Deadly Deadly

by M.J. Vigna, Linda J. Ruggieri (Contributor)

Deadly Deadly is an exciting, larger than life epic that takes place during the growth of our nation westward that details the hardship encountered on a very special trail drive in the 1800s. Don’t let the cover fool you; this is a story for the more mature reader. This exciting novel tells a truly original story among a backdrop of harsh and extreme conditions. Crafted with an enormous passion, this amazing story pits an eclectic cast of characters against the unforgiving elements and the evils of men. A one-of-a-kind story, readers cannot afford to pass up. Get lost in this western epic of adversity, despair, and triumph. This story revolves around the deep bond that is established after a young man, alone in the world, discovers a newborn Texas Longhorn bull and rescues him from deaths grip. The bull calf eventually captures his heart and an inseparable bond is formed. As the bull matures, due to his lethal seven-foot horn spread, he eventually becomes know as Deadly. Their unique relationship also grows into a working partnership and together they become an indomitable force, which will be a blessing for a beautiful ranch owner who ultimately depends on them as her only hope for survival after she hires them to drive her extremely valuable and “new” to the America, Herefords, from California to Texas. With the fate of her ranch in their hands, they set forth on a dangerous journey full of extreme wilderness, nature’s wrath, injuries, and illness in order to get these prized cattle to their distant destination. With a Texan Longhorn bull as one of its main characters and events unfolding at a thrilling pace, Deadly Deadly stands out against the homogenous backdrop of today’s fiction with a character-driven story that is as gripping as it is heartfelt, and sure to hook readers within the first few pages. Whether it’s the loveable characters, unique relationships, budding romance, or facing challenging hazards both natural and manmade, this novel possesses something for everyone. This engrossing narrative uses a mesmerizing story to pepper in useful survival skills and actual training techniques used with herd animals.

Genres: Westerns, Historical Fiction, Fiction

314 pages, Paperback

First published July 5, 2013

Reviews

[Irene Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a western like no other. I truly enjoyed it. Westerns are not usually a genre of book that I read a lot of. But I do enjoy a good Western once in a while, and this one did not disappoint.

This story is about a cattle drive, a beautiful long horn steer, a herd of really special cows, and a cowboy’s survival along the trail. The book takes the reader on a great journey of how life is on the ranch and beyond. I just loved the backdrop for this wonderfully rich book.

Deadly Deadly is Vigna’s debut novel. However despite this, she is a master story teller. I was totally enthralled by her characters and plot twists. It is a definitely a book that I will read and re-read. I will also pass the book on to my husband who loves to read Westerns. It is quite different from the typical western novel. This is what makes it so entrancing and inviting for the reader.

So, get ready for a read like no other. You will enjoy the action and be totally entranced by the characters in this novel. And this story is full of emotions too. There is sorrow, understanding, love, and respect for man and animals too. What a splendid story!

I recommend this book to anyone who loves Westerns but also to readers who want to try reading Westerns to see if they will like to read in this genre. It is a book that will encourage you to read more Westerns.

[Gary Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The BEST read I have enjoyed in 2013 and for years. I highly recommend it!

[Carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a cute little old lady I met during jury selection. It is not a cute little old story though. It is pretty intense and definitely has that western grit in it. The bad guys are pretty dang bad and kind of gross. I loved Deadly the bull and his personality really made the story shine. I also really appreciate the author and her daughter helping her mom’s writing come to life after all the long years that her story sat waiting. I think the forward was excellent and the warning made it even more intriguing!

[Charlotte Gerber · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who grew up on a farm and read the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Louis L'Amour, I really enjoyed this book that provided a realistic view of life on the frontier. I found the characters interesting and believable, including Deadly Deadly. My brother had a Holstein bull that he had trained to follow him around, so I do think a relationship between man and beast is possible, ala Grady and Deadly Deadly.

The beginning of the book isn’t warm and cuddly, and it details the difficulties of life before the comforts of hospitals, flushing toilets, and grocery stores. People really were stored like cord wood until they could be buried when the ground thawed in the spring, children didn’t always survive childhood, and many women died giving birth.

I thought the author did a beautiful job of painting a picture of each scene for the reader, taking you back in time to the wild west with cowboys, lawlessness and frightening, killer snowstorms in the mountains. The story ends with a few loose ends; a sequel may be in the future, which would be welcome by this reader.

Some reviewers have commented that the romance/sex scenes towards the end of the book detracted from the rest of the story. I suppose if you enjoy the typical western this could be a problem. I felt that with the matter-of-fact survival issues that existed in the beginning of the story, a little romance on the trail during a long cattle drive seemed just as plausible as anything else that had already happened.

I would recommend this book for individuals who enjoy gritty westerns, as well as those who enjoy romance stories. This new author has added a twist to an old genre, and I suspect she will find quite a few women followers as a result.

[M J · Rating 5 out of 5]

A breath of fresh air. A great change of pace. A unique character as the hero of the story. May be first time a massive bull was at the center of an epic story. This bull is the pet/partner of a trail boss. You get to learn how they became a pair and how "Deadly" developed many of his talents. This epic adventure is written in such a way that the interesting information on animal behavior, survival, camping, weather, etc are weaved into this story so that you are anxious to read the next page. There is always something happening so it never gets boring. You can't write much about this book without giving it away and doing that can spoil a good read. Just know that if you are an animal lover, western novel lover, love horses (and bulls), camping, survival skills, animal behavior, romance, then you need to read this book. Most people shy away from reading a book that is a western novel but this is more a story of love between man and beast that takes place in a western setting. It would be a mistake to pigeon hole this book and tag it as a western novel as many of the people who would really love it will miss it. There is too much in this novel for anyone to pass it by. You have a big, massive beast that is real, not a weir wolf, vampire or fairy as has become common in books today. People like to be swept into different worlds these days which are mostly science fiction. This book will sweep you into a different world, and a different time. You will be absorbed in the story and feel what the characters feel. To sum it up, this is a great story that everyone should read. It may become a classic.

[Sally Malkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deadly Deadly caught my attention because of the time period and the southwestern area of the United States. I am enthralled with the early development of our great nation. Imagine my surprise when I realized, while it was about survival, animals and their interaction with people also played a huge part in the engrossing story. By the time that hit home, I was too engrossed in it to toss it aside. The talent of this 80-something writer to “speak” from so many different angles/points of view blew me away! If you have an interest in early American history told in a brutally honest manner, I predict you won’t be able to put this book down, and will come away with a new admiration for the four-legged animal.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed this western novel that takes place just before the Civil War. I admired the main character, Grady. I absolutely loved his long-horn bull, Deadly. What a character!! Their relationship was beautiful and made for a terrific working partnership. There was so much to this story - romance, adventure, hardship, humor, terror, abysmal weather conditions - what an incredible gamut of emotions to go through while reading. I laughed, I cried, I cringed, and I felt the cold from one of the worst blizzards ever.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves westerns/historical novels, and the relationships between humans and animals. Deadly isn't just any animal...and certainly not just any long-horn bull!!

[Linda Branich · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real shoot 'em up western cattle trail drive to move a tiny herd of Herefords ,belonging to a Spanish lady , to San Antonio, when longhorns roamed the range. One meets the trail boss , who struck out on his own at a tender age after losing his whole family, his best friend, a biscuit-loving longhorn bull, a half breed Indian cowhand, cattle rustlers, murderers, thieves, a party led but Cochise, a severe winter blizzard. Friendship, fierce loyalty, and dedicated teamwork are woven into this page-turner. I will definitely read more from this author.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story, it had all the requisites for a western novel. And the heroes best friend and partner was a long horn bull, so that was new. There was a good story and humor here and there. It took a long time to read because I was reading some other books at the same time, but not because this book did not hold my interest. The others were old favorites and I couldn't help but read them again. However, when I got back to this book, I found I was having fun with it. Recommended!

[Chuck Heikkinen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mix together a Texas longhorn bull, a cattle drive of fewer than 100 head of cattle, outlaws, very bad weather and a female cattle owner who insists on making the drive with the men. Find a comfortable place for reading the book, put your feet up and enjoy. This is an extremely well-crafted novel with excellent character development. And if you're fond of bulls that that have personality plus, you'll love the book even more.

[Sivon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. A friend recommended it, and although it's not something I would normally pick up, I'm so glad I did.

The story is all about a cattle driver and a bull who sticks with him through the years like a faithful dog. There is a bit of romance, and a lot of adventure. The book's ending left a few things open and I hope the author will write a second book that picks up where this book leaves off.

[Elaine Mayes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This genre (Western) is not one that I read often, but the premise seemed interesting so I picked it up (cheaply). It began very well and I thought I had a five-star book -- but then it began to go downhill steadily. It was interesting enough to keep me reading to the end, but I can't really recommend it.

[Nancy K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enchanting story, but the writing was very amateurish and simplistic. The constant head hopping from one character to another drove me crazy. Even the cattle were given human feelings. I could tell this was written by a woman without knowing anything about the author.

[Patsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good western story about a man and a calf bull that he raised to be a friendly pet that saved his life during a snow storm. This is a good story about driving cattle and horses to Texas. A Good western book.

[Glenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book !! Loved the perspective from Deadly's point of view. Very good book. Only complaint is that Deadly seems to get left out right at the end of the book and I would like to have seen them all to safety. Thought it ended a little abruptly, but still enjoyed it very much.

[Tom Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

A somewhat face-paced read about a whole world totally unfamiliar to me. The author did seem to cram as much drama into a single cattle drive as you would expect in a career of cattle drives. However, there was no sugar-coating and that made it believable.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Mary Kay Masquelier · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great ride! Love the old West, love animals and the amazing struggle for survival against brutal elements keeps you right in the moment. Well written epic.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept me reading until the end. The characters were captivating.

[Michele Lacroix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book, loved the characters especially Deadly. The only complaint I have is that it ended suddenly without the resolution, between Grady and Cecily.

[Lucy McCoskey · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow! this is unique! the cattle drive from hell with a longhorn bull as assistant trail master