A Tale Out of Luck: A Novel

by Willie Nelson

Retired Texas Ranger Captain Hank Tomlinson intends to spend the rest of his days raising cattle on his Broken Arrow Ranch, and nurturing his frontier town of Luck, Texas. But when the brutal murder and scalping of a mysterious drifter leads to a clash between cavalry soldiers and a band of Comanche Indians suspected of the killing, a full-scale Indian uprising seems likely. Worse yet, the murder of the drifter bears a disturbing resemblance to a string of killings Hank remembers from his distant and violent past as a Texas Ranger.


Meanwhile, Hank's twenty-year-old son, Jay Blue, and his adoptive brother, Skeeter, find themselves on the trail of a valuable Kentucky mare who vanished under their watch. The trail leads them into the dangerous haunts of outlaws and vengeful Comanche warriors. Now Hank must attempt to keep his sons safe while trying to catch a murderer who he knows will soon strike again. His ace-in-the-hole is beautiful Flora Barlow, the tavern owner with a knack for detective work.


Though rival lawman, Matt Kenyon, and competing rancher, Jack Brennan, complicate Hank's investigation, he and Flora slowly begin to uncover a crooked web of crime, deception, and murder. Dark secrets emerge, and everyone must choose sides as lawmen, outlaws, soldiers, and Indian warriors converge for a final, bloody confrontation. (2008)

Genres: Fiction, Westerns, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adventure

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2008

About the author

Willie Hugh Nelson is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the most beloved and notorious country music singers. He reached his greatest fame during the so-called "outlaw country" movement of the 1970s, but remains iconic, especially in American popular culture. In recent years he has continued to tour, record, and perform, and this, combined with activities in advocacy of cannabis, as well as a well-publicized 2006 arrest for cannabis possession, have made him the subject of renewed media attention.

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Willie Nelson, noted country singer/songwriter, pens a novel. It's a decent first effort, with a retired Texas Ranger investigating some killings that resemble some he saw years ago. Meanwhile his idiot love sick son and his friend track a valuable horse that was stolen under their watch.

The best parts were the outlaw lore, but the novel itself is needlessly complicated.

[Suzanne Manners · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cowboys, Indians, cattle rustlers, Texas Rangers, Calvary, and an albino ... this western has it all. Jay Blue and Skeeter set out to recover a missing thoroughbred horse from their father's corral. The horse is believed to be stolen by Indians, so the boys go to the Calvary for help. The Calvary stirs up trouble with the Comanches after the body of a cowboy is found. Hank, the boys' father, and a retired Texas Ranger get wrapped up in the hunt for the cowboy's murderer. The cowboy turns out to have been doctoring brands and now the question is where the rustled cattle are kept? Hank has to defend his name and prove his innocence after the son of a murdered Texas Ranger points the finger at him. The women of the story, Flora and Jane, run the local saloon and help solve the case by tracking the rustlers' activity in nearby towns using telegram communications with cattle buyers. The albino, Jubal, comes to the aid of the boys when catching their daddy's horse who escaped with a wild Mustang stallion, known as "el Grillo." Later Jubal scares off the Comanches who think he is a ghost when they seek revenge for the Calvary's attack with a war party. What can I say?? This story is full of ACTION!!

[Kara Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, come on, it's a book by Willie Nelson! It had a good storyline, was easy to read, and exceeded all my expectations for my first ever Western. If you need a fun diversion from your other typical genres and you are a fan of Mr. Nelson then you can't go wrong with this book.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome tale!
If you only read one book this year, make it this one. I haven't laughed so much in years, and ended the tale with the feeling of warm fuzzies. You can never go wrong with Willie. He is a treasure of our times in every field he has chosen to entertain us. This is one you will want to re-read when you need a pick-me-up.
REVIEWED on February 18, 2025, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and Kobo.

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tale Out of Luck by Willie Nelson is set in the Old West, only thirty-seven stars on Old Glory (Aug 1867 - Aug 1877). Former Texas Ranger Hank Tomlinson owns a ranch in Texas outside Luck, the town he founded. Hank's son Jay Blue is heir to the prosperous estate, and is confident of his ranching skills. His sidekick "Skeeter" was raised with Jay Blue like brothers. They make a good team.

Hank's new thoroughbred mare mysteriously disappears from her corral one night, when Jay Blue was supposed to be on watch (but had talked Skeeter into doing it for him) and Skeeter had fallen asleep. They're sure to be in deep trouble with Hank, so they take off to find the mare. They meet Jubal Hayes, a wild mustanger. He warns them that El Grullo (a legendary wild stallion) has the mare, and they won't be able to get her back. Jay Blue has plenty of confidence, plus the sense of desperation that he's in big trouble unless he brings the mare back, so he insists on finding El Grullo. Jay Blue and Skeeter convince Jubal that they can catch the horses if they work together.

Meanwhile, rival rancher Brennan rides out with his band of cowboys, plus soldiers from Fort Jennings, to confront the Comanche tribe, accusing them of killing of a "brand doctor" (cattle thief that re-brands cattle, adding to the original brand to form a different one). They fire first and cause a massacre of Indians and officers.

The arrows that killed the "brand doctor" scare Hank Tomlinson; they match the arrow that Gray Cloud shot him with, years ago. Gray Cloud, an infamous Texas Rangers killer, killed 3 of Hank's best friends and fellow Rangers. Hank always worried Gray Cloud would return to kill him.

In town, Flora owns and runs the saloon. She's sweet on Hank. Jay Blue is sweet on the barmaid, who barely gives him the time of day. A stranger comes to town, claims to be a newspaper reporter, but turns out to be a State Police officer with a link to Hank's past, and a grudge.

It's a rollicking adventure, with plenty of interesting subplots, suspenseful scenes, all leading to a satisfying wrap up.

[Louise Hite · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Willie! This book was a Western Cozy, if there is such thing. Takes place in the late 1800's in Texas. The main theme in this book is probably love and family ties--blood related or not. A successful rancher and his son are the main characters. Includes the loss of a Thoroughbred mare, a wild stallion who "steals" mares, conflicts with Indians, a bad rancher, finding a "ghost" who has not been seen for 30 years and music. Glad I read it!

[Betty Pickard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good cowboy story complete with good guys, bad guys, & Comanche, dance hall girls, Texas Rangers & the settling of disputes & statehood. This was a fun book to read.

[Mrs. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finally finished with this sorry excuse of a book. The story line was contrived, the characters were under developed and the finish was unbelievable.
Willie...just stick with the singing.

Read for my 2017 reading challenge: Book by a celebrity.

[Joe Testa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not sure what to expect from Willie. Then again - he is WILLIE!

Great book. It is a Western. He tells the story with details seemingly drawn from a wealth of knowledge about the west.

Makes sense, right?

I loved it.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my review of Mike Blakely’s excellent Mexican-American War novel, A Sinister Splendor, I said I’d read another Mike Blakely novel soon. The one I picked, “A TALE OUT OF LUCK,” is co-written with Willie Nelson (more famous for his singing and songwriting). I guess for marketing purposes the front cover in large gold letters says “WILLIE NELSON” and underneath it in much smaller black letters, “With Mike Blakely.”

A TALE OUT OF LUCK takes place in the late 1800s in and around a town called Luck, Texas. (I don’t think it’s a coincidence Willie Nelson built a small town called Luck, Texas, on his ranch.)

It’s a good book. Not a great one, but an enjoyable one. Willie Nelson and Mike Brantley threw everything into the book’s 248 pages: A good rancher, a bad rancher, Buffalo Soldiers (I learned why black soldiers were called Buffalo Soldiers.), an orphan who doesn’t know who his parents are, a former Texas Ranger, a female saloon owner, a beautiful barmaid, Comanches, a mysterious serial killer nicknamed Black Cloud, a legendary wild horse no one has been able to catch, a camel (yep), an albino and his wife, a dead cattle rustler, a Texas State Police officer out for revenge posing as a newspaper reporter, a big-time shootout, a horse race for glory, and, of course, young love.

Basic Plot (it’ll be hard to keep this short) Former Texas Ranger Capt. Hank Tomlinson’s two sons set out to find and return a prized Kentucky mare Hank just bought. Unrelated to that, a dead man is found with arrows in his back and his scalp missing. The cavalry and the bad rancher ride to a Comanche hunting party to see what they know. In a resulting skirmish, the chief and other Indians are killed. Meanwhile, Hank’s sons meet with an albino named Jubal, who explains Hank’s prized mare was freed by a legendary horse named Grullo (a Steel Dust Grey). Nobody has captured Grullo, though many have tried. Jubal has learned to communicate with animals, including horses and a camel that plays a part in the story.

The arrows in the dead man’s back harkens Hank back to his Ranger days when a mystery man killed Hank’s three Ranger comrades. Hank worries he is next in line. In a separate incident, Hank’s son, Jay Blue, defends a barmaid’s honor and makes enemies with the bad rancher’s men.
The story becomes complicated when a Texas State Police officer posing as a newspaper reporter comes to Luck to find evidence to arrest Hank Tomlinson for the murder of the officer’s father. (Hint: Hank didn’t do it.)

Anyway, before you know it. There’s a shootout that gets everyone involved. It starts between Hank Tomlinson’s men and the bad rancher’s men. Soon the Comanches, the cavalry, Jubal (and his camel), and two female saloon workers are shooting bullets and arrows, and avoiding fire and smoke.

And they all live happily ever after, except the ones who died.

My rating: 4 stars

[Peter Tillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent Western historical novel, set on the Texas frontier a few years after the end of the Civil War. It moves right along, albeit with some clunks along the way. Willie's co-author is an experienced Western writer, so who knows how they divided the writing chores. Regardless, I enjoyed the book. 3 stars.

[MAYO · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book had me for the first 50 pages or so, but then it quickly lost me. The storyline moved too quickly and seemed pretty amateur. I wasn't expecting much from this book, but I was expecting to finish it. I couldn't even do that! Ah well.

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extra #12. Not part of the EBN Challenge for me.

Not a bad book. Felt the ending was a little abrupt after all the buildup. Slow to get into but really not a bad story.

[Myza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really fun! I loved the short chapters coming from different perspectives and found that I was immersed in the story from the first chapter. I could picture all the characters (from the retired Texas Ranger Hank Tomlinson to Jubal Hayes and his wife Luz) and the town of Luck perfectly. It was funny and had some great surprises in it. I would definitely recommend and hope they make a movie out of this one day.

[Ashley Hentze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun read. Couldn't put it down. Well written, great plot, good characters. Solid western.

[Tim Armstrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good story. It was plodding at points, but overall it was an entertaining Western.

[Bev Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because…well, it’s Willie! I am not a good judge of the quality because I don’t read western novels. However, I would say he did an admirable job…and he IS Willie

[David Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is this of the highest quality novel that’s ever been written? No. But it’s Willie Nelson. It’s a classic western story with an easy to follow narrative and an interesting mystery to be solved.

[Clark Isaacs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tale Out Of Luck
Author: Willie Nelson with Mike Blakely
ISBN: 978-1-59995-732-6 Pages: 256, $21.99, Publication Date: September 3, 2008, Hard Cover, Fiction, Published by Center Street, a division of Hachette Book Group.


This is the first novel by music legend Willie Nelson, co-authored with Mike Blakely. Willie built the town of Luck, Texas, which inspired A Tale Out of Luck.

Captain Hank Tomlinson, a well-respected retired Texas Ranger, owner of the Broken Arrow Ranch is the main character. He is also known as a famous Indian fighting lawman.

The epic tale opens with a mysterious drifter, Wes James, a horse rustler, being found bludgeoned to death and scalped. Hank believes this murder resembles a strange string of murders from his past when he investigated them. Hank is concerned there will be Indian uprisings. He and his son Jay Blue, together with his adopted brother Skeeter, who has never known his parents, are enmeshed in many dangerous confrontations, too big for them to handle alone.

Hank’s prized Kentucky mare has gone missing and he suspects she jumped the corral fence following El Grullo, aka “The Steel Dust Gray”. This stallion is believed to be a ghost and is feared by the Comanche. Trailing the missing horse develops heightened excitement in the desert and in the meantime he tracks James’ killer. He believes the Comanche are not involved. Hank’s love interest, Flora Barlow, owner of the Luck saloon, eavesdrops on conversations in her establishment and gathers important information for Hank in his quest to find the killer.

Colorful heroes make this story appealing while they face incredible odds. A strange hero emerges, Jubal Hayes, an albino-looking man with an uncanny ability to attract horses to follow him. Others include fierce black troopers who come to the aid of Hank and his crew. Matt Kenyon, new lawman in town, jails Hank and his son. He is instrumental in bringing justice to the new frontier.

Jack Brennan, a deceitful and powerful man incites a deadly battle between soldiers and Indians demonstrating that fighting is definitely unnecessary when wrongfully provoked.

Unusual and fascinating characters abound in this Texas town, making a great old-fashioned western. Just imagine, bullets flying, arrows whizzing, blazing horse barns, and a realistic final bloody battle between Indians, soldiers, outlaws, and lawmen. And, of course, the good ol’ boys win!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know how much of this book is the "red-headed stranger" himself and how much of it is his coauthor, Mike Blakely. However, I have to say that this is a quality western novel-- it is nicely paced, realistic, and remembers to maintain a connection with the historical period. In some ways, it may remind readers of Lonesome Dove, though certainly not as much of an epic as that wonderful western tale is. Still, it isn't as if the authors write a Lonesome Dove clone, this novel stands well on its on pages.

Ex-Texas Ranger Tomlinson sets out to find a killer who uses Indian methods to kill. As the story unfolds we discover that Tomlinson has a mystery from his past that is coming back to haunt him. Just as a murder mystery starts to unfold, his son shirks his guard duty and the fine thoroughbred mare is stolen from the ranch. This leads to more complications and the introduction of other marvellous characters. The army gets involved, thinking it is an Indian related crime. The Buffalo soldiers go out to a comanche camp and disaster strikes.

Meanwhile, the pacing is never hurried or rushed. The characters, for the most part, are real enough.

In fact, the major flaw in the story is a silly conincidence in the conclusion that I thought was sort of like mixing sugar into your syrup in order to make it sweeter. This is silly because it is just too sweet and spoils the end slightly. A minor flaw is a scene where the Captain acts like a movie cowboy and shoots a hat off of someone's head to teach him a lesson. Anybody shooting with black powder would know better, since it was often inaccurate. A lawman would have known that you never fire a weapon in someone's direction unless you intend to wound, maim, or kill him. It was just plain silly and the book would be better off without that scene.


Still, this is one of the best westerns I've read in a long time because it is just different enough from the run of the mill range war, gunfighter can't quit type story that it held my interest all the way until the end. Definitely worth reading, despite the above-mentioned flaws.

[Michael Marcela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished reading a Tale Out of Luck by Willie Nelson and Mike Blakely. I give this book three stars. As Westerns go, it has all the right ingredients: Cowboys, Indians, Saloon girls, cattle-rustlers and a bevy of strange characters. The story is good and holds your attention but the real saving grace for me was the ending. The book (and the writing) picks up and makes for a hard to put down conclusion, albeit a bit too perfect.

The shortcomings of this book lie with the writing. The characters just appear with little description or history either before or after you meet them. Makes for some confusion to the reader. Secondly there are some incidents of things happening that don't make sense or are just unlikely---for example, a gut-shot Indian magically gets up after one dose of medicine, mounts/steals a horse and takes off all the while being a few feet away from two men who are fixing and eating dinner. Not something that is likely to happen. Or...horse single-handedly stealing another horse from a locked corral with no assistance from a human. And lastly, the thing that drove me nuts with this book is that Nelson or Blakely never met an adjective or prepositional phrase that they didn't like. There were tons of unnecessary words or phrases that used words just to avoid using the same word again. Phrases like "sliding the peaches down in his stomach" were unnecessary and awkward and took away from the reading experience. It was like the book went to press without editing or maybe there was editing but nobody wanted to tell Willie to correct anything. It was a good book, but some good solid editing would have made it an outstanding book.

So overall, if you can overlook some extra adjectives and awkward phrases and some unrealistic events, you will enjoy this book. If not, you will get hung up on these things and won't be able to handle this book. A good read that could have been better. (less)

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This western has it all, cattle, horses, cowboys, family, love, fighting, Indians. I had no idea Willie Nelson had a book out there and I wish there were more. This was a fast moving western for me, a one day read!

A family that has made the town of Luck, TX has like all families growing pains. As the son grows he wants to spread his wings and fly on his own, which of course leads to a heap of trouble. While dad has a hot temper he dad stands behind his son and not only the better for them, but those around him.

The Indian involvement is just as I would like to think it was, they are people and working to provide for their families and events around them make them act and react, but they still hold a understanding for people that support them. There may be messages on what took place in history between the Indians, government and cowboys but nothing over the top.

Love plays a part in the story but again does not over take the story. Dad lost the love of his life, but finds comfort in a gal in town, their love affair is there and we know it, but no need for details of lust and love, smiles, actions and talk can tell the story. A saloon girl is the subject of desire for the growing son, and he pays a price for defending her and his love. However she pushes away following her mom's advise to find a rich man. Keep in mind not all things are as they seem, her demands to not be called a nick name have more behind it than meets the eye.

Again this book was a wonderful general western. Makes me want to pull my boots on and go wrangle another great old west story!

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm on a serious not-finishing streak, which I'm not thrilled about, but this book, by Willy Nelson and co-author (in much smaller type on the cover) Mike Blakely, although entertaining, just didn't hold me. It's a cowboy mystery and could do very well as a beach read, and it's nicely evocative of a mythical bygone American West, but there's just too many clinkers for me to stick with it.

[Terry Roper]

I agree with other reviews, I was pleasantly surprised by this book, having checked it out for the novelty of reading a book by Willie Nelson. It was co-written by another author so am not sure what factor that plays but I would be willing to read his next work of fiction [and I am not typically a reader of westerns!]

[mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe it's corny, but I loved this story. It's set in Texas, of course, in the old west pre-oil, when there was just cattle, wild horses, and wild Indians, and of course--men gone bad. Willie Nelson's love of life, love, justice, & music all come shinning through.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I have'nt read a western for a very long time, but this caught my eye at the library. Of course, I have listened to Willie's music for a very long time so I was curious about his writing. It was very entertaining, a bit predictable but worth reading for a quick, light read.

[David Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Tale Out of Luck by Willie Nelson (Center Street 2008) (Fiction – Western). This is a cowboy story full of clichés. It doesn’t do justice to the Willie legend, or at least it adds nothing new. My rating: 6/10, finished 2010.

[Vennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a book! Willie Nelson has talent in more than just the music field. The book is set at a ranch in Luck, Texas and it has everything a historic western could hope for! Love and romance, betrayal, rich land owners and cowboys and Indians! A quick and very enjoyable read.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retired TX Ranger, son & ward, Indians, competition rancher, stolen KY mare, former slave & wife, scalped dead man all combine for an intriguing Western tale with some surprising twists. Extra star for the surprises.

[Amie]

This book is awesome, so is it's author. I don't usually love westerns, but this one sucked me in right away.