultimately forged to become the American west. Novels by Charles G. West are classified as historical/westerns due to his diligent research in his subject matter, choosing to weave his fiction into the fabric of the actual places and events, being true to the times as well as the people. As a result, his protagonists are usually not heroes, but are often called upon to perform heroic deeds.
Insisting that his protagonists must be instilled with a sense of fairness in addition to courage. West readily admits that many of the characters in his books are patterned after his two sons, both of whom are graduates of the University of Montana, one still lives in Kalispell, Montana - and is the source of much of the author's detail on the ways of the mountain man. Both sons share West's love for the Big Sky Country.
Presently, the author resides in Ocala, Florida with his wife, Ronda, whose name is found on the dedication page of every West novel.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 30, 2016
Ironic, how the town that wrongly accused and imprisoned Colt McCrae for eight years, for a robbery and a murder he didn't commit, and then harassed him after he got out, would need his help. It seems Colt is the only one who can stand up to Frank Drummond, a profitable land owner who has greedily taken most of the land by force, with the exception of McCrae's old friends and also the ranch belonging to his brother. Neither party will give their land up to Drummond either, which, at one point, causes the assassination of Colt's father while he was in prison. So naturally, once Colt is out, he's on the hunt for his father's murderer while defending the remaining land from the greedy hands of Drummond.
It's fun to read about Colt as he casually sends Drummond's would-be killers right back to him--as corpses strung over their horses like laundry on a clothesline. Throughout the book, Drummond gets understandably more pissed off, and all we can do is laugh at his misery as his every attempt at taking the range by force backfires on him.
Until he calls in an infamous killer-for-hire named Bone, who's got to be one of my favourite characters in this story. This guy's a cold-hearted bastard, rude, ominous, and downright evil. He's also incredibly skilled as a tracker and as a killer, and he's out for Colt's blood--with a price, of course. The villains in this book are hateful and easy to despise, and we can't help but feel sorry for the McCraes and the unfortunate people who are caught in the crossfire of this range war. The town council is frustratingly spineless, and J.D., the sheriff, is practically Drummond's right-hand man, and a coward of the worst kind.
Colt's showdown with Bone is my favourite part of the book. That may be because Bone is such a mean, invincible old bastard that no one else could kill, and it's always nice to have a one-on-one showdown between the hero and a remorse killer hired by the not-so-formidable main antagonist. Half of the book builds up to this and the payoff doesn't disappoint.
This was a pretty good Western. It was simple and a relatively fast read. The good guys were likable, the in-betweens were a mixed bag (frankly I only liked the kitchen staff of Mary and Pearl, and Dr. Taylor), and the villains were the kinds of bastards that make you anticipate the hour when they get their comeuppance. I didn't quite know if I would enjoy this book at first, having picked this up on a whim at the library, but after the first quarter or so it really started to pick up (and it didn't take me long to get there--like I said, it's a fast read).
Good book. I'd read more from this author, given the chance.
It's fun to read about Colt as he casually sends Drummond's would-be killers right back to him--as corpses strung over their horses like laundry on a clothesline. Throughout the book, Drummond gets understandably more pissed off, and all we can do is laugh at his misery as his every attempt at taking the range by force backfires on him.
Until he calls in an infamous killer-for-hire named Bone, who's got to be one of my favourite characters in this story. This guy's a cold-hearted bastard, rude, ominous, and downright evil. He's also incredibly skilled as a tracker and as a killer, and he's out for Colt's blood--with a price, of course. The villains in this book are hateful and easy to despise, and we can't help but feel sorry for the McCraes and the unfortunate people who are caught in the crossfire of this range war. The town council is frustratingly spineless, and J.D., the sheriff, is practically Drummond's right-hand man, and a coward of the worst kind.
Colt's showdown with Bone is my favourite part of the book. That may be because Bone is such a mean, invincible old bastard that no one else could kill, and it's always nice to have a one-on-one showdown between the hero and a remorse killer hired by the not-so-formidable main antagonist. Half of the book builds up to this and the payoff doesn't disappoint.
This was a pretty good Western. It was simple and a relatively fast read. The good guys were likable, the in-betweens were a mixed bag (frankly I only liked the kitchen staff of Mary and Pearl, and Dr. Taylor), and the villains were the kinds of bastards that make you anticipate the hour when they get their comeuppance. I didn't quite know if I would enjoy this book at first, having picked this up on a whim at the library, but after the first quarter or so it really started to pick up (and it didn't take me long to get there--like I said, it's a fast read).
Good book. I'd read more from this author, given the chance.
March 22, 2022
Another enjoyable Western by Charles G. West.
Several familiar Western plot points are featured here....a range war between a honest family and a ruthless land Barron...
A man fresh from prison for a crime he didn't commit....
A hardened gunslinger/tracker hired by the land Barron...
A town scared to speak up for itself. ..
But West ties it all together in a way that seems fresh.
A great book, fun to read.
Several familiar Western plot points are featured here....a range war between a honest family and a ruthless land Barron...
A man fresh from prison for a crime he didn't commit....
A hardened gunslinger/tracker hired by the land Barron...
A town scared to speak up for itself. ..
But West ties it all together in a way that seems fresh.
A great book, fun to read.
August 28, 2018
BRING IT ON
Colt spent ten years in prison for something he didn't do. All the people who could have helped him didn't because of selfish reason. Someone has ambushed his father because of the land he owns and this big land owner Drummond has run ranch owners off their ranches or scared them so bad they took the money he offered which was a pittance compared to what their ranches were worth.
So Colt's Uncle Bert writes a letter informing him about his father's death, Colt holds out until he leaves prison, in other words he kept his cool and not do something stupid that would cause him to be thrown in solitary and extra time added to his sentence..smart...
Lots of feelings, drama are felt throughout this western. Also illustrates the treatment ex-convicts face when they are released from prison.
People didn't want him in their stores nor in the restaurants. The local law threatened to throw him back in jail, framing him for something he didn't do...just plain harassment no other name for it...but Colt handles whatever they throw at him. You will enjoy this western-drama
Colt spent ten years in prison for something he didn't do. All the people who could have helped him didn't because of selfish reason. Someone has ambushed his father because of the land he owns and this big land owner Drummond has run ranch owners off their ranches or scared them so bad they took the money he offered which was a pittance compared to what their ranches were worth.
So Colt's Uncle Bert writes a letter informing him about his father's death, Colt holds out until he leaves prison, in other words he kept his cool and not do something stupid that would cause him to be thrown in solitary and extra time added to his sentence..smart...
Lots of feelings, drama are felt throughout this western. Also illustrates the treatment ex-convicts face when they are released from prison.
People didn't want him in their stores nor in the restaurants. The local law threatened to throw him back in jail, framing him for something he didn't do...just plain harassment no other name for it...but Colt handles whatever they throw at him. You will enjoy this western-drama
August 12, 2025
Colt McCrae is freshly released from prison and learns that his father has been murdered. So he returns to his hometown that vilifies him and seeks to wage a range war against the cruel cattle baron that done his dad in.
While this story uses familiar plot points, it was a little refreshing to see that the Range War was intertwined with the Revenge Plot rather than being a non-sequitur.
Colt is the usual archetypal Lead in West’s books, although the fact that he has a standing reputation in his former town helped his characterization.
It was kind of cool to see the townsfolk try to organize themselves while Colt was out of commission. The story feels more plot-driven than character-driven but that’s okay.
I listened to the Graphic Audio presentation and the team had a lot of fun with this production which I enjoyed.
This was one of the more enjoyable standalone novels from West, but likely the last I’ll read from him given that I don’t think his remaining Revenge Plots have anything new for me to read. I do look forward to reading his latest couple series like John Hawk. West is still one of my favorite authors and I wish there were more like him.
While this story uses familiar plot points, it was a little refreshing to see that the Range War was intertwined with the Revenge Plot rather than being a non-sequitur.
Colt is the usual archetypal Lead in West’s books, although the fact that he has a standing reputation in his former town helped his characterization.
It was kind of cool to see the townsfolk try to organize themselves while Colt was out of commission. The story feels more plot-driven than character-driven but that’s okay.
I listened to the Graphic Audio presentation and the team had a lot of fun with this production which I enjoyed.
This was one of the more enjoyable standalone novels from West, but likely the last I’ll read from him given that I don’t think his remaining Revenge Plots have anything new for me to read. I do look forward to reading his latest couple series like John Hawk. West is still one of my favorite authors and I wish there were more like him.
August 30, 2025
My husband likes westerns and is always telling me I should read one. So, I picked this up on a whim...fully expecting that I wasn't going to like it. Reading about cowboys, cattle, and shootouts aren’t usually my thing. But wow, was I wrong.
West knows how to spin a tale. The story moves fast, with just the right mix of action, tension, and character. The main guy is tough but not over-the-top, and the whole “range war” setup had way more depth than I expected. I was hooked before I even realized it.
It’s classic Western stuff...rival ranchers, gunmen, justice in the dust...but it never feels cheesy. It just works. Some side characters could’ve used a little more love, but honestly, I barely noticed because I was too busy turning pages.
Bottom line: If you’ve never tried a Western, this one’s a great gateway drug. Gritty, fun, and surprisingly addictive.
West knows how to spin a tale. The story moves fast, with just the right mix of action, tension, and character. The main guy is tough but not over-the-top, and the whole “range war” setup had way more depth than I expected. I was hooked before I even realized it.
It’s classic Western stuff...rival ranchers, gunmen, justice in the dust...but it never feels cheesy. It just works. Some side characters could’ve used a little more love, but honestly, I barely noticed because I was too busy turning pages.
Bottom line: If you’ve never tried a Western, this one’s a great gateway drug. Gritty, fun, and surprisingly addictive.
August 18, 2021
This is the type of western I want GA to do. Great acting and I wish there was more of the lead character's story, but this appears to be a 1 and done. Super bummer. Great western read.
June 10, 2019
Fantastic pulpy Western in the same vein as William W Johnstone. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
December 26, 2018
I'm not sure where prisoner Colt would practice his shooting ability in jail for ten years. We follow author West's assumptions for exciting stories where a loner leads and protects, sometimes fails and loses friends. Often, Indians or half-breeds like pretty Mary here, help heal hero's wounds.
September 3, 2014
Good western as man who is wrongfully imprisoned for ten years finds that 6 months prior to his release his father was killed by a land hungry rancher. He exacts his revenge in a fairly bloody tale. Recommended to western fans.
September 14, 2015
Another great story from Mr. West. A strong, likeable lead character and many great side characters. Evil villains and a range war add spice and intrigue. Frustration so well captured you'll probably want to punch the town council right in the throat - much like I did while enjoying this tale.
July 30, 2008
A standalone western from a fine writer. Until recently, he'd worked in groups of three novels.
September 5, 2012
Nothing like a western where a son seeks revenge for the murder of his father.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews