Ranger's Trail

Texas Rangers #4

by Elmer Kelton

After the murder of his wife Josie, Texas Ranger Rusty Shannon heads out on the revenge trail, but he soon finds he is tracking the wrong man, in a novel chronicling the exploits and adventures of the Texas Rangers in the Old West. Reprint.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Historical Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Elmer Kelton (1926-2009) was award-winning author of more than forty novels, including The Time It Never Rained, Other Men’s Horses, Texas Standoff and Hard Trail to Follow. He grew up on a ranch near Crane, Texas, and earned a journalism degree from the University of Texas. His first novel, Hot Iron, was published in 1956. Among his awards have been seven Spurs from Western Writers of America and four Western Heritage awards from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. His novel The Good Old Boys was made into a television film starring Tommy Lee Jones. In addition to his novels, Kelton worked as an agricultural journalist for 42 years. He served in the infantry in World War II. He died in 2009.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/elmerk...

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

MeTV (I think) has been re-running a 1950s relic called "Trackdown" starring Robert Culp (with occasional guest appearances by Steve McQueen) and supposedly based on the true annals of the Texas Rangers. This book could be a "Trackdown" script. Just a western, and all that implies, with the focus firmly on the action.

[Joni · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fourth book in this Texas Ranger series fell flat for me. Although the storyline could have created a very intriguing tale, I think Kelton missed the opportunity. I found myself wanting the story to go in a different direction for the better part of this book.

[Paulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 4. Glad that the series has 9 books bc I want to know more about these characters and the TX history.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic old west and Texas right after Reconstruction with the Rangers taking over

Texas had become a haven for outlaws, marauding Cheyenne, and a final stop for Buffalo slaughter. Elections brought in leadership to remove the carpetbaggers and reinstate the Rangers over the corrupt State Police. A fascinating tale of the times as only Elmer Kelton can tell it. These were days of hard men and women, and fast guns where Sam Colt made ‘em equal. Well worth the time.

[Todd Haines · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent as always

[Cindy Hiday · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous titles. The bad guys were disappointingly cliche.

[Fran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked first three books a lot- but couldn’t finish , must he make Rusty always be a loner, looking for a wife?

[WRH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a good basic western filled with stories of good and evil

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished Ranger's Trail the fourth book in the Texas Ranger's series. I know I sound like a broken record, but have been reading these books in order, and just can't give them enough accolades . Sometimes a series can go sour, but most of the times it get's better as you get familar with the characters and their history. As you would expect with Kelton the characters in the series just keep getting better like a fine wine! So much so you find it hard to put his books down. All along you have become familar with the main character Rusty Shannon, and more recently his ward Andy Pickard/Badger Boy as he ages. Rusty took in Andy and rescued him earler in the series as he took was kidnapped by Comanches at an early age. In this book you find Andy Pickard formerly Badger Boy and raised by Comanches coming of age and settling down with Rusty on his farm. Finally finds his niche in becoming a Texas Ranger as Rusty once was. As always plenty of action from cover to cover as the Monahan family who are close friends for Rusty hire a tough farm hand by the name of Corey Bascom. Bascom and his family eventually end up bringing a peck of trouble to the Monahan family, and ultimately Rusty has to step in and come to the rescue. Along the way there is the side story of Andy Pickard joining up with the Texas Rangers and finding his own troubles. Plenty of action to keep you up reading late at night. Have already grabbed the next book in the series off my bookshelf. Elmer Kelton is at his best with his Western story telling in this series!

[Jessica Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was quite the goose chase. It had me wondering and blazing with furry but kept me turning the pages until I got the final result. Those Bascom's are something else. Ma Bascom was my red fuse. Full of hate and furry only the devil can recognize. I never understood people like that. Especially when they take it out on their own family or killings of innocent people. I would have never expected it to the end the way it did, but steer clear of the dark cloud named karma. I admired Andy and Rusty for their strength, courage and bravery. Alice I felt sorry for and wish she could see what others saw and just get away from those Bascom's. And even though she tried they were like a shadow always right there when she didn't want them to be. Although I was intrigued by the read and mentioning of my Hometown and the Robbery Corey Bascom did, I still liked the visual of the towns close by such as San Saba or Fredericksburg and even farther north like Fort Worth. There's something about reading a story that has a little bit of your hometown in it that makes you feel more connected to the characters and the story line. In conclusion, this a pretty good western to read and would recommend it to those who like a good chase.

[Harron68 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre fiction, fer sure, but as a Western it works well. Kelton's strength is in plot and dialog. He doesn't spend much ink on scenery and background. What I enjoyed were the plot twists. His understanding of morality, of Whites versus Indians, and whether a known outlaw has the right to be brought in or "shot trying to escape." There's even some unethical, tho real for the era, methods of getting an owlhoot to rat on his buddies. Not as many suspenseful moments as with many other Wild West tales, less blood too. But quality of plot and good dialog make for non-western readers' pleasure too.
All in all, a nice diversion from our complex world. Texas 1870s was different. As a Western it would be worth 4 stars, but judged against general novels, 3 stars is plum good enuf.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

In “Ranger’s Trail,” Elmer Kelton delves into the Reconstruction era of Texas. The story follows Rusty Shannon, a former Texas Ranger, as he seeks vengeance for the murder of his fiancée, Josie Monahan. Alongside his friend Andy Pickard, who was raised by Comanches, Rusty embarks on a perilous journey to track down the Bascom family, suspected of the crime. The novel intertwines themes of justice, love, and the complexities of post-war Texas. Kelton’s vivid storytelling brings the rugged landscapes and turbulent times to life, offering readers an immersive experience into the Old West.

[Clara Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book to use in teaching descriptive writing or in teaching early Texas history. As one who loves both descriptive writing and Texas history I enjoy Kelton's books. The series on the early beginnings of the Texas Rangers is the best. This book has both a mystery (which the ending was not obvious), a love attraction and an interesting conclusion.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant read but not great. I think I have read enough books by this author. Just like a series of short stories with several characters being involved again and again. Very good characters but shallow plots.

[Timothy Roark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbreaking

This book has a good storyline and was a quick read. I recommend this entire series. Very good characters and Rusty is my favorite.

[Carolyn Lockwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good history about a war I knew nothing about. Enjoyed the book.

[Elsie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been a while since I've read, or listened to, any westerns. This was a nice change of pace. While I still prefer L'Amour, Kelton tells an interesting tale with lots of unexpected twists.

[Doug Lunsford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was terrific with a lot of information gathered about the local area. A continuation of the Ranger

[John Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t usually read westerns anymore but this is a good story for a nice change of pace

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

not sure if this was good as the prior books, but it was good, just went a different direction. Characters are certainly growing.

[Arnold Luwugge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to read.

[Candace Simar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elmer Kelton's ranger series is excellent. I've enjoyed every one. This one kept my husband and I entertained on a trip across South Dakota and Nebraska.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

audio I am starting to search for books narrated by Jonathan Davis. Excellent story telling!

[Phil Lyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Kelton series.

[Jake Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good western, well written, good story

[Art · Rating 3 out of 5]

eed

[Jeff Tankersley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ranger's Trail is the fourth entry in Kelton's Texas Ranger series and picks up where the excellent "The Way of the Coyote" (review #103) ended. Former ranger Rusty Shannon and his friend Andy Pickard are in Austin, Texas as the state moves past the martial law reconstruction phase into a post-confederacy 1874 environment.

This entry drags a bit because it spends a lot of pages rehashing what happened in the first three books of the series. It also describes plot points to us as readers that are later explained by one character to another afterwards, so in effect we read everything two or three times before it all gets known to everyone in the book.

Verdict: An easy-to-read Saturday afternoon style western.

Jeff's Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG-13

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book by Kelton who was, in my opinion, the best western writer of all, including L'Amour. While L'Amour liked to preach about what it is to be a man, Kelton showed you through his characters what a man does. In this one after a personal tragedy Rusty Shannon goes after an outlaw. Andy joins the Rangers and Len Tanner keeps on talkin'. Kelton introduces the Bascom family, a group of outlaws led by the meanest mother in the west. Highly recommended.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Former Texas Ranger Rusty Shannon gets engaged to Josie Monahan. Her siter Alice's in-laws try to kill Alice but kill josie instead. Rusty and his ward Andy set out on the trail of the killer. Along the way they encouner the murderous family, hostile Indians, and outlaws. A western in the vein of Zane Grey.

[Mary L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always like Elmer Kelton. He is historically accurate and his characters seem real. This story follows others about Rusty, Andy, and others in the Texas Rangers. There are a series and I think I still need to find and read Badger Boy.