A Cold Place in Hell

by William Blinn

Careful What You Bet

In Salt Springs, on the Fourth of July, a young man took a bet--and ended up broken, battered and fighting for his life. . .But Billy Piper didn't die. He just came back to haunt Salt Springs--with all the book learning he did during his convalescence, with all the love he had for a whore, with all the friendship he shared with an old cowboy who couldn't help see the difference between right and wrong. . .

In this extraordinary classic Western by award-winning Hollywood screenwriter William Blinn (Gunsmoke, Bonanza), the story of Billy Piper becomes a powerful tale of two men's undying friendship, of a murder and a fight for justice. . .With the town of Salt Springs buckling and booming under the flow of oil and the coming of a railroad, where one man's power and dark secret would tear Billy Piper apart--until he picked up a gun and changed everything forever. . .and Salt Springs would explode in violence and blood.

William Blinn is a screenwriter who helped bring the Western to American television audiences, with credits on Gunsmoke, The High Chaparrall, The Big Valley,Rawhide, and Bonanza. A two-time Emmy award winner, he has also been acclaimed for his writing for such TV movies as "Brian's Song" and "Roots." He also created the classic TV series The Rookies and Starsky and Hutch.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one the best westerns I've ever read. And I went through quite the western stage back in high school. The author was a screenwriter for Bonanza and Gunsmoke, and you can tell. Blinn really knows how to tell a story.[return][return]The narrator is Wilbur, an older tough guy who helps Cookie and is a friend to almost everyone in the small Wyoming town back in the late 1800s. Billy is his young friend who takes a bet with a wild horse and loses. Billy's leg is smashed and he turns to learning instead of riding. But you can't forget Pearline, Billy's girlfriend who works as a "lady" at the boarding house in town. Put the three together and you have one heck of western!

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A WB. Western Action Adventure (ACPIH)

WB. has penned a western action adventure about a young cowboy who accepts a date to ride a black stallion that pitches him into a bullet and landing on top of him. The cowboy recovers enough to walk with a limo and crutch. He eventually can ride a horse again. While he is working his way through his injury he decided he wants to be a teacher. He is given the job and becomes very successful. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS

[Carol Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't let the title or cover art fool you. Yes, this is a Western, but the thoughtful, character-driven sort, not a shoot-em-out horse opera. It's about friendship, loyalty, justice, societal change ("progress"), idealism, and aging, especially as illustrated by the contrast between the two main characters, grizzled old cowpoke Wilbur Moss and young, idealistic Billy Piper. Clint Eastwood should really make a movie out of this.

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written but I was so sympathetic with the plight of the characters that I didn't like the ending. Very sad.

[James Seger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written, atypical, character-driven Western.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written. Cowboys and courtroom.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. William Blinn's did a good job in describing the setting. I could picture the surrounds that the characters where in. This book is a really good book in showing true friendship and at what lengths people will go for one another. I enjoyed the time period along with the rest of the setting that worked well for the story line.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review: https://hiplibrariansbookblog.com/200...

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It starts out with a bang and the story continues about friendship, loyalty, love, and comes to a great conclusion.