Bad River

Ranger #40

by Ralph Cotton

Arizona Ranger Sam Burrack is back—and hot on the trail of the worst desperados in two countries   Following a tip from a prisoner in Yuma Penitentiary, Ranger Sam Burrack is riding to the Mexican Valley to hunt down the Cowboy Gang, notorious bandits who have topped the Most Wanted list for the past year. The crooks have fled to Río Malo and settled in under the protection of corrupt town officials. Now, with new recruits including the infamous Russian assassin Kura Stabitz, they’re robbing banks and trains on both sides of the border.   “I will tell you where they are,” Escalante had said, “only because I know that Stabitz will kill you and bleed you like a dying pig!” Burrack knows it won’t be easy. He won’t find the gunmen just waiting to be arrested in Bad River. But with patience—and a little luck—he will find them nearby, maybe in the limestone mountains, maybe in the caves above the old Quaker mission. He’ll smoke them out like rats if he has to. That was the job, and a ranger always gets the job done...More than 4 million Ralph Cotton books in print!

Genres: Westerns

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 26, 2021

Reviews

[OutlawPoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, Westerns are not my usual choice for reading. It's been a few years since I read one.

Let me tell you, I really liked this!

It feels very classic - I could relate to the characters, was deeply involved in their survival (or not), and even learned a thing or two about the Old West that I never knew.

I'd happily read more from this author! I guess there are more Westerns in my future!

[Harold Walters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just didn't grab me.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.5 of 5

Ranger Sam Burrack is on his way south in search of a notorious gang of bandits. He's gotten a tip from Escalante - a prisoner in the Yuma Penitentiary - that the Cowboy Gang are holing up along Bad River. The mayor of the nearby village is as corrupt as the gang and if the rumors are true, they've even got a former Russian assassin among their gang, making their bank and train robberies that much more dangerous.

Burrack knows he won't be able to just walk in and make arrests, he's going to have to be patient and then maybe he'll be able to pick them up one at a time.

So this book wasn't quite what I was expecting and had me thinking about the "western" genre. Typically, when I choose to read a western - a classic style western - I'm looking for character, action, setting, and story, pretty much in that order. And when that order is changed up my first reaction is that I didn't like the story. Such is the case here.

This is a slow-moving, thoughtful (reflective) story. Given the nature of the characters ... a ranger and some criminals, including an assassin ... one would expect a lot of shoot-'em up action, but that's not the case here. This is probably much more realistic (and certainly smarter) to not have our hero rush in against overwhelming odds, but 'real' isn't always exciting to read.

I found this to be quite slow. It seemed like a lot of set-up for a nice payoff, but it was too little, too late.

This was my first book by author Ralph Cotton and there were enough hints that I might like other books by the same author, so I hope to give Cotton another chance, but this particular book just didn't hit the mark.

Looking for a good book? Bad River by Ralph Cotton is a western that is likely much more realistic in it's approach to having the law catch the criminals, but it's a lot of planning and very slow moving. If you want a thoughtful western, give this a try. If you want an action western, move along.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Shawn Cote · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read enough of the novels in this series to conclude that the quality of Ralph Cotton's writing varies wildly from book to book. Why that is, one can only speculate. Mr. Cotton died earlier this year. Arguably, the slipshod nature of this book, published in 2021, could indeed be read as the work of a writer whose health and focus were failing. But that's only a theory, and probably not one that matters much in the end. A book either succeeds on its own terms or doesn't. Even by the most generous standards, Bad River does not.

Cotton wrote some entertaining Westerns that are worth seeking out, but this is not one of them.

[Lois Beres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good western book

I enjoyed reading this book
If you like traditional westerns you,'ll love it. It's not a.heavy book and you won't learn anything from it but you will be entertained

[William J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

They simply don't get any better than this. Well written, exciting, humorous and unusual. Well done, Mr. Cotton.

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Westerns but didn't care for this book. It didn't flow well, and didn't hold my interest.

[Lydia Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very good.

[Nolan · Rating 2 out of 5]

To much talking and a little on the slow side.

[Ashur Storm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably the best Western I've read yet.