Climax

by Paul Lederer

In a lonely western town, a marshal stands in the way of a gang of killersThere is nothing to love about the town of Climax, a godforsaken speck of earth with one saloon, one restaurant, and one lawman. Ever since he got too old to ride the range, Giles Frost has worn a silver star, sleeping in the jail, patrolling Main Street twice a day, and waiting for trouble that has never shown its face—until now.On his nightly patrol, a gunshot rings out and Frost falls to the dirt, shot in the side. A gang of renegades has decided to make their home in Climax, and they have no interest in retaining the services of the law. But although he may look soft, Giles Frost has a spine of steel. There’s not much to this town, but its sheriff will kill to keep it free.

Genres: Westerns

153 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Paul Joseph Lederer wrote more than 250 novels, many of them Westerns. He was born in Ocean Beach, CA, attended San Diego State University, served in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War, and lived in La Mesa, CA, until he passed away in 2016.

His work can also be found under the names Paul Joseph Lederer, Logan Winters, Owen G. Irons, C. J. Sommers, and Elizabeth Wolfe. In recent years, many of these books have been reprinted as by Paul Lederer.

Lederer wrote most of the adult western series Shelter as Paul Ledd and Ruff Justice as Warren T. Longtree. He also wrote for the Easy Company and Lone Star series.

Reviews

[Bob Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A man got to do

This story was good reading. What I liked was the main character trying to mind his own business. Every time he tried that he found himself doing what a man has got to do what a man has got to do.

[Peter Ackerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Climax" by Paul Lederer (writing as C.J. Sommers) is a satisfying western that follows the exploits of the town Marshall Giles Frost. Frost is sort of in a rut in his job in the sleepy town of "Climax" and really does not care, he just goes along with the flow. Suddenly though there is a simultaneous attempt on his life and his firing by the town council who no longer believe that they need to have a Marshall. After recovering from his wounds Giles moves on and finds himself at the ranch of a man who owes him a favor. Yet there, too Giles is attacked and suddenly finds out that there is a plat from a gang to take over the town from which he was fired. Giles joins forces with others and the story proceeds from there to a very satisfying conclusion.
What I enjoyed most about this book was the character development. Giles Frost is forced to go from a guy comfortable in routine to suddenly having to step up and lead. In addition there are many other characters throughout the story who are so well presented that I could picture them in my head. Also the author does a good job at including a couple of surprise developments for the reader along the way as well.
At 160 pages "Climax" is not a long novel, but a full, rich and satisfying read.

[A Reader's Heaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

There is nothing to love about the town of Climax, a godforsaken speck of earth with one saloon, one restaurant, and one lawman. Ever since he got too old to ride the range, Giles Frost has worn a silver star, sleeping in the jail, patrolling Main Street twice a day, and waiting for trouble that has never shown its face—until now.
On his nightly patrol, a gunshot rings out and Frost falls to the dirt, shot in the side. A gang of renegades has decided to make their home in Climax, and they have no interest in retaining the services of the law. But although he may look soft, Giles Frost has a spine of steel. There’s not much to this town, but its sheriff will kill to keep it free.

This was a decent story, although not as action-packed as The Reluctant Gun Hand

The characters, especially Giles, were well-developed. There are enough surprises on the way to keep the reader turning the pages but, for me, just not as good as the previous book I read.

Recommended if you are a fan of westerns.


Paul
ARH

[John Johnstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been years since I read or even watched a Western, I guess it could have been John Wayne in True Grit. Here John Wayne is Giles Frost the town Marshall in Climax ( a dog-tired pretence of a village in the San Jacinto mountains). The job had been a welcome change from being a driver with no real hassle, money every month and free meals. When a stranger comes to town things start to change with the mayor and the richest citizen conspire to sack Giles as Marshall. Even his only "friend" Clara Finch is no help and is forced to leave town. On his journey to find a new place to live he discovers Climax is in jeopardy from a group of outlaws and has to decide if he will go to their rescue. This was a pleasure to read partly because of the time gap away from this genre but also the storyline is very good. Hero to the rescue?

[Carolyn Injoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Climax by Paul Lederer, writing as C.J. Sommers, is a intriguing Western book. I gave it four stars. There were some typos that cost it a star.

"Climax was the name of this dog-tired pretense of a village which lay in the afternoon shadows of the San Jacinto Mountains, east of the good timber country, west of the rich grasslands. No one remembered how the town had gotten its name."

The Marshal was Giles Frost who ended up being fired after he was shot by an unknown assailant. He left town as soon as he could travel. Then a group of thugs came & took over the town.

I received a complimentary copy from Open Road Integrated Media & NetGalley. That did not change my opinion for this review.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

People who know me will find it rather strange that I have a weakness for Westerns. One of my little quirks. So I was delighted to receive this one from Netgalley. There’s not a lot to say about it, it’s in the classic western genre style with all the associated tropes, it’s about good and evil and has lots of gunshots. But it’s very enjoyable, well-written, well-paced and evocative of the time and place. If you like Westerns, you’ll like this one.

[Polly Krize · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Paul Lederer is a fine author of authentic western stories, and Climax is no exception. An exploration of the worth of a man, and his response to violence against both himself, his friends and a town he has called home. Will he rise to the occasion or quietly slink out of town? Recommended reading.

[Oscar Case · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my review on Amazon.com.

[Sorcha]

Full review can be found here:

https://nordie.wordpress.com/2016/07/...