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Colton Brothers Saga #3
Border Ambush
Robbed and beaten by outlaws, stagecoach guard James Colton vows justice and recovery of his grandfather's watch. Determined to find his heirloom, James hunts the outlaws, only to face an immoral sheriff who gives him no choice but to shoot. Charged with his murder, James's solitary hope is to get the bandits to confess to the sheriff's villainy. With older brother Trace along to help, James tracks the outlaws into Mexico. But after Trace is gravely wounded, James is ambushed by lawmen as he tries to take his brother across the border. The hangman's noose seems closer than ever. Will James prove his innocence?
It's 1860 southern New Mexico. "Border Ambush" exposes the American Southwest for what it really was--rough, tough, and brutal.
"Melody Groves has created a couple of characters, James and Trace Colton, that you'll really care about. She spins a Western story that reads like a Western should--full of hair-raising adventures and some really bad villains."--Bill Pinnell, author of "Terror on the Border"
It's 1860 southern New Mexico. "Border Ambush" exposes the American Southwest for what it really was--rough, tough, and brutal.
"Melody Groves has created a couple of characters, James and Trace Colton, that you'll really care about. She spins a Western story that reads like a Western should--full of hair-raising adventures and some really bad villains."--Bill Pinnell, author of "Terror on the Border"
256 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2009
About the author
Melody Groves
25 books4 followersMelody was born and raised in Las Cruces, southern New Mexico, but spent a few years "growing up" on Guam and in the Philippines. A graduate of New Mexico State University (B.S. Education), she is also a graduate of the University of New Mexico (M.A. Education). Melody taught in Albuquerque until leaving the classroom to become a full-time freelance writer.
A deep love of anything cowboy and Old West creates a fertile playground for her imagination. After spending ten years with the New Mexico Gunfighters Association, she learned what it feels like going toe to toe with a revolver-wielding sheriff. Being both "good guy" and "bad guy" gives her a firsthand feel for what her western characters experience.
Melody is a contributing editor for Round Up magazine for Western Writers of America. She is also a contributing writer for "American Westward Expansion," a collegiate history encyclopedia. She also writes for Wild West, True West, New Mexico and other magazines.
A deep love of anything cowboy and Old West creates a fertile playground for her imagination. After spending ten years with the New Mexico Gunfighters Association, she learned what it feels like going toe to toe with a revolver-wielding sheriff. Being both "good guy" and "bad guy" gives her a firsthand feel for what her western characters experience.
Melody is a contributing editor for Round Up magazine for Western Writers of America. She is also a contributing writer for "American Westward Expansion," a collegiate history encyclopedia. She also writes for Wild West, True West, New Mexico and other magazines.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 15, 2019
Border Ambush is Melody Groves first book in the Colton Brothers Saga. (Ignore the entry in the title here on Goodreads. The book I am holding in my hand clearly says #1 and Melody confirmed it when I bought the book from her.) Anyway, The book follows Trace Colton, and his younger brother James as they try to survive life in 1860 southern New Mexico. In the opening pages Trace and James - driver and shotgun for the Butterfield Stage Line - are held up by four criminals as they are carrying passengers to Tucson. The gang of four men take everything - including James's watch that had been given to him by his grandfather. This starts a long and dangerous path for James as he goes hunting after the gang to recover his watch. Before it is all over James is accused of murdering a beloved sheriff and Trace must rescue him and help prove his brother's innocence before James finds himself hanging at the end of a noose.
Melody sets a fast-paced adventure, with plenty of action, drama, and even a bit of love. You can really feel the grit, dust, and heat of southern New Mexico as we follow James as he searches for the members of the gang to get his watch back. James is stubborn to the core, risking everything to get back a watch that everybody, including his brother, has told him to forget. But he is also determined and has the drive to get through the toughest situation any person can find themselves in. I wouldn't call James lovable, or even a character who I particularly liked (more than once I wanted to smack him for be dumb, or making dumb choices), but James exemplifies the true definition of grit. Despite his faults, I'd want him on my side when facing down a bunch of ruffians.
There was one point in the story where James makes a decision that I had a hard time understanding. When James (SPOILERS), he does the right thing, but Melody doesn't do a good job of explaining why James does what he did. He could have gotten out of the situation quite easily, and while the actions James took speak to his character, I never got a satisfied answer as to the reason why from the story. But this is my only major quibble with the book.
I highly recommend Border Ambush for anybody who loves a good, action-packed western adventure. The settings, people, and characters are true to the Old West and Melody weaves a fine tale around the Colton Brothers.
Melody sets a fast-paced adventure, with plenty of action, drama, and even a bit of love. You can really feel the grit, dust, and heat of southern New Mexico as we follow James as he searches for the members of the gang to get his watch back. James is stubborn to the core, risking everything to get back a watch that everybody, including his brother, has told him to forget. But he is also determined and has the drive to get through the toughest situation any person can find themselves in. I wouldn't call James lovable, or even a character who I particularly liked (more than once I wanted to smack him for be dumb, or making dumb choices), but James exemplifies the true definition of grit. Despite his faults, I'd want him on my side when facing down a bunch of ruffians.
There was one point in the story where James makes a decision that I had a hard time understanding. When James (SPOILERS), he does the right thing, but Melody doesn't do a good job of explaining why James does what he did. He could have gotten out of the situation quite easily, and while the actions James took speak to his character, I never got a satisfied answer as to the reason why from the story. But this is my only major quibble with the book.
I highly recommend Border Ambush for anybody who loves a good, action-packed western adventure. The settings, people, and characters are true to the Old West and Melody weaves a fine tale around the Colton Brothers.
March 13, 2019
Although I’m not usually a fan of western novels, this was so filled with action and great characters, that I enjoyed it start to finish. We meet Trace and James, two of the four Colton brothers and the protagonists of this story, as Trace is driving a Butterfield coach with James riding shotgun. The stage was held up by four bad guys, who take James’ watch and shoot him. This incensed James and set off the story. Mrs. Groves knowledge of the history of the area of New Mexico and Arizona is apparent in the descriptions.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews