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Widowmaker Jones #1
Widowmaker Jones
From the great-grandson of famed U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn comes an authentic new "True Grit" Western classic.
With a bag full of gold dust, Newt "Widowmaker" Jones is set for life. Then he makes his first mistake, trusting a cheerful stranger. By dawn the stranger--Javier Cortina, the son of the famous Texas border bandit, Juan "Red" Cortina--is gone. So is the gold. So are Newt's horse and even his fearsome Colt .44. It's enough to make a man want vengeance. And vengeance will be Newt's.
Newt chases Cortina into Mexico, where the man is legendary for the horses he's stolen, the women he's bedded, and the men he's killed. As for Newt, he has a unique talent for choosing the wrong partners, from an angry, addled judge named Roy Bean to a brother and sister pair of circus gypsies, Fonzo Grey and Buckshot Annie. The more Newt pursues the cunning and deadly Cortina, the angrier he gets, until somewhere on the border the whole crazy journey explodes into an all-out battle of bullets and blood. . ..
Praise for Spur Award winner Brett Cogburn:
"Fans of frontier arcana will revel in Cogburn's readable prose and lively characters." --Publishers Weekly on Rooster
"Cogburn amazes and astounds." --Booklist
With a bag full of gold dust, Newt "Widowmaker" Jones is set for life. Then he makes his first mistake, trusting a cheerful stranger. By dawn the stranger--Javier Cortina, the son of the famous Texas border bandit, Juan "Red" Cortina--is gone. So is the gold. So are Newt's horse and even his fearsome Colt .44. It's enough to make a man want vengeance. And vengeance will be Newt's.
Newt chases Cortina into Mexico, where the man is legendary for the horses he's stolen, the women he's bedded, and the men he's killed. As for Newt, he has a unique talent for choosing the wrong partners, from an angry, addled judge named Roy Bean to a brother and sister pair of circus gypsies, Fonzo Grey and Buckshot Annie. The more Newt pursues the cunning and deadly Cortina, the angrier he gets, until somewhere on the border the whole crazy journey explodes into an all-out battle of bullets and blood. . ..
Praise for Spur Award winner Brett Cogburn:
"Fans of frontier arcana will revel in Cogburn's readable prose and lively characters." --Publishers Weekly on Rooster
"Cogburn amazes and astounds." --Booklist
- GenresWesterns
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2016
83 people are currently reading
320 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 25, 2024
Поради някаква причина бях останал с впечатлението, че класическия уестърн отдавна е изгубен жанр. Нямах представа, че Бред Когбърн е съвременен автор и е вдъхнал толкова съвременна динамика в този клон на приключенската литература. Книгите му са свеж микс от приключение, история и местни легенди.
Запознайте се с Убиеца Джоунс – прякор, който му е лепнат по-скоро незаслужено. Обикновен бачкатор с афинитет към платените боеве, който прилича на закоравял престъпник, но има морал и сърце на място. Когато един мексикански бандит обира изкараното му с труд злато и го оставя да умре прострелян, си няма представа какво точно ще си навлече. Нют Джоунс ще го проследи чак в Мексико и ще си вземе своето. По пътя ще се срещне с доста колоритни образи, между които самопровъзгласил се тексаски съдия, пиеща бири мечка, двойка прецакани от съдбата циркови артисти, прокълнат кон, подкупна мексиканска милиция, апачи, команчи, много пукотевица и възмездие.
Запознайте се с Убиеца Джоунс – прякор, който му е лепнат по-скоро незаслужено. Обикновен бачкатор с афинитет към платените боеве, който прилича на закоравял престъпник, но има морал и сърце на място. Когато един мексикански бандит обира изкараното му с труд злато и го оставя да умре прострелян, си няма представа какво точно ще си навлече. Нют Джоунс ще го проследи чак в Мексико и ще си вземе своето. По пътя ще се срещне с доста колоритни образи, между които самопровъзгласил се тексаски съдия, пиеща бири мечка, двойка прецакани от съдбата циркови артисти, прокълнат кон, подкупна мексиканска милиция, апачи, команчи, много пукотевица и възмездие.
August 4, 2023
I am sorry, but so much extraneous story lines that have nothing to do with advancing the plot. The whole bartender/judge/court on the porch with a beer drinking bear, for example. Stupid. Too many books, so little time to waste on this one.
December 27, 2016
Great book. Once you get into it, it's hard to put down.
July 10, 2023
Wow! I am not certain that this author is truly related to the man that inspired True Grit-- but this particular novel is one of the best westerns I've ever read. The basic revenge plot expands and gets fleshed out as the story progresses. The characterization is top-notch. The authenticity of the period, the weapons, and the horses feels as correct and real as creaking saddle leather. Just getting the weapons right means a lot-- and the author rightly presents a world in which many different types of firearms exist.
The characters are amazing. Jones, has the nickname (one he dislikes) of Widowmaker from his time working as a tough for mining companies seeking to suppress labor insurrections. He also has done quite a bit of prize fighting and the name became his professional name. He is no stranger to trouble, but is annoyed when he finds himself pushed into trouble-- as he says, he has felt most of his life.
Along the way he partners up with the eccentric scoundrel, Judge Roy Bean. Bean is not only a lazy scoundrel, he also seems about half-crazed. He tells wild tall tales and spends most of his time annoying Jones-- but it is fun the whole time.
As they pursue the Mexican outlaw who robbed Jones (and plenty of others) they have plenty of difficulties, running into conflict with rurales, the outlaws, and a rich Mexican rancher. There is plenty of action and it is always described in realistic terms... no super gunfighters here!
Cogburn is a great find and I will read more of his material, including the book in which he seeks to demonstrate that his great-grandfather was the model for John Wayne's academy award winning character. (Charles Portis wrote the book "True Grit" and it is also a fantastic novel)
This material is sort of a cross between Portis and Larry MacMurty's "Lonesome Dove."
GREAT STUFF.. YEE HAW!
The characters are amazing. Jones, has the nickname (one he dislikes) of Widowmaker from his time working as a tough for mining companies seeking to suppress labor insurrections. He also has done quite a bit of prize fighting and the name became his professional name. He is no stranger to trouble, but is annoyed when he finds himself pushed into trouble-- as he says, he has felt most of his life.
Along the way he partners up with the eccentric scoundrel, Judge Roy Bean. Bean is not only a lazy scoundrel, he also seems about half-crazed. He tells wild tall tales and spends most of his time annoying Jones-- but it is fun the whole time.
As they pursue the Mexican outlaw who robbed Jones (and plenty of others) they have plenty of difficulties, running into conflict with rurales, the outlaws, and a rich Mexican rancher. There is plenty of action and it is always described in realistic terms... no super gunfighters here!
Cogburn is a great find and I will read more of his material, including the book in which he seeks to demonstrate that his great-grandfather was the model for John Wayne's academy award winning character. (Charles Portis wrote the book "True Grit" and it is also a fantastic novel)
This material is sort of a cross between Portis and Larry MacMurty's "Lonesome Dove."
GREAT STUFF.. YEE HAW!
March 12, 2020
This is a rousing adventure tale about the old west near the Texas border with Mexico. The story features Mexican bandits, Apache Indians, Texas Rangers, Judge Roy Bean and Newt “Widowmaker” Jones. Spoiler alert, Mr. Jones doesn’t get the “Widowmaker” nickname because he kills people. It for a different reason as Jones is not an accomplished gunman when he is given that handle. But while Jones is traveling in Texas he is robbed and left for dead by Mexican bandits. After recovering from his serios wound, he decides to seek revenge on these bandits. His pursuit of these bandits takes him into Mexico and he is assisted(?) by the only law west of the Pecos River, Judge Roy Bean in this mission of revenge. This is an excellent western adventure story full of tension, suspense, plot twists and turns and plenty of gunplay.
September 22, 2017
Thoroughly enjoyable western! Action and humor at every turn. It is too bad I can't give it more than 5 stars, because it has a really well thought out plot line. Widowmaker (he hates that name by the way) is a fighter, a pugilist if you will, who made his living with his fists. He finally gets enough out of a gold strike to move on in his life an a bunch of banditos steal it and his horse from him, leaving him for dead. These bandits are a busy bunch, as they also stole 5 fine white horses from a young girl and her brother as well as a leopard hide from none other than Judge Roy Bean. Obviously they all end up together going after these Mexican outlaws. Can't wait to get started on #2 in the series!
March 14, 2018
Brett Cogburn is making me love Western novels. I am a fan of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, but was wary about picking up a book from the genre. Thanks to my cowboy of a father in law, I have been reading Westerns lately.
Cogburn has become a favorite author of mine. I started the Widowmaker Jones series with the second book. I enjoyed it so much that I came into this one with high hopes - I wasn't disappointed!
Newt "Widowmaker" Jones is a rough and tough man who lives a life where trouble is always coming. In this book, he has to figure out how to get himself through a few predicaments that ball into one big problem. He is gets by wth the help of a cursed horse, a crooked judge, and pair of circus siblings... who all happen to aid his problematic circumstances.
Cogburn has become a favorite author of mine. I started the Widowmaker Jones series with the second book. I enjoyed it so much that I came into this one with high hopes - I wasn't disappointed!
Newt "Widowmaker" Jones is a rough and tough man who lives a life where trouble is always coming. In this book, he has to figure out how to get himself through a few predicaments that ball into one big problem. He is gets by wth the help of a cursed horse, a crooked judge, and pair of circus siblings... who all happen to aid his problematic circumstances.
June 30, 2021
Came across this story when I was looking for another eBook. Thought I'd give it a try since I'm always looking for new authors. Newt Jones is a superman. Gets shot in the chest, the bullet goes though his body and he doesn't die. In fact, after killing and eating some rattlesnakes he walks after the man who shot and stole everyting from him. Comes by some Comanches, who don't kill him and take his scalp, but take him back to their camp and heal him, giving him a horse and this unbelievable story continues.
What a western story this is. I have read better and I have read worse, this one is just okay. I may read another one by this author if I have to. If I'm waiting for other eBooks of my favorite authors to come available.
What a western story this is. I have read better and I have read worse, this one is just okay. I may read another one by this author if I have to. If I'm waiting for other eBooks of my favorite authors to come available.
September 23, 2023
Entertaining!
My husband suggested this series, as he really enjoyed it. This was a very creative, funny, satisfying story! Interesting characters with a plot that moves along nicely. A bit more believable than other westerns, especially the blurred lines between lawmen and outlaws but without extreme gore or violence. This book had just the right blend of suspense, humor, action, and a few unexpected turns and twists for good measure. Looking forward to the rest of the series!
My husband suggested this series, as he really enjoyed it. This was a very creative, funny, satisfying story! Interesting characters with a plot that moves along nicely. A bit more believable than other westerns, especially the blurred lines between lawmen and outlaws but without extreme gore or violence. This book had just the right blend of suspense, humor, action, and a few unexpected turns and twists for good measure. Looking forward to the rest of the series!
September 3, 2017
We love a good western in this household. Hubby sat down, read this book until the end before he could do anything else. It is one of the good westerns and you can't beat that. Thanks for a good book.
December 22, 2019
Entertaining as all get out!!!
Great characters and all gritty and dusty. An unusual read for me but I do like westerns and this is a good one. I already have the next Newt story downloaded and plan to read it soon. Mr. Cogburn is a talented story teller.
Great characters and all gritty and dusty. An unusual read for me but I do like westerns and this is a good one. I already have the next Newt story downloaded and plan to read it soon. Mr. Cogburn is a talented story teller.
March 17, 2024
easy reading
Not a bad book. Easy to get through. Decent plot. If you like too look things up on google maps or earth. It mentions some of the most beautiful places in Texas and northern Mexico.
Not a bad book. Easy to get through. Decent plot. If you like too look things up on google maps or earth. It mentions some of the most beautiful places in Texas and northern Mexico.
July 6, 2017
Entertaining read
I liked it, it had a quirky aspect to it. Good writing, good paced. It was well put together and interesting.
I liked it, it had a quirky aspect to it. Good writing, good paced. It was well put together and interesting.
August 26, 2017
Damn great book!
Have you ever read a book that kept you two hours past your usual bed time? If not then then read this book about Widowmaker Jones! You won't want want put it down!
Have you ever read a book that kept you two hours past your usual bed time? If not then then read this book about Widowmaker Jones! You won't want want put it down!
September 5, 2017
This was good, but not great.
November 5, 2017
great book.
January 15, 2021
Excellent
A great read. Hard to put down. Refreshing to see a good western available that doesn’t have a bunch of romance intertwined through the book.
A great read. Hard to put down. Refreshing to see a good western available that doesn’t have a bunch of romance intertwined through the book.
February 14, 2021
Rcsva13
I'm looking forward to reading many more books in this series. This was slow to start but ended up a very good read
I'm looking forward to reading many more books in this series. This was slow to start but ended up a very good read
May 29, 2021
Not Cogburns best
But still damned good. Lacks some of the western prose of other novels but full of adventure and humor.
Highly recommended for Western fans.
But still damned good. Lacks some of the western prose of other novels but full of adventure and humor.
Highly recommended for Western fans.
December 9, 2021
A good read and a different western. I guess I didn't give 5 stars because I didn't really like Judge Bean. He appeared to be a clone of a movie actor and not creative.
August 3, 2024
Good old fashioned western.
September 25, 2017
Excellent read!
If there ever were a making for a good movie western then this would be it. Sam Elliott's name speaks volumes on every scene that arises. An awesome, sad, comical, and pleasant read.
If there ever were a making for a good movie western then this would be it. Sam Elliott's name speaks volumes on every scene that arises. An awesome, sad, comical, and pleasant read.
January 15, 2017
"LIFE'S UPS AND DOWN"
This is a interesting story about the human psyche. A young man from Tennessee mountains,whose education stopped at ten years old. Hard life, father died while plowing their field. There wasn't enough to eat so he left home to find work and possibly send money back home to help support his mother, sister and brother. Bad luck seemed to plague him where ever he went; Take some time out for yourself and read this adventure, it has some funny parts, which I found enjoyable...see for yourself
This is a interesting story about the human psyche. A young man from Tennessee mountains,whose education stopped at ten years old. Hard life, father died while plowing their field. There wasn't enough to eat so he left home to find work and possibly send money back home to help support his mother, sister and brother. Bad luck seemed to plague him where ever he went; Take some time out for yourself and read this adventure, it has some funny parts, which I found enjoyable...see for yourself
December 31, 2016
Great yarn, really enjoyed it, up to Brett's standard.
July 31, 2016
Goodreads Win Copy
Set in the Old West where you cannot trust anyone or you might end up with a bullet or two.
We meet Newt “Widowmaker” Jones who has just struck gold with his partner but unfortunately one night he ended up trusting a stranger who ends up stealing his gold and supplies while shooting him.
Along the way, he get help from a variety of people as they seek the Mexican and his family of outla. Who will survive when they all collide?
Fans of westerns will enjoy reading this story.
Set in the Old West where you cannot trust anyone or you might end up with a bullet or two.
We meet Newt “Widowmaker” Jones who has just struck gold with his partner but unfortunately one night he ended up trusting a stranger who ends up stealing his gold and supplies while shooting him.
Along the way, he get help from a variety of people as they seek the Mexican and his family of outla. Who will survive when they all collide?
Fans of westerns will enjoy reading this story.
August 4, 2016
Free copy for honest review.
Newt "Widowmaker" Jones makes a mistake, he trusts a stranger and the next thing he knows he has been shot, and all his possensions, including his gold are gone. He takes off after Javier Cortina to reclaim what is his and runs acrosss several interesting characters that are also after the same bandit.
I enjoyed this book, thought the characters were interesting and the book moved at a good pace.
Newt "Widowmaker" Jones makes a mistake, he trusts a stranger and the next thing he knows he has been shot, and all his possensions, including his gold are gone. He takes off after Javier Cortina to reclaim what is his and runs acrosss several interesting characters that are also after the same bandit.
I enjoyed this book, thought the characters were interesting and the book moved at a good pace.
April 2, 2017
Humorous oater with high spirited, pistol packing characters. Thank you Goodreads First Reads for my free copy.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews