What do you think?
Rate this book
The Floating Outfit #25
The Trouble Busters
It spelled trouble—in a big way.
Dusty Fog knew this when he agreed to become marshal of Mulrooney, Kansas—knew it and accepted it because he had good men at his back. Yet it seemed that not even the combined talents of Dusty Fog, Mark Counter, the Ysabel Kid, Waco and gambler Frank Derringer could handle the feud between Freddie Woods and her chief rival in the saloon business, Buffalo Kate.
The feud came to a rip-roaring, brawling head one day when Buffalo Kate faced Freddie and warned, “This town isn’t big enough for the both of us. One of us has to go!”
J.T. Edson was a former British Army dog-handler who wrote more than 130 Western novels, accounting for some 27 million sales in paperback. Edson’s works - produced on a word processor in an Edwardian semi at Melton Mowbray - contain clear, crisp action in the traditions of B-movies and Western television series. What they lack in psychological depth is made up for by at least twelve good fights per volume. Each portrays a vivid, idealized “West That Never Was”, at a pace that rarely slackens.
Dusty Fog knew this when he agreed to become marshal of Mulrooney, Kansas—knew it and accepted it because he had good men at his back. Yet it seemed that not even the combined talents of Dusty Fog, Mark Counter, the Ysabel Kid, Waco and gambler Frank Derringer could handle the feud between Freddie Woods and her chief rival in the saloon business, Buffalo Kate.
The feud came to a rip-roaring, brawling head one day when Buffalo Kate faced Freddie and warned, “This town isn’t big enough for the both of us. One of us has to go!”
J.T. Edson was a former British Army dog-handler who wrote more than 130 Western novels, accounting for some 27 million sales in paperback. Edson’s works - produced on a word processor in an Edwardian semi at Melton Mowbray - contain clear, crisp action in the traditions of B-movies and Western television series. What they lack in psychological depth is made up for by at least twelve good fights per volume. Each portrays a vivid, idealized “West That Never Was”, at a pace that rarely slackens.
- GenresWesterns
182 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1969
41 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
J.T. Edson
185 books79 followersJohn Thomas Edson is an English writer of Westerns.
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 22, 2023
Not very often do I award a five star rating. This is one of the best Floating Outfit stories I have read so far. All of the main characters get equal billing to show their various skills. Plenty of action throughout, and a great introduction to Waco as the newest member of the team.
Currently reading
November 5, 2023I was not able to read this book. How can I rate a book WHEN YOU CANNOT OPEN IT.
December 24, 2013
I consider this book to be the first in the six book mini-series set in Mulrooney, Kansas. The problem is that the way they were written many of them criss-cross and overlap. In this book Dusty agrees to act as law for the town of Mulrooney and then sets about doing for several weeks; despite this the next book The Making of a Lawman opens with the floating outfit being sworn into office, which had to have already happened...Anyway the Mulrooney books are among my very favorites and in this story we see the floating outfit ride into the rival towns of Mulrooney, Mark Counter and Waco, and Brownton, Dusty and the Kid and all hell promptly breaks loose both places. Since the two towns are competing for the trail drive trade I didn't understand why Brownton would implement a no-gun for Texans policy that deliberately antagonizes them but as expected Dusty and the Kid decline to turn theirs in. In Mulrooney, Mark takes a bullet in the shoulder which the saloon keeper and lady mayor Freddie Woods is sure it will ruin her town's chances. However, Dusty finds that Mulrooney has much to offer for him especially the lady mayor. Freddie asks Dusty for a recommendation for a lawman to hold the town together and then asks him to take the job until the other man can arrive.
Dusty sets down the same rules as he did in Quiet Town and seeing a familiar face from there in the form of honest gambler Frank Derringer he recruits him to be a deputy as well. The change in the newest member of the floating outfit, Waco, who was added in the previous book Trigger Fast is already apparent but becomes even more so as he receives a thorough education in the Mulrooney series: Mark teaches him to box, the Kid teaches him to track, Frank Derringer teaches him how to spot crooked gambling (and in return is afforded the rare privilege of joining the ranks allowed to call him 'boy') and Dusty teaches him when to use his gun as well as how to be the kind of man all would want to call a friend. Waco will later put these lessons to good use in his own spin-off series while serving in the Arizona Rangers with Doc Leroy (Waco's Badge est.), as a county sheriff (The Drifter) and finally a U.S. Marshal (Hound Dog Man).
Dusty sets down the same rules as he did in Quiet Town and seeing a familiar face from there in the form of honest gambler Frank Derringer he recruits him to be a deputy as well. The change in the newest member of the floating outfit, Waco, who was added in the previous book Trigger Fast is already apparent but becomes even more so as he receives a thorough education in the Mulrooney series: Mark teaches him to box, the Kid teaches him to track, Frank Derringer teaches him how to spot crooked gambling (and in return is afforded the rare privilege of joining the ranks allowed to call him 'boy') and Dusty teaches him when to use his gun as well as how to be the kind of man all would want to call a friend. Waco will later put these lessons to good use in his own spin-off series while serving in the Arizona Rangers with Doc Leroy (Waco's Badge est.), as a county sheriff (The Drifter) and finally a U.S. Marshal (Hound Dog Man).
September 10, 2014
One of the half dozen J T Edson stories I rate most highly. All the main characters are there and we are introduced to Dusty Fog's future wife.
July 5, 2018
An easy read for bedtimes
Not demanding but full of action. A typical Ed son Western. Gun fights baddies and goodies. Can't go wrong with it.
Not demanding but full of action. A typical Ed son Western. Gun fights baddies and goodies. Can't go wrong with it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews