The Feud at Single Shot

by Luke Short

Dave Turner had just done eight unjust years in the slammer when some polecats tried to ambush him on the way home to the D Bar T. His nerves were raw and his gun hand was itchy when he went looking for answers in the town called Single Shot. He intended to shoot first and ask questions later, but his friend, fast-draw Rosy Rand, convinced him to back off until they found out what was really going on in this whistle-stop town... where good men were ready to cut each other down.

Genres: Westerns, Mystery, Crime, Action

247 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1935

About the author

Luke Short (real name Frederick Dilley Glidden) was a popular Western writer.

Born in Kewanee, Illinois Glidden attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for two and a half years and then transferred to the University of Missouri at Columbia to study journalism.

Following graduation in 1930 he worked for a number of newspapers before becoming a trapper in Canada then later moved to New Mexico to be an archeologist's assistant.

After reading Western pulp magazines and trying to escape unemployment he started writing Western fiction. He sold his first short story and novel in 1935 under the pen name of Luke Short (which was also the name of a famous gunslinger in the Old West, though it's unclear if he was aware of that when he assumed the pen name.)

After publishing over a dozen novels in the 1930s, he started writing for films in the 40s. In 1948 alone four Luke Short novels appeared as movies. Some of his memorable film credits includes Ramrod (1947) and Blood on the Moon (1948). He continued to write novels, despite increasing trouble with his eyes, until his death in 1975. His ashes are buried in Aspen, Colorado, his home at the time of his death.

Reviews

[Jay Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an old dilapidated book left to me by a friend, I have been enjoying Westerns. This is a good one. Two friends leave prison together to begin a new life . One of the partners owns a half interest in a spread. The plan is to work it. However, there are problems and someone is trying to buy them out. The mystery grows and the mystery is what drives the plot. From one of the great writers of Westerns, this is one to read.

[Marc A · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, let's address what Luke Short's first novel is not. It isn't a deep psychological study that tries to show us what evil lurks in the hearts of men. You'll get no complex character studies. What you have is a fast paced story in which a rancher is at odds with a miner on the neighboring land. The plot moves swiftly, with abductions and kidnapping, fisticuffs, shootouts, torture, and a bloodstained conclusion. The action begins almost immediately, moves from scene to scene quickly and there are no detours. Before you know it, the story concludes and you have been thoroughly entertained.

[Jeff Tankersley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dave Turner is returning home after spending eight years in Yuma prison and learns that a number of shady characters are giving his sister trouble while she's trying to manage the family's modest ranch. The author Short weaves narratives around the noble ex-con Turner, his friend Ruby, his sister Mary, and an old drunk in town named Laredo who is just a blast, and then a number of classic-style gunfights and double-crosses happen in "The Feud at Single Shot" (1937).

Verdict: A really good western mystery and adventure. The Scooby-Doo-style wrap-up at the end and complete character arcs pushed this one above the standard old-era pulp western for me. And Luke Short's writing style is easier to read here than some of the similar-era Max Brand or Zane Grey shorts.

Jeff's Rating: 4 / 5 (Very Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG

[Josh Hitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

About as perfect of a quick western tale as you can get. It is full of tropes but this book was written in the 30s before they were tropes and wouldn't be obvious to the reader. It's a tale about a man coming back from jail to a ranch in trouble being ran by his sister. He finds out that part of his problem is a miner who is trying to say their watering hole is his so he decides to have it out with him. However there is more going on and his buddy and former cellmate along with himself were going to find out the answers one way or another.

Highly recommended, this was Luke Short at his best and Short was one of the best anyway.

[Murrel Lowry · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Once again I am well pleased with the crafting of Luke Short. He has again captured my attention and never let go. I am so glad that I have eight or ten more of his works. I love going back to the old west and getting a glimpse of a really good author’s view of what used to be. Any author, that can make me want to help the characters in the book, has got it all together. Again, my thanks for what he has done.

[Kellyt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have given it 2.5 stars if possible. Not one of Luke Short’s best efforts. Somewhat jumbled and disjointed. Read more like a week to week serial with an ending tied up like a bow when he got tired of writing. There was no foundation laid for the romantic angle at the end, making it unbelievable.

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Luke Short Western/Gold/A Ranch to Steal/Water Rights/Murder

LS has penned a western about a young man released from prison after eight years to return to his home. He stops a train robbery during the trip. When he meets his sister he finds that not all is right. The bank wants to foreclose. A miner is encroaching on their property. Nester have settled in their winter feed valley. After numerous attempts to no the young man and his brother they begin to see the underlying plot after they find gold themselves. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS