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Ty Dawson #1
South California Purples
“The novel combines the mystery and honesty of Craig Johnson’s Longmire with the first-person narration of a fiercely independent Oregon character.” —Sheila Deeth, author of John’s Joy
Winner of the 2018 Killer Nashville Readers’ Choice Award
2017 Foreword Indies Finalist for Historical
A Korean War veteran, Ty Dawson finds refuge running his family’s cattle ranch, the Diamond D, one of the largest in Oregon—and there’s no place he’d rather be. But in 1973, the country falls into turmoil with the last soldiers returning from Vietnam, the stand-off at Wounded Knee, and the ongoing Watergate scandal. And it isn’t long before Ty finds his own peace and quiet shattered by outside forces.
A string of mysterious cattle deaths leads to the murder of a cowhand, but that’s just the beginning. News leaks that the Bureau of Land Management plans on a wild horse slaughter, which brings protestors and news cameras to the area, not to mention a violent biker gang known as the Charlatans. Overwhelmed, the sheriff appoints Ty as undersheriff. And as events spiral out of control, Ty must take matters into his own hands to protect his family, his land, and his way of life . . .
“A masterful work of a time gone by. Birtcher possesses a rare skill that is the envy of many a writer. He deftly employs literary prose to reveal the life of a hard-driven man. Ty Dawson is a cowboy, lawman, father and philosopher like none other.” —Neal Griffin, Los Angeles Times –bestselling author of The Burden of Proof
“[A] fast-moving series launch . . . Birtcher takes readers on an exciting ride.” — Publishers Weekly
Winner of the 2018 Killer Nashville Readers’ Choice Award
2017 Foreword Indies Finalist for Historical
A Korean War veteran, Ty Dawson finds refuge running his family’s cattle ranch, the Diamond D, one of the largest in Oregon—and there’s no place he’d rather be. But in 1973, the country falls into turmoil with the last soldiers returning from Vietnam, the stand-off at Wounded Knee, and the ongoing Watergate scandal. And it isn’t long before Ty finds his own peace and quiet shattered by outside forces.
A string of mysterious cattle deaths leads to the murder of a cowhand, but that’s just the beginning. News leaks that the Bureau of Land Management plans on a wild horse slaughter, which brings protestors and news cameras to the area, not to mention a violent biker gang known as the Charlatans. Overwhelmed, the sheriff appoints Ty as undersheriff. And as events spiral out of control, Ty must take matters into his own hands to protect his family, his land, and his way of life . . .
“A masterful work of a time gone by. Birtcher possesses a rare skill that is the envy of many a writer. He deftly employs literary prose to reveal the life of a hard-driven man. Ty Dawson is a cowboy, lawman, father and philosopher like none other.” —Neal Griffin, Los Angeles Times –bestselling author of The Burden of Proof
“[A] fast-moving series launch . . . Birtcher takes readers on an exciting ride.” — Publishers Weekly
258 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2017
About the author
Baron R. Birtcher
10 books175 followersBaron R. Birtcher spent a number of years as a professional musician, guitarist, singer and songwriter and founded an independent record label.
His first two hardboiled mystery novels, Roadhouse Blues and Ruby Tuesday were Los Angeles Times and IMBA Best-Sellers.
Angels Fall, the third installment in the critically-acclaimed Mike Travis series, was nominated for the 2009 Left Coast Crime Award (the “Lefty”) for Best Law Enforcement/ Police Procedural novel of the year.
Rain Dogs is Mr. Birtcher’s first stand-alone novel, and a Claymore Award finalist.
He has also had the honor of serving as a judge for both the Edgar and the Shamus Awards.
Baron currently divides his time between Kona, Hawaii and Portland, Oregon.
His first two hardboiled mystery novels, Roadhouse Blues and Ruby Tuesday were Los Angeles Times and IMBA Best-Sellers.
Angels Fall, the third installment in the critically-acclaimed Mike Travis series, was nominated for the 2009 Left Coast Crime Award (the “Lefty”) for Best Law Enforcement/ Police Procedural novel of the year.
Rain Dogs is Mr. Birtcher’s first stand-alone novel, and a Claymore Award finalist.
He has also had the honor of serving as a judge for both the Edgar and the Shamus Awards.
Baron currently divides his time between Kona, Hawaii and Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 30, 2017
The land is reliable in Baron Birtcher’s South California Purples. The animals are reliable. But people, politics, and planning twist and turn in the wind. The novel combines the mystery and honesty of Craig Johnson’s Longmire with the first-person narration of a fiercely independent Oregon character. The result is a blend of lyrical prose, powerful social commentary, smooth scenery and wild, fast action, in a story that keeps the pages turning, and speaks to the present through a well-drawn lens of the past.
A spectacularly dead cow starts the tale. It might be a red herring. It might just be background. But the foreground soon fills with hippie activists, Vietnam vets, bike gangs, and a woman who just wants the best for wild horses. The Bureau of Land Management is losing control. So is the sheriff. And Ty Dawson has far too much on his mind, including that dead cow, to want to be deputized.
First and third person narration seamlessly combine in this novel, and the narrative voice is both lyrical and fiercely honest, flowing from gorgeous scenery to the fate of recaptured horses without even seeming to flinch. The world was changing in 1973, but the protagonist’s thoughts, always convincingly his rather than the author’s, are as valid and intriguing today as they would have been then. Native Americans struggle for their rights. Independent ranchers struggle for their land. Environmentalists struggle for the world we live in. And real people lose their way.
Great dialog, beautiful prose, convincing characters and relationships, well-researched detail, and well-thought-out social commentary, all come together in a novel of well-nuanced good and evil in changing times and landscapes. South California Purples is the beginning of a series not to be missed—and most especially not to be missed if you live in Oregon.
Disclosure: I was given a copy by the publisher and I offer my honest review.
A spectacularly dead cow starts the tale. It might be a red herring. It might just be background. But the foreground soon fills with hippie activists, Vietnam vets, bike gangs, and a woman who just wants the best for wild horses. The Bureau of Land Management is losing control. So is the sheriff. And Ty Dawson has far too much on his mind, including that dead cow, to want to be deputized.
First and third person narration seamlessly combine in this novel, and the narrative voice is both lyrical and fiercely honest, flowing from gorgeous scenery to the fate of recaptured horses without even seeming to flinch. The world was changing in 1973, but the protagonist’s thoughts, always convincingly his rather than the author’s, are as valid and intriguing today as they would have been then. Native Americans struggle for their rights. Independent ranchers struggle for their land. Environmentalists struggle for the world we live in. And real people lose their way.
Great dialog, beautiful prose, convincing characters and relationships, well-researched detail, and well-thought-out social commentary, all come together in a novel of well-nuanced good and evil in changing times and landscapes. South California Purples is the beginning of a series not to be missed—and most especially not to be missed if you live in Oregon.
Disclosure: I was given a copy by the publisher and I offer my honest review.
May 18, 2017
SOUTH CALIFORNIA PURPLES is an amazing book - part western, part mystery/thriller and (most of all) just a great novel. The year is 1973 and - while the rest of the country is dealing with Watergate - rancher Ty Dawson just wants to find out who's mutilating his cattle. But this seemingly simple problem suddenly explodes into a violent confrontation involving protesters, outlaw motorcycle gangs and even law enforcement & government officials who all have their own dangerous agenda. I won't describe any more about the plot here except to say it is wonderfully original and full of stunning twists and surprises that you never see coming. Maybe the best thing though is Birtcher's writing - which is beautiful and haunting and grabs you by the throat & won't let go. I compared him in a previous review (for the multi-award winning Hard Latitudes) to Raymond Chandler, and I felt that way again after reading some of the wonderful writing in this new book. I highly recommend it!
October 31, 2023
Beautifully written.
A western ranch novel.
Loved it!
The first “Ty Dawson” book in a series of 3 (so far).
I highly recommend it.
A western ranch novel.
Loved it!
The first “Ty Dawson” book in a series of 3 (so far).
I highly recommend it.
July 19, 2024
nice suprise. i have no any idea about this writer. i will find out. but his thriller about a rancher firced to be a sheriff for a while is very well written, different, good background of the story. simple a good read!
August 23, 2017
In SOUTH CALIFORNIA PURPLES, Baron R. Birtcher creates a character as deeply compelling as those in his previous thrillers and brings along his poetic ability to describe the striking landscape inhabited by cattle rancher Ty Dawson. The dialogue snaps and crackles. Dawson’s ranch in southern Oregon would seem to be safe from the upheaval of 1973 America—the end of Vietnam, the standoff at Wounded Knee, gas shortages, all live on TV. Not when he is deputized as undersheriff and is pulled into a conflict over wild mustangs. He learns the corruption of the nation has seeped into Meriwether County and is forced to make tough choices, mustering his own abilities and calling on the loyalty of his friends. This is the book you expect from Birtcher, which is to say I could not put it down. I loved the new setting and era—which he describes with a clear and fine eye—and was quite pleased to see the novel is the start of a new series.
October 16, 2017
NEW WEST SAGA WITH OLD WEST VIOLENCE AND VALUES
At their best, the Western and the hard-boiled crime novel are distinctly American art forms that rise above the conventions of genre, the clash of good guys and bad guys and the word maze of the whodunit.
They hit this literary high ground when their authors tell a tale that not only entertains the reader, but provides trenchant and penetrating commentary and observations on everything from politics and the foibles of social expectations to music, the culture of a time and place, the frequently dicey interplay between men and women and the impact of the land on the people trying to wrest a living from it.
Chalk up Baron R. Birtcher’s South California Purples as a book that punches well above the weight of a crime thriller or modern-day Western. And let’s settle something right here -- this book is more of the latter than it is the former, although enough bad deeds, violence and mayhem take place to give it a hard-boiled edge.
At the heart of Birtcher’s grim tale is rancher Ty Dawson, a Korean War veteran with a dark and troubled history that is obliquely hinted at. He wants to be left alone to punch cattle on his family ranch, the Double Diamond, tucked in the river valleys and mountains of southern Oregon and fictional Meriwether County. And those cattle are what give the novel its title -- a breed so deeply black they have a purplish tint when the sun hits them just right.
Dawson is old school in his ranching -- wouldn’t be caught dead rounding up cattle with a chopper. A third-generation rancher, he’s also old school in his sense of duty to his family, the land and the way of life he and his neighbors have carved from this special place.
Those values set him up to be badgered by a smarmy sheriff into taking on a job he doesn’t want -- the deputized lawman charged with keeping the peace in the southern end of the county. The sheriff is cagey and plays up the threat of bikers, dope dealers and violent agitators drawn to a grassroots protest over a Bureau of Land Management roundup of wild mustangs for sale and almost certain slaughter.
The story is set in 1973, the year Saigon fell and the American economy was poleaxed by the Arab oil embargo. President Richard Nixon was caught in the glare of the Watergate scandal and federal agents and Native Americans clashed during the bloody occupation of the Wounded Knee, South Dakota reservation by the American Indian Movement.
The Kennedys and Martin Luther King are dead and America is torn ragged by a decade of often-violent turmoil over the Vietnam war and civil rights. It was a time when Americans were sharply divided and learned to distrust their leaders, turning deeply cynical about the country’s future.
This is where Birtcher hits the high ground, in the telling of these events through Dawson’s eyes and the rancher’s desire to protect his family, his ranch and his rural community from the turmoil he sees tearing up the country he loves. At the same time, Dawson is no law-and-order reactionary. He values the rights of the protestors to speak their mind and demonstrate their opposition to the mustang roundup, no matter how much he thinks they and the local political activist who organized the protest are wrong-headed and naïve.
Birtcher’s prose is lean and semi-terse, but lyrical in his descriptions of the land and the tumult of the times. His style also serves him well in describing Dawson reluctantly stepping into his tin star role and the rapid escalation of violence that unfolds, from the murder of one of his ranch hands on the far reaches of his ranch to the grisly murder of two young men filming a documentary about the protest and Dawson’s confrontations with a biker gang that include a barroom shootout.
He serves up some rough, Old West justice that stops just short of hot lead when he and two of his deputized ranch hands take down the bikers at a local motel where the lawmen find a local girl getting gang raped. That arrest will have violent consequences aimed at Dawson, his wife and his college-age daughter.
Throughout the story, Dawson is very much an Old West lawman sticking to his code and his sense of right, wrong and duty as he wades through the corruption, incompetence and bankrupt morals of modern times. He has a strong sense that he is being set up as a patsy by unseen hands that are part of a larger conspiracy that involves state and federal officials. It is a hunch underscored by the appearance of a chopper-riding ex-Navy SEAL who backs his play during the barroom shootout and makes cryptic references to forces larger than Dawson.
Unlike far too many authors these days, Birtcher keeps a tight rein on the conspiracy angle and the actions of unseen and shadowy government players, keeping both the narrative and the action firmly centered on Dawson, his family and his ranch hand stalwarts. That reinforces the Old West feel of a novel set at the dawn of New West times, with a character in Ty Dawson who echoes a Gary Cooper striding down a dusty street alone at high noon.
The author provided a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
At their best, the Western and the hard-boiled crime novel are distinctly American art forms that rise above the conventions of genre, the clash of good guys and bad guys and the word maze of the whodunit.
They hit this literary high ground when their authors tell a tale that not only entertains the reader, but provides trenchant and penetrating commentary and observations on everything from politics and the foibles of social expectations to music, the culture of a time and place, the frequently dicey interplay between men and women and the impact of the land on the people trying to wrest a living from it.
Chalk up Baron R. Birtcher’s South California Purples as a book that punches well above the weight of a crime thriller or modern-day Western. And let’s settle something right here -- this book is more of the latter than it is the former, although enough bad deeds, violence and mayhem take place to give it a hard-boiled edge.
At the heart of Birtcher’s grim tale is rancher Ty Dawson, a Korean War veteran with a dark and troubled history that is obliquely hinted at. He wants to be left alone to punch cattle on his family ranch, the Double Diamond, tucked in the river valleys and mountains of southern Oregon and fictional Meriwether County. And those cattle are what give the novel its title -- a breed so deeply black they have a purplish tint when the sun hits them just right.
Dawson is old school in his ranching -- wouldn’t be caught dead rounding up cattle with a chopper. A third-generation rancher, he’s also old school in his sense of duty to his family, the land and the way of life he and his neighbors have carved from this special place.
Those values set him up to be badgered by a smarmy sheriff into taking on a job he doesn’t want -- the deputized lawman charged with keeping the peace in the southern end of the county. The sheriff is cagey and plays up the threat of bikers, dope dealers and violent agitators drawn to a grassroots protest over a Bureau of Land Management roundup of wild mustangs for sale and almost certain slaughter.
The story is set in 1973, the year Saigon fell and the American economy was poleaxed by the Arab oil embargo. President Richard Nixon was caught in the glare of the Watergate scandal and federal agents and Native Americans clashed during the bloody occupation of the Wounded Knee, South Dakota reservation by the American Indian Movement.
The Kennedys and Martin Luther King are dead and America is torn ragged by a decade of often-violent turmoil over the Vietnam war and civil rights. It was a time when Americans were sharply divided and learned to distrust their leaders, turning deeply cynical about the country’s future.
This is where Birtcher hits the high ground, in the telling of these events through Dawson’s eyes and the rancher’s desire to protect his family, his ranch and his rural community from the turmoil he sees tearing up the country he loves. At the same time, Dawson is no law-and-order reactionary. He values the rights of the protestors to speak their mind and demonstrate their opposition to the mustang roundup, no matter how much he thinks they and the local political activist who organized the protest are wrong-headed and naïve.
