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War in Sandoval County
"SELL OUT AND GET OUT—OR I'LL KILL EVERY MOTHER'S SON OF YOU!"
Jeff Ardell was a peaceful man and a friend of Big Ben Shortt. But when Shortt got land-greedy and brought in the merciless hired guns to murder the shirt-tail ranchers, Ardell strapped on his Colt 44 and led the homesteaders into WAR IN SANDOVAL COUNTY.
A HARD-HITTING NOVEL OF RANGE WARFARE ON THE HIGH PRAIRE
Jeff Ardell was a peaceful man and a friend of Big Ben Shortt. But when Shortt got land-greedy and brought in the merciless hired guns to murder the shirt-tail ranchers, Ardell strapped on his Colt 44 and led the homesteaders into WAR IN SANDOVAL COUNTY.
A HARD-HITTING NOVEL OF RANGE WARFARE ON THE HIGH PRAIRE
177 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2009
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3 people want to read
About the author
Wayne D. Overholser
172 books14 followersWayne D. Overholser (born September 4, 1906 in Pomeroy, Washington; died August 27, 1996 in Boulder, Colorado) was an American Western writer.
Overholser won the 1953 First Spur Award for best novel for Lawman using the pseudonym Lee Leighton. In 1955 he won the 1954 (second) Spur Award for The Violent Land. He also used the pseudonyms John S. Daniels, Dan J. Stevens and Joseph Wayne.
Overholser won the 1953 First Spur Award for best novel for Lawman using the pseudonym Lee Leighton. In 1955 he won the 1954 (second) Spur Award for The Violent Land. He also used the pseudonyms John S. Daniels, Dan J. Stevens and Joseph Wayne.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 15, 2019
I’ve been wanting to read a Wayne D. Overholser western ever since I saw him referenced in Stephen King's novel Wolves of the Calla, part of King's Dark Tower saga. He was among the earlier group of American western writers and, in fact, won the very first Spur Award in 1953 for his novel, Law Man. Like many others of his time, Wayne cut his teeth in the pulps, his first story published in 1936.
In this book, Jeff Ardell is a man caught in the middle of a range war. He begins the book as part of the “Big 4” ranchers in the high prairie region near Starbuck, Colorado. An ugly cattle-rustling problem causes the leader of the Big 4, Ben Shortt, to call in a “livestock detective” to find proof of the re-branding activity. However, the man he secretly calls in, Sam Marks, is a notorious killer, known for his cowardly way of shooting unsuspecting men in the back. Jeff sees Shortt’s power-grab for what it is and decides to pull out of the Big 4. But trying to determine who his friends are and who might be selling him out to the killer is only part of his problem now.
This book has plenty of gun-slinging action and back-stabbing twists as Jeff stubbornly takes on the existing power structure. It’s not just about how Jeff can outmaneuver his foes but how can he lead his side against so many people arrayed against him. Even the good guys tend toward the gray side of the scale, so Jeff has some moral dilemmas to wade through.
An enjoyable read with a satisfying ending makes me want to hunt down some more of Overholser’s work.
In this book, Jeff Ardell is a man caught in the middle of a range war. He begins the book as part of the “Big 4” ranchers in the high prairie region near Starbuck, Colorado. An ugly cattle-rustling problem causes the leader of the Big 4, Ben Shortt, to call in a “livestock detective” to find proof of the re-branding activity. However, the man he secretly calls in, Sam Marks, is a notorious killer, known for his cowardly way of shooting unsuspecting men in the back. Jeff sees Shortt’s power-grab for what it is and decides to pull out of the Big 4. But trying to determine who his friends are and who might be selling him out to the killer is only part of his problem now.
This book has plenty of gun-slinging action and back-stabbing twists as Jeff stubbornly takes on the existing power structure. It’s not just about how Jeff can outmaneuver his foes but how can he lead his side against so many people arrayed against him. Even the good guys tend toward the gray side of the scale, so Jeff has some moral dilemmas to wade through.
An enjoyable read with a satisfying ending makes me want to hunt down some more of Overholser’s work.
Displaying 1 of 1 review