Support Your Local Deputy

Cotton Pickens #6

by William W. Johnstone, J.A. Johnstone

William W. The Greatest Western Writer Of The 21st CenturyWelcome to the peaceful little town of Doubtful, Wyoming, which has more than its fair share of kill-crazy gunslicks, back-shooters, and flat-out dirty desperadoes. It also has a sheriff named Cotton Pickens, who tries his best to keep law and order without getting his head blown off before breakfast.

Doubtful's Got A New Deputy. . .For The Moment

Cotton Pickens got where he is by virtue of a quick draw and slow wit. He knows the difference between lawbreakers you have to lock up. . .and the kind you might as well just let go. Deputy Rusty Irons, though, ain't the sharpest tool in the shed. Someone kidnapped Rusty's mail order brides. They were probably doing Irons a favor, but a deputy in love is blind.

As for the carny barkers, medicine show con artists and revival-meeting fly-by-nighters who pass through Doubtful. . .Cotton just tries to keep the traveling hucksters moving. But in one terrible moment it all goes to hell. That's when Doubtful explodes in a frenzy of killing and bloodshed. That's when a lawman like Cotton earns his pay by looking evil straight in the eye. Of course, there's also the matter of keeping his new deputy alive and in one piece.

Genres: Westerns

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

William W. Johnstone is the #1 bestselling Western writer in America and the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of hundreds of books, with over 50 million copies sold. Born in southern Missouri, he was raised with strong moral and family values by his minister father, and tutored by his schoolteacher mother. He left school at fifteen to work in a carnival and then as a deputy sheriff before serving in the army. He went on to become known as "the Greatest Western writer of the 21st Century." Visit him online at WilliamJohnstone.net.

Reviews

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book in the series is better than the last few which were overstuffed for page length. What I always liked about the late William Johnstone was that his books were long enough to tell the story. No More. Some were short, some long, but there was never any padding.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL DEPUTY is not so much a novel as a group of shorter tales tied together with the idea of a number of shows hiting Doubtful over the summer, all hucksters out to fleece the public and it's up to Sheriff Cotton Pickens and his deputy, Rusty Nails, to keep the peace and order.

We get a medicine show, an orphan train, a tent preacher, a carnival, a wild west show, and a man with horses to race against the local talent. The storie are partially tied together with Rusty and Cotton meeting the stage with Rusty's mail order bride. Or rather brides. From the Ukraine he'd sent for a pair of beautiful blond twin sisters, Siamese twins joined at the hip.

The stage arrives to let everyone know that a red and gold chariot with four armed men had stopped the stage and took the twins off at gunpoint. Nothing else.

Rusty's upset and no trace is seen of them until the carnival comes to town with the ladies as part of the freak show.

This one was okay and the way it ended tells me it may be the last boo. Or at the least, a turning point i the series.

[Derrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy the style of this book at all. The best part was the Judge. I could use a bit more of him. He was a trip!

[Jeff J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

#6 in the Cotton Pickens western series. Good incorporation of humor.

[Matt Kelland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those rare things - a comic Western that isn't slapstick or stupid. It's just fun, with a cast of unusual and unique characters, a fast-moving story, and plenty of wry, dry humor. It's not great literature by any means, but it is very entertaining and would make a great TV series - there's enough in this one book for four or five episodes as a variety of different traveling shows come to town, each causing their own brand of chaos.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky western - more a series of short stories tied together with a few basic themes. This is not a thinking man's book. It is a quick read, not high literature. C'Mon, the deputy is married to Siamese Twins.

[Thomas Christian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really tried to read this book

I had to stop after chapter 8.
Wow, I guess the apple does fall far away sometimes.
There is nothing good I can say about his book. Language, plot, characters, just sucked.

[Rosemary Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting turn on the local sheriff; pretty much fun reading.

[Sarah]

I enjoyed the silliness of the book. The last bit of the book became very serious, and made me want to know what happens next.