Mississippi!

Wagons West #15

by Dana Fuller Ross

The irresistible lure of limitless opportunity drew con men and kings, merchants and sailors, outlaws and heroes to New Orleans, the spicy Cajun capital at the mouth of the majestic Mississippi. Here European bluebloods mingled with buckskin-clad frontiersmen - knives flashed in deadly duels over marked cards, fancy women, and shady deals - and legal commerce vied with criminal schemes to possess the vast fortunes of America's most ambitious and ruthless men.

MISSISSIPPI! From north of St. Louis down past Natchez to the fertile Bayou, the broad deep river carried barges piled high with valuable cargo and stern-wheelers crowded with eager Americans hungry for the sin and sweetness of exciting New Orleans. But on its seamier streets a dark underworld flourished. There, a cruel ex-lawman hid the beautiful young gentlewoman he had seduced with lies, while he plotted to kill the bold Englishman who had sworn to avenge her honor. And from the far west rode Toby Holt - a fighting man as famous as his father, Wagonmaster Whip Holt - to wage a one-man war on a dreaded Oriental Tong... as the forces of good and evil prepared to battle for control of this rich, fast growing land along the MISSISSIPPI!

Genres: Historical Fiction, Westerns, Fiction, Historical

334 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1985

About the author

Dana Fuller Ross is a pseudonym used by Noel B. Gerson and James M. Reasoner.

Noel Gearson specializes in historical military novels, westerns, and mysteries. He also writes under the pseudonyms, "Dana Fuller Ross.", Anne Marie Burgess; Michael Burgess; Nicholas Gorham; Paul Lewis; Leon Phillips; Donald Clayton Porter; Philip Vail; and Carter A. Vaughan. He has written more than 325 novels.

James Reasoner (pictured) is an American writer. He is the author of more than 150 books and many short stories in a career spanning more than thirty years. Reasoner has used at least nineteen pseudonyms, in addition to his own name: Jim Austin; Peter Danielson; Terrance Duncan; Tom Early; Wesley Ellis; Tabor Evans; Jake Foster; William Grant; Matthew Hart; Livia James; Mike Jameson; Justin Ladd; Jake Logan; Hank Mitchum; Lee Morgan; J.L. Reasoner (with his wife); Dana Fuller Ross; Adam Rutledge; and Jon Sharpe. Since most of Reasoner's books were written as part of various existing Western fiction series, many of his pseudonyms were publishing "house" names that may have been used by other authors who contributed to those series

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know why I have huge gaps in my memory about these later books. Millicent is boring. Things happen to her as opposed to her doing anything. Edward and Toby are totally boring, and them (as well as Henry Blake later and he is also boring) are being set up as some strange Western version of James Bond, but with less spying. Supposedly Toby doesn't cheat on his wife because he doesn't actually enter the woman, though I doubt Toby's wife would see it this way.


Two stars, however, for the Kale and Cindy minor plot where they work together to get Kale elected. That was far more fun to read than the rest of the book.

[Gene Heinrich · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yes, these books are getting much much worse! For example, this book takes place almost exclusively in New Orleans... which, last time I checked, is NOT in Mississippi! Oh they talk about the Mississippi river but nothing actually happens in the state. I've made it 15 books in and now it will take an act of God to get me to pick up the other 3 books I've already ordered and are sitting on my book shelf. Ugh

[Amanda Eiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was the best one in a long time because there was finally some variety. millicent finally has her life together. hopefully we’re done with the tongs now. and by god hopefully toby can stay home and stop cheating on clarissa 😭 (i love that he thinks stripping buck naked and making out doesn’t count!)

this book cover must be Edward + Tommie (even though the guy has no mustache)

[Lisa Marks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Travels on the Mississippi River, confrontations with multiple bad men, rooting for the good guys!

[Debbie West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Suspenseful, danger lurks in many places along the Mississippi River. I had hoped this book was about the state, but it wasn't. It should have been named New Orleans! Toby Holt status there most if the time, fighting the Chinese Tong. I didn't know the Chinese had such a large smuggling dynasty in the United States as early as the 1870's. Now we can't even buy anything that isn't made in China! Characters are colorful as always, Toby is tempted to cheat on his wife, new characters are introduced as usual. In spots 5his book was tedious, but overall it was great!

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s not the easiest read of the series….there are a lot of sub-plots and characters. More than usual and a good bit of them are contrived. It took me quite a while to read it, but, the last 10% of the book is pretty compelling and makes you want to grab the next one and start in as soon as possible, so that’s a victory.

It also wins points in that it seems to wrap up a handful of particularly bad subplots (the pet monkey and the women under the influence of a magic potion) while introducing better ones (the mob boss, the Chinese gang).

So it eeks out a four star rating in the final turn.

[Mgsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

May sound somewhat repetitive here but I got hooked on the first book and it was like an addiction.
The author shows how the westward movement affected families and individuals while placing them within history itself.


Merged review:

May sound somewhat repetitive here but I got hooked on the first book and it was like an addiction.
The author shows how the westward movement affected families and individuals while placing them within history itself.

[Cws]

W Ros

[Anne]

allof the series on Sate s of the US...fascinating history with details on daily life...

[Evan]

The book was another in the line of books. However, probably should have been named differently. None of the story lines took place in Mississippi and very little of it on the Mississippi River!

[Billye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series- very interesting way to learn about the development of the West

[Michael Garreffa` · Rating 4 out of 5]

Large Print Borrowed from the Library

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when I was in my 20's. I thought it was a good book filled with action. It was also a fast read for me. I read it before I started keeping a book journal in 1998.

[Partridge Public]

Ross, Dana Fuller PB