Birtcher’s prose is lean and semi-terse, but lyrical in his descriptions of the land and the tumult of the times. His style also serves him well in describing Dawson reluctantly stepping into his tin star role and the rapid escalation of violence that unfolds, from the murder of one of his ranch hands on the far reaches of his ranch to the grisly murder of two young men filming a documentary about the protest and Dawson’s confrontations with a biker gang that include a barroom shootout.
He serves up some rough, Old West justice that stops just short of hot lead when he and two of his deputized ranch hands take down the bikers at a local motel where the lawmen find a local girl getting gang raped. That arrest will have violent consequences aimed at Dawson, his wife and his college-age daughter.
Throughout the story, Dawson is very much an Old West lawman sticking to his code and his sense of right, wrong and duty as he wades through the corruption, incompetence and bankrupt morals of modern times. He has a strong sense that he is being set up as a patsy by unseen hands that are part of a larger conspiracy that involves state and federal officials. It is a hunch underscored by the appearance of a chopper-riding ex-Navy SEAL who backs his play during the barroom shootout and makes cryptic references to forces larger than Dawson.
Unlike far too many authors these days, Birtcher keeps a tight rein on the conspiracy angle and the actions of unseen and shadowy government players, keeping both the narrative and the action firmly centered on Dawson, his family and his ranch hand stalwarts. That reinforces the Old West feel of a novel set at the dawn of New West times, with a character in Ty Dawson who echoes a Gary Cooper striding down a dusty street alone at high noon.
The author provided a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
September 6, 2024
South California Purples is a historical, western mystery. April 1973. Cattle rancher Ty Dawson is getting a late start on Spring Works and things aren’t going well with four of his cows dead. Then the Korean war veteran is tagged to act as the undersheriff when a dispute between a horse trainer and the Bureau of Land Management turns into dangerous spectacle.
Bottom line: South California Purples is for you if you like a strong hero who can use his head as well as a gun
Baron Birtcher’s writing style can best be described as lyrical. From his description of sunrises, to the land of the Double Diamond ranch, to the people and events of Meridian, Oregon, his style is smooth and sophisticated yet easy to read. Ty Dawson is our narrator, and you pick up the cadence of his speech. If you’re like me and tend to “hear” characters, you’ll enjoy listening to Dawson.
Dawson is a hero. He lives by a code of honor in good times and tough times. That code is put to the test in Sour California Purples and it interesting to watch how he navigates that code while accepting his conscription as undersheriff. We meet his wife, Jesse, and daughter, Cricket, as well as the men who help run the Double D. The “cast” is large enough to support the story without being overwhelming with townsfolk who don’t have a role in this story.
The plot is on the complex end of the spectrum. There are three storylines. The murder of one of Dawson’s ranch hands along with having four of his cows not just killed but blown up. The stand-off between a horse trainer and the federal Bureau of Land Management, which draws in hippie protesters, a documentary film crew, and a violent motorcycle club. The mysterious Blackwood who looks like a biker but acts that something dangerously different. If there is a morale to this story, it is found in the horse trainer whose good intentions to protect the wild horses from a cruel culling is subverted by people with selfish motivations.
South California Purples is the first in the Ty Dawson series. I had read Book 3 (Reckoning) and Book 4 (Knife River). It is rare that I come back to the start of a series when I’ve joined mid-stream, but I am very glad I did. Having gotten to know Dawson, his family, and his ranch hands, reading Book 1 was an origin story that added texture and meaning to the allusion of the later books.
There wasn’t much not to like. As I think about the story in the days since I finished it, I have a question or two on the premise and I thought one murder was out of proportion to the rest of the story. These are definitely subjective points and did not detract from my enjoyment.
Overall, this is an excellent opener to the series and is a must read for fans of western mysteries and historical/vintage mysteries.
Bottom line: South California Purples is for you if you like a strong hero who can use his head as well as a gun
Baron Birtcher’s writing style can best be described as lyrical. From his description of sunrises, to the land of the Double Diamond ranch, to the people and events of Meridian, Oregon, his style is smooth and sophisticated yet easy to read. Ty Dawson is our narrator, and you pick up the cadence of his speech. If you’re like me and tend to “hear” characters, you’ll enjoy listening to Dawson.
Dawson is a hero. He lives by a code of honor in good times and tough times. That code is put to the test in Sour California Purples and it interesting to watch how he navigates that code while accepting his conscription as undersheriff. We meet his wife, Jesse, and daughter, Cricket, as well as the men who help run the Double D. The “cast” is large enough to support the story without being overwhelming with townsfolk who don’t have a role in this story.
The plot is on the complex end of the spectrum. There are three storylines. The murder of one of Dawson’s ranch hands along with having four of his cows not just killed but blown up. The stand-off between a horse trainer and the federal Bureau of Land Management, which draws in hippie protesters, a documentary film crew, and a violent motorcycle club. The mysterious Blackwood who looks like a biker but acts that something dangerously different. If there is a morale to this story, it is found in the horse trainer whose good intentions to protect the wild horses from a cruel culling is subverted by people with selfish motivations.
South California Purples is the first in the Ty Dawson series. I had read Book 3 (Reckoning) and Book 4 (Knife River). It is rare that I come back to the start of a series when I’ve joined mid-stream, but I am very glad I did. Having gotten to know Dawson, his family, and his ranch hands, reading Book 1 was an origin story that added texture and meaning to the allusion of the later books.
There wasn’t much not to like. As I think about the story in the days since I finished it, I have a question or two on the premise and I thought one murder was out of proportion to the rest of the story. These are definitely subjective points and did not detract from my enjoyment.
Overall, this is an excellent opener to the series and is a must read for fans of western mysteries and historical/vintage mysteries.
August 14, 2017
Cattle are being killed on ranches in Meriwether County in Oregon, and the corpse show strange injuries. Now the government is rounding up mustangs for auction, and government activist, Teresa Pineu has asked for help from a motorcycle gang, who are camping on her property. The sheriff conscripts Ty Dawson, a former captain in the military police during the Korean War, to help in law enforcement. It’s 1973, and the Vietnam War is winding down, Watergate is on the news, and the American Indian Movement has occupied Wounded Knee, and things are getting bloody everywhere. The sheriff is afraid the same thing will happen in Meriwether County.
The story is told in Three Parts; Part One, the first 62 pages sets the story up, introducing most of the main characters. The author’s writing is topnotch, but the first 62 pages were so slow I almost didn’t bother with the rest of the book. It does pick up speed with Parts Two and Three, but I didn’t find it as entertaining as HARD LATITUDES, his previous novel I read. Still, it is an interesting novel that depicts a slowly dying American way of life, when cowboys still rode the range on horseback instead of helicopters. Highly recommended.
The story is told in Three Parts; Part One, the first 62 pages sets the story up, introducing most of the main characters. The author’s writing is topnotch, but the first 62 pages were so slow I almost didn’t bother with the rest of the book. It does pick up speed with Parts Two and Three, but I didn’t find it as entertaining as HARD LATITUDES, his previous novel I read. Still, it is an interesting novel that depicts a slowly dying American way of life, when cowboys still rode the range on horseback instead of helicopters. Highly recommended.
March 18, 2019
SOUTH CALIFORNIA PURPLES by @baronrbirtcher #partner is about a rancher who gets roped into helping the understaffed sheriff protect the county as a massive biker gang and potential protest threaten chaos.
🧨
Lodged between modernity and the Wild West, Ty Dawson struggles to balance old ways that no longer exist in a time and place unfolding all around him. Perhaps filed under the category of ‘no good deed goes unpunished’, he does what he thinks to be right even when the world doesn’t present you with any right options.
🐴
It’s an interesting not-too-distant history lesson about a time that we often forget, when the vast lands of this country were still growing and fraying. We take for granted the relative peace we live in now, but this story is a reminder about the false sense of security sheltering us, and how under dishonorable authority the destruction of our way of life is only a matchstick away.
⛰
++Writing Reaction++
What struck me most would have to be the description, which in a setting like this one can’t help but be in awe of America’s natural wonders. This is a vast, unique land that was not all connected all that long ago - in many parts and respects it’s still not. This makes me want to head out west and camp under the stars, only without the biker gang.
🧨
Lodged between modernity and the Wild West, Ty Dawson struggles to balance old ways that no longer exist in a time and place unfolding all around him. Perhaps filed under the category of ‘no good deed goes unpunished’, he does what he thinks to be right even when the world doesn’t present you with any right options.
🐴
It’s an interesting not-too-distant history lesson about a time that we often forget, when the vast lands of this country were still growing and fraying. We take for granted the relative peace we live in now, but this story is a reminder about the false sense of security sheltering us, and how under dishonorable authority the destruction of our way of life is only a matchstick away.
⛰
++Writing Reaction++
What struck me most would have to be the description, which in a setting like this one can’t help but be in awe of America’s natural wonders. This is a vast, unique land that was not all connected all that long ago - in many parts and respects it’s still not. This makes me want to head out west and camp under the stars, only without the biker gang.
May 6, 2025
Birtcher masterfully paints a world where time seems to stand still in the hills of Oregon, but the storm of societal change brews just beyond the ridge. Ty Dawson, burdened by his past and grounded in his principles, is pulled into a conflict that mirrors the larger identity crisis of the American West.
The tension builds steadily, and the payoff is powerful. The themes of loyalty, justice, and corruption are explored with nuance, and the writing style equal parts grit and poetry makes every page rich with meaning. This is historical fiction done right, with just enough noir to keep your knuckles white.
The tension builds steadily, and the payoff is powerful. The themes of loyalty, justice, and corruption are explored with nuance, and the writing style equal parts grit and poetry makes every page rich with meaning. This is historical fiction done right, with just enough noir to keep your knuckles white.
June 25, 2025
Baron Birtcher masterfully captures the tumult of the 1970s in South California Purples, a decade that scarred and shaped America in equal measure. The novel’s opening pages immediately immerse the reader in the moral murk of the post Vietnam era, but it’s the quiet strength of Ty Dawson that anchors the story. As a reader, I was riveted by the dual tensions between modern unrest and old-world justice, between the political and the personal. The prose is muscular yet lyrical, as gritty as it is emotionally nuanced. Birtcher writes with the kind of clarity that feels earned by experience. This is not just a Western, it’s a meditation on justice, heritage, and conscience. Outstanding.
November 21, 2024
The year is 1973. The country is in turmoil. One would think a quiet valley in Oregon would be spared the chaos. They would be wrong. A series of events begins to ratchet the tension up until it is a powder keg waiting to explode. Rancher Ty Dawson is is dragged into this swirling melee of impending violence. The suspense is riveting, the action is powerful, and the emotion is overwhelming as Meriwether County is ruptured by a detonation of simmering angst and unrest. Strap yourself in and brace yourself for the whirlwind conclusion. You won't want to miss it.
June 25, 2025
Baron Birtcher has carved out something raw and powerful in South California. Set against the smoldering backdrop of a turbulent 1973, the novel blends western grit with political unrest in a way that grabs your throat and doesn’t let go. Ty Dawson is an unforgettable protagonist haunted, stoic, and reluctantly heroic. This isn’t just a mystery or a western, it’s a snapshot of America on the brink, a deeply human story told with lyrical precision. Birtcher’s prose moves like a rattlesnake: slow burn to sudden strike. I couldn't put it down.
