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The Killer from Yuma
Book by Lewis B. Patten
- GenresWesterns
171 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published December 6, 1977
9 people want to read
About the author
Lewis B. Patten
172 books22 followersaka Lewis Ford, Len Leighton, Joseph Wayne (with Wayne D. Overholser)
Lewis Byford Patten was a prolific author of American Western Novels, born in Denver, Colorado. Often published under the names Lewis Ford, Len Leighto and, Joseph Wayne.
Lewis Byford Patten was a prolific author of American Western Novels, born in Denver, Colorado. Often published under the names Lewis Ford, Len Leighto and, Joseph Wayne.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 19, 2023
Lewis B. Patten is the gold standard for western authors. His 150-170-page novels are beautifully written and fun. This 1964 gem kept me turning pages as fast as I could.
Some people say, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." The Killer from Yuma shows how wrong this notion can be. A woman breaks a man out of the Yuma Territorial Prison because she knows he has a personal vendetta against a family that has tormented and cheated her and killed her father. She figures he'll get his own revenge and, through him, she'll get the revenge she's desperate for. What doesn't occur to her is that the man she's breaking out of prison is a heartless monster who hasn't seen or been with a woman in ten years.
Ooops.
This was a fun read with a sympathetic protagonist and the baddest of bad guys. The prison and escape scenes were especially effective. I won't share any spoilers, but the author found a clever way to unfold the story and bring it to a satisfying conclusion.
Some people say, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." The Killer from Yuma shows how wrong this notion can be. A woman breaks a man out of the Yuma Territorial Prison because she knows he has a personal vendetta against a family that has tormented and cheated her and killed her father. She figures he'll get his own revenge and, through him, she'll get the revenge she's desperate for. What doesn't occur to her is that the man she's breaking out of prison is a heartless monster who hasn't seen or been with a woman in ten years.
Ooops.
This was a fun read with a sympathetic protagonist and the baddest of bad guys. The prison and escape scenes were especially effective. I won't share any spoilers, but the author found a clever way to unfold the story and bring it to a satisfying conclusion.
April 29, 2025
A solid western with some unconventional twists on the genre's cliches.
Yuma prison is a brutal place, stinking, cruel, and inhumane. Of course Owen Sands wants out. When the rumor comes that one of the nastiest of prisoners, Varra, is going to be given a chance to escape, Sands finds a way to get tossed into solitary with Varra, hoping to escape with him.
Spoiler: they get out and find out that a woman paid for their escape. She then hires Varra to kill the men who killed her dad. She's hoping Varra, who was in prison because he was double-crossed by the same bad family, will be more than happy to kill them for her.
Of course, nothing goes as planned.
Almost gave this one 4 stars because the beginning and the end were pretty thrilling.
Yuma prison is a brutal place, stinking, cruel, and inhumane. Of course Owen Sands wants out. When the rumor comes that one of the nastiest of prisoners, Varra, is going to be given a chance to escape, Sands finds a way to get tossed into solitary with Varra, hoping to escape with him.
Spoiler: they get out and find out that a woman paid for their escape. She then hires Varra to kill the men who killed her dad. She's hoping Varra, who was in prison because he was double-crossed by the same bad family, will be more than happy to kill them for her.
Of course, nothing goes as planned.
Almost gave this one 4 stars because the beginning and the end were pretty thrilling.
June 24, 2025
Lewis Patten writes a complete page-turner of a story in a lean 128 pages. If only so many others were as such skilled wordsmiths.
Amazing that this one has not been turned into a movie.
Amazing that this one has not been turned into a movie.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews