As Ben Blue pushes his herd north to the railhead, Max Bell is being pushed out of Las Vegas, New Mexico by a hard as nails town marshal with a strong dislike for gamblers and drifters. Bell could have fit into either category. When Blue and Bell come together, they each find a good friend and a worthy companion to face the trail ahead. What lay before them would demand strong men with nerve.
Lou Bradshaw is a lifelong story teller, who spent most of his life as a commercial illustrator and graphic artist. Deadlines, clients, and vendors were all sources of sleep depriving stress. To combat insomnia, he would often create stories in his mind to take the place of what was bothering him. Soon, some of those stories had grown to the point that they needed to be put on paper. Taking up a felt tip pen and a loose leaf binder, he found something new, challenging, and exciting. He soon filled multiple binders and his distraction had become a passion. Upon retirement, he began assembling notes and scribbles into novels… the rest is history. One of the unique features of his work is that as a dyslexic child, he was considered either slow or lazy by most of his teachers. To date he has written 7 books, which is 6 more than he was able to read while in school. His only legitimate book report, although 3 months late, was Huckleberry Finn. Lou and his wife Avon live in the Missouri Ozarks, where they enjoy their family, golf, and the great outdoors.
Mr. Bradshaw is a very cunning and creative author, who certainly has the expertise of collecting the perfect phrases together to create the exact words together at the right time. This is another excellent story of an exceptionally well grouped bunch of characters.
Definitely worthy of the five stars, and even more, if they were permitted. I am certainly impressed with each and every exceptionally well expressed statements if the main characters throughout the entire story.
For this author to rise from his handicap and achieve the apparent stardom he is currently riding, I can only glory in his accomplishments. God, apparently, gave him the opportunity to be something and he grabbed the bull by the horns, never looking g back.
This is a very exciting, and definitely a well though out series of old western lore. I am impressed with the character selections, as well as the storylines created by a master author. I am honored to call Mr. Bradshaw a "master author," based on these exciting escapades of one, Ben Blue, and his associates.
Yes, I most certainly recommend this series to all of you dedicated readers of old western excitement at its best. These stories are very descriptive of old western excursions, and the pitfalls of the many new arrivals in the real old west. Do not miss the opportunity to read all these stories, or the loss is yours!
Gotta put Lou Bradshaw among my favorite authors. Ben Blue book 3 is an attention getter from page 1. Not your run of the mill "Gun Slick Shootem' Ups" but, a Western thriller. The cattle drive and the constant threats of rustlers, Indians and near-do-wells will keep you thoroughly engrossed. This is one of those "can't putter downers" and will have your wife yelling to come to supper. So, Giddy Up."
An LB Western/Ben Blue (3)/A Trail Herd/A Crooked Sheriff/Outlaws
LB has penned the third Ben Blue western where Ben is moving three thousand head of cattle to the Railroad in western Kansas. The problems encountered reroute are hustlers and gunmen who are trying to Rob Ben Blue from his herd. He gains a friend and the two end up fighting the hustlers and gunmen. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
I have five stars because this was one rip roaring western. Ben hooks up with Gambler Max Bell an all round good shot and level headed cowboy. They have their hands full fighting rustlers, outlaws, crooked lawmen, renegades, and assassins. Ben and Max kill quite a few criminals before they get Ben's huge herd to the railhead.
Ben is driving 3000 cattle to the rail head for shipping to the East. He meets a gambler, Max Bell, who joins the cattle drive. Ben and Max develop a strong relationship as they meet rustlers, criminals and assassins along the way. The characters are well developed including the perspective of the villains. There are well developed events of the struggles encountered by western men driving herds of cattle over hundreds of miles. There is danger, humor and comradeship among the drovers and their leaders. When Ben successfully completes the cattle drive, Max meets up with a woman who shares his interest in gambling and they depart for California.
This is a very interesting story and is a well develop book in this series. One cannot help but like Ben for his gentleness, wisdom, courage and commitment to face danger in any form. Lou Bradshaw is an exceptional writer and engages the reader from the first page as Ben narrates his own life's story.
I read this Bradshaw book a long time ago. Recently, I read Ben Blue books 1 & 2, so I read this one again. This book is written as though told by a gambler named Max Bell and Ben Blue is a secondary character. It was fun reading it after knowing more about the character Ben Blue. It is a rollicking western with gunfight, good guys and bad guys (more than one are both) and a couple of love interests. If you like westerners, I'd recommend all three.
Really good characters that you just want to love. Can't wait to get started with book 4. I like the way the author brings in different characters like Cain...then will disappear yet to surly will emerge again..Can't wait to be there to see Ben propose to Patty..
Lou Bradshaw's Ben Blue stories are just fun to read. He really knows how to tell a story and make you feel like you are a character in the book. If you grew up watching Gunsmoke and you still love westerns the "Ben Blue" series will not disappoint you.
Max Bell is a gambler by trade, but don't cross him or you'll either have to call his bluff or fold. When he partners with Ben Blue, the outlaws don't stand a chance.
Great storytelling. This book is not told from Ben Blue's pov. Max is a gambler/cow puncher. Good story with plenty of action. Really glad Tate did not collect the reward.