June 25, 2025
Baron R. Birtcher reinvents the Western for a new generation. South California is more than a crime novel it’s a political drama, a meditation on violence, and a character study of a man trying to do what’s right in a world gone sideways. Teresa Pineu is a fascinating antagonist, not evil, just on the edge of righteous fury. And the setting? Southern Oregon becomes a character all its own. Birtcher’s language is crisp and evocative, his dialogue real and resonant. I want more.
August 31, 2024
The writing is exquisite!!! You can tell Baron is a songwriter because his writing is lyrical. I love Ty Dawson’s character. A Korean War vet who just wants to enjoy life on his family’s ranch with his beautiful wife while trying to overcome the nightmares that war has left him with each night. This series should made into a TV series!!! Yellowstone move over:)
May 6, 2025
South California Purples is steeped in atmosphere and tension. Baron Birtcher captures 1973 with stunning clarity from the wounded pride of Vietnam veterans to the crackling unrest of a nation tearing at its seams. Ty Dawson is a compelling lead, and the book's lyrical prose adds emotional heft to the brutality. A bit slow in the beginning, but worth the investment.
May 6, 2025
This novel hit me harder than I expected. The way Birtcher blends the personal with the political is brilliant. I felt Ty’s internal struggle as deeply as the external chaos happening around him. It’s a story about identity, justice, and holding onto your soul when the world’s gone mad. Easily one of the most emotionally resonant reads of my year.
June 23, 2025
If Vietnam, wild mustangs, and emotionally constipated cowboys had a baby,it would be this book. Ty Dawson is so rugged he probably bathes in sandpaper. I’m convinced this man once stared down a thunderstorm and made it apologize. 5/5 for making me want to grow a mustache and distrust the government.
February 21, 2026
Modern western
It would be easy to give a snarky review about purple prose, but I was hooked before the action began, descriptions aside. Few thrillers these days attempt to bring the background to life for the reader. It’s all plot and narrow escapes with only a nod to characterization. I’ll search out the next one and settle down for a good read.
It would be easy to give a snarky review about purple prose, but I was hooked before the action began, descriptions aside. Few thrillers these days attempt to bring the background to life for the reader. It’s all plot and narrow escapes with only a nod to characterization. I’ll search out the next one and settle down for a good read.
April 4, 2023
Ty Dawson is always a compelling character.
The settings and descriptions in this book were interesting and well-done. In this fast paced crime story, I can taste the blood every time someone gets punched. A good book for everyone who loves the West and the cowboy way.
The settings and descriptions in this book were interesting and well-done. In this fast paced crime story, I can taste the blood every time someone gets punched. A good book for everyone who loves the West and the cowboy way.
October 14, 2017
It was a different kind of story compared to mysteries that I read. Was a relaxing book with adventure.
May 28, 2018
Loved this modern cowboy
Greatly enjoyed this quick read. The characters were much deeper than I expected. Can’t wait for the next installment of this series.
Greatly enjoyed this quick read. The characters were much deeper than I expected. Can’t wait for the next installment of this series.
May 25, 2026
great story
Well written. Absorbing and also thought provoking. Loved it! Also great to have the softer moments that really set the scene so well.
Well written. Absorbing and also thought provoking. Loved it! Also great to have the softer moments that really set the scene so well.
August 5, 2018
Imagine that Zane Grey and Dashiell Hammett teamed up to write an episode of The X-Files. That's the best way I know to summarize this book. It's not a long, hard read, but I wouldn't toss it into your beach bag, either. It's got more substance than that. It's also one of those books that will send you looking for everything else this author has written. This book will also satisfy the 2018 Watauga County Public Library Reading Challenge categories: A Book About A Revolution (Fiction OR Non-fiction); A Book With The Color Purple In The Title OR On The Cover. I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways. It is a preview edition.
not-my-cuppa-don-t-need-gr-dnf-sh
April 9, 2017I received this via Goodreads FirstReads in exchange for an honest review. All my opinions are my own :)
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Written very well, just couldn't get into it :(
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Written very well, just couldn't get into it :(
Read
May 5, 2017Exceptional!
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