Rule of the High Plains: A Frank Rule Western Collection

by John Neely Davis

"The Rio Grande Valley of the New Mexico Territory and the High Plains of Texas for decades were the domain of Comancheros and marauding bands of renegade Indians. Frank Rule, his wife, Ellen, and their family live in the lawless land near the Rio Grande. Frank is not the average cowboy. Short, bald, and bespectacled, he could easily be mistaken for a clerk in some unsuccessful dry-goods store in a dried-up, godforsaken town. Ellen, the victim of abduction and rape, delivered a half-Indian son. Their daughter, Shirl, was kidnapped by Comancheros and stashed in a remote outlaw encampment in the Texas Panhandle. Their oldest son was also abducted by Indians. Frank rescues Shirl, but his oldest son's fate remains unknown. Frank and Ellen make the fateful decision to leave their isolated ranch and begin a new life near the town of Longsought, Texas. Ordinarily a peaceful man, Frank becomes vengeful after another tragic episode of losses. Tormented at night by the supernatural reappearance of his wife and hectored during the day by the voice of the devil, at times Frank borders on insanity and capable of extreme violence. Yet, even with his own troubles, he has an innate ability to help those who have been wronged. His paladin-like adventures take him across the enormous expanse of the Llano Estacado and into dangerous and unparalleled situations, where he needs all his wits and harsh experiences to survive and see justice done"--

289 pages, Hardcover

Published July 21, 2021

About the author

John Neely Davis is a product of the sandy hills of West Tennessee, an area east of the Mississippi Delta and west of the Tennessee River. Most of his working career was spent in land acquisition from the Appalachian mountains to the river valleys of New Mexico.

Previously published novels include Stephen Dennison, The Sixth William, and Bear Shadow. The last won the Janice Keck Literary Award. He also contributed to numerous anthologies: Filtered through Time, By Blood or by Marriage, Comanchero Trail, Western Trail Blazer Series, and the recent release Showdown.

John lives with his wife Jayne, in historic Franklin, Tn.

Reviews

[Juanita Rice · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am shocked that such books are still being printed. "Rule" of the High Plains although ostensibly about a character conveniently named "Frank Rule" clearly refers to the Sovereign Rule achieved over all indigenous Americans by the invading and hostile forces of European Colonialism. "This land is ours, boys," sez John Wayne in my ear, "and we've got 'em on the run."
I suppose it is only to be expected after having the Aryan Nations on the rise in open murderous intentions toward all "non-Europeans," and even select members of their own "Proud Brutes." How tragic for everyone on the earth that this blind mad xenophobia should be the backlash among those whose minds could not accept the phenomenon of a clever, wise, intelligent African-American as President of the United States.
But that this book by someone who "spent his life in land acquisition"--I speak of the writer himself--should even be reviewed is a pity. "hostile indians" "Comancheros" A "Western" fantasy by a good ole boy from Tennessee. What a sad joke.
I tried to give it a fair hearing but had to put it down unfinished.

[Winnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Western fiction is not my typical genre of books. However, John and his lovely wife, Jayne, are neighbors and friends. John writes well and I have enjoyed reading his previous books – The Sixth Williams, Bear Shadow, and his first Western, The Chapman Legacy. The protagonist in this book is Frank Rule. He is a loner who has hallucinations, which makes the reader wonder if he is mentally ill or is just a man who is suffering from the tragedies that have occurred in his life. Each chapter – almost like short stories -- finds him on another adventure where he avenges a wrong or solves a mystery.