Rustler's Moon

Jared Delaney Trilogy #1

by Jim Jones

Jared Delaney rides into Cimarron, New Mexico in 1878 looking for a job, a cold beer and a warm bed but instead finds himself caught in the crossfire of a vicious range war that forces him to choose sides. Orphaned by outlaws who shot down his parents in cold blood, Jared's childhood is shrouded in a mysterious fog, leaving him with no memories and nightmares of a malevolent voice and the coldest blue eyes he's ever seen. Jared doesn't want to get involved in the local troubles, yet everyone he meets tugs at him to join their faction. On one side, there's the tough old sheriff, the beautiful and outspoken schoolteacher, and the struggling rancher and his wife. On the other is a slick bartender, a "soiled dove" and the powerful patron who seems disturbingly familiar. By the light of the rustler's moon, Jared makes his stand and faces down his demons.

Genres: Westerns

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Jim Jones is a multi-award-winning Western entertainer, songwriter and author. His songs and books are about the West … cowboys, horses & cattle, cattle rustlers, the coming of the train … songs about people and land, rivers and mountains, the beauty of the Western sky. Western novels, published by Speaking Volumes Press, include the Jared Delaney series- Rustler’s Moon, Colorado Moon, Waning Moon, Halo Moon, and Hunter’s Moon, the final book in the series. He also has a spin-off series from the Jared Delaney series that includes The Big Empty (2016) and The Lights of Cimarron (2019). His short story, Go On, is included in the anthology, Through Western Storms, published in 2024, edited by Richard Prosch. Jim also has written a children’s series, Bolo the Brave, which includes three separate stories and was published in the Spring of 2025 by Speaking Volumes Press.

Reviews

[Jane Botkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun read, reminiscent of my father’s Louis L’Amours, books I pilfered from his cluttered nightstand! Beginning with an intense prologue that births several, intriguing narrative strands throughout a western plot, Jones does not disappoint. Placing the book in territorial New Mexico with accurate historical context set the hook for me. Just when I assumed the story would wind into a familiar pattern, the action took a different twist. The characters are individual in their development—not just Jared Delaney, the protagonist—but also the supporting company. I especially appreciated the diverse female voices. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series and see how this cast of characters evolves into their next western adventure.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really want to give this 3.5 stars for this entertaining visit to the old West but then I’m of the era of Marshall Dillon and the Cartwrights. Knowing a bit about Cimarron and the area and having stayed at the St. James Hotel encircled the reading experience.

[Betty McMahon]

The book is slow for the first half, getting everyone in place for the action in the second half. The plot includes what you'd expect in a western -- the lone cowboy riding into town, recognized immediately as a "good guy" by the town's sheriff; the schoolmarm for romantic interest; the small rancher pitted against the powerful and politically-connected crooked landowner trying to gobble up the small ranchers.

The reader is rewarded for his/her patience when the action starts in the second half to become a good 'ol New Mexico-based western, with riders galloping across the desert under a "rustler's moon," to settle the conflicts with gunfire.

[Wanda Dovenspike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to r e ad

I really liked this book. It,s theories and l lessons. Would rec commend this book to anyone that likes western books with action and a little lo e story.