In the spring of 1880, Steve Dancy travels to Prescott, Arizona, to gain control of a remarkable invention. But on his first night in the territorial capital, his friend Jeff Sharp is arrested for a midnight murder at Thumb Butte. Dancy launches a personal investigation to find the real murderer, only to discover that the whole town wanted the victim dead. For help, he turns to another old friend and associate, Captain Joseph McAllen of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency.

Can Dancy identify the true killer before his friend stretches a rope on the courthouse square?

About the Author

James D. Best is the author of "The Shopkeeper," "Leadville," "The Shut Mouth Society," "Tempest at Dawn," and "The Digital Organization." He lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona, with his wife, Diane.

The book begins with Spence Pierce, Texas Ranger, in the little town of Lampasas, Texas. His mission is to capture a murder suspect who shows up in a saloon with his brothers. After a rope trick that suddenly took the family members by surprise, the murder suspect is captured and turned into the Burnet County Sheriff's office. Spence returns home for a much needed rest where he renews his family connection, breaks a couple horses and trains one to pull his wife's carriage. Going into town for supplies he encounters an Army Major who is in search for horses to take to Arizona to outfit the cavalry at Fort Huachuca. The fort currently had foot soldiers but was tasked to pursue and bring in the Apache Indians in the area. The foot soldiers could travel 3-5 miles a day while the Apache moved on horseback and was always gone before the soldiers could arrive. Taking the Major out to his ranch, Spence was able to sell his horse herd to the Army, with conditions that he delivered them to the fort in Arizona. Spence returns to Fort Stockton where the Ranger Company is based and requests a leave of absence from the Rangers. He is tasked to capture and bring to justice the notorious outlaw Wild Bill Longley before he is allowed to take his leave. Longley is found lying up in a saloon with his girl friend and sister. Longley is captured but the young man, after nearly getting shot, decided the Texas Rangers wasn't what he thought it was. Spence finds enough horse wranglers to start the drive of his horse herd to Arizona. He has hired an old Mexican vaquero and a want-to-be stagecoach robber that had bungled his first job by being shot by his girlfriend and ran over by the stage. Spence hired several others to help with the drive. The drive begins and takes its path from Fort Stockton, through the mountain passes north of El Paso and across New Mexico. During the drive the horse herd is attacked by a group of horse thieves. The wranglers continue driving the horses towards Arizona. The camp cook gets separated from the drive and is surrounded by Indians. Spence joins back up with his horse herd in time to encounter riders following his herd. The wranglers take precautions and finally the riders come into camp. It turns out that they had been hired by the Army to escort Spence and his horse herd through the worst of the Apache lands. They came to the rescue when the horse herd is hit at night by the Apaches and after a skirmish, the horses are found and returned. Arizona storms present as much of a problem as horse thieves and Apaches. The high wind and heavy rains cause a stampede of frightened horses. Finally Spence gets his horses to Arizona but several wranglers threaten to leave when they approach Tombstone. Fortunately the Army meets the herd to escort them through the Apache hills north of Tombstone to Fort Huachuca. Delivering the horses Spence is offered a retainer if he and his men would stay and help train the soldiers in horse craft as most of the soldiers had never ridden before. One night in a local saloon Spence is approached by an Arizona Ranger that had heard he was in town and that he was a Texas Ranger. The Arizona Rangers had just been organized and they did not have any experience in fighting Indians or outlaws, both of which were in abundance in Southern Arizona. Spence and his men signed on to help with tracking and the capture of the largest band of outlaws in the area. After several weeks they finally found the outlaws in their camp and a gunfight erupted that killed an Arizona Ranger and a rancher in the first rounds of fire. The outlaws escaped during the night and the Rangers are forced to track them through the mountains and into New Mexico. The end brings Spence and his men going different ways, some to remain in Arizona, others to try their hand at gold and silver mining and a couple to return to Texas with Spence.

Ben Savage, owner of the Double-T ranch in Paradise Valley, is facing a crisis. Someone is rustling his cattle and killing his men. Savage will have to enlist the help of the town marshal, neighboring ranchers, and an old army sergeant with whom he shares a troubled past, to save his ranch and bring the rustlers to justice. But when the rustlers threaten Amy Cabbett, Riverside's young schoolteacher, Savage must risk his life to rescue a woman who has steadfastly refused his affection. It will take every ounce of his strength and cunning to outwit the rustlers and ensure the safety of the woman he loves.

Historical Romance set in 1800's featuring mail-order brides needed for men of the West. Roosma, Mennonite, Non violent must protect mail order bride cousins with his guns very reluctantly

They can run and hide but can never escape the rath of a woman and a man together out to seek revenge. The combination of Ann and Jeff's skills make them the perfect killing machine, it was kill or be killed. There would be no mercy on either side. Along the way, they rescued 11 beautiful young women who were brought into the valley as sex slaves for the Black Widow's gang of killers and outlaws. The women also wanted revenge. In this secret valley, the two teach the women how to kill their enemy. When it was time to come out and kill they were dressed all in black. They didn't have to worry about killing innocent people since there were none in the valley. Come hell or high water, all would have their revenge.

A screenplay set in a fictional frame, this tale of two generations offers a questioning take on the western. Eager to head up the thriving enterprise her father made of his pioneer ranch, Hallie Bonfield returns home from school in the East to find trouble waiting. As a former romance with her ranch manager, Ken McKenna, reignites, she learns he intends to confront a neighboring rancher in a likely fatal encounter. Appalled, she strives to deter him and prevent the outbreak of a feud, but is caught up in emotions that allow latent violence to smolder. Her parents' story holds a family secret that lies at the root of hostility. A letter reveals it, but leaves open the question: will forces unleashed by unresolved wrong exact full requital?

The light plane loaded with two million dollars worth of cocaine drifted through the night sky over the Chihuahuan desert searching for a lighted strip in the mountains near the Texas border. The pilot spotted the strip lined with crude lights. He made a low pass over the area, set the plane down and taxied to the end of the strip where two vans were located. He killed the engine and stepped out of the plane. Two men stood near his door. He saw the two men fall to the ground and then he fell to the ground - all three very dead. Several armed men dressed in black rushed the two vans. Within seconds, several men, again dressed in black, rushed the plane and removed the cocaine from the cargo area. Another man slid into the pilot's seat, fired the engine up and flew the plane into Texas.

Others in the dope cartel had been killed or captured in the little village of Santa Rosa on the Rio Grande, 18 miles south of the strip. These actions had been practiced many times. It was near the end of a carefully planned exercise to rid the village of the deadly cartel forever. It went like clockwork. The bad guys lose and the good guys win.

Sam DeLeon had planned this, with a few of his friends from the agency they worked for, and the men of the village. Sam was retired from a big city P.D. in Texas and had fallen in love with a woman that lived in the village. The cartel people were very cruel to the villagers. Sam and his people put a stop to their activities in Santa Rosa.

Further investigation revealed that there was more than dope on that plane, much more.

Hopalong Cassidy rides into danger again with the hands of the Bar-20 Ranch in West Texas. Rustlers are running rampant and it is up to Hoppy and his sidekicks to find the man responsible. But be warned, this is NOT the Hoppy William Boyd protrayed on the Silver Screen and Television. Mulford's Hopalong Cassidy is a hard-drinking, roll-your-own smoking, itching to get rowdy cowboy ready to back the play of his friends at the drop of a hat.

A murderous and muddled getaway from the Silver City bank robbery puts young Jimmy Doss and Slats McClary a few trail days ahead of ex-ranger, Hank Darcy. They escape through the rugged Gila Mountains of Arizona Territory, defile a bizarre family and bring more manly trouble than the Missouri run-away youngster can handle. The raw-boned mining town of Globe deals them endless problems, including Jimmy's fascination with a painted lady. And Slats, attempting the role of a gentleman gains a money-slick reputation with his cousin, Irish Pete, before they slip into a twisted sale of a mine to a rich, strong-armed buyer. Can the ex-ranger eventually close in on the killer outlaw twosome with his plan for frontier justice behind the back of a corrupt local marshal? And another deadly bank robbery could thwart all plans for the lawmen and their prey. Globe's prominence, which exploded with the discovery of a uniquely shaped chunk of near-pure silver ore seems a proper place for a not-so-pure climax for many provocative lives.

As long as ruthless outlaws continued to run amok in the territory, Arizona would never be granted statehood-and statehood was something the citizens dearly longed for. The governor was under pressure from his constituents to do something. He promptly issued a mandate: "Clean out the last big stronghold of outlaws that were presently terrorizing the citizens of the Arizona Territory." He didn't care how it got done-as long as it got done, and the sooner the better. He assigned his top aide, Mr. Henry Watts, to put his directive into action. The question on everyone's mind: Was anyone truly capable of carrying out the mission? The governor's man didn't have to think twice about what agency he needed to call-the Arizona Rangers. He would also ask for assistance from all other law enforcement agencies as well. Every sheriff and town marshal would be called to assist. If they could not come, they would be required to send a deputy from their department. Butch Kantrell, the leader of a large band of outlaws, was hiding in the shadow of Four Peaks. Along with his lieutenants, Russ Thorpe and Two Scars, he had nearly fifty men under his command. He thumbed his nose at the law, and felt that his gang was unstoppable. Clint Wells, along with his fellow rangers, would do all that was necessary to bring Kantrell's reign of terror to an end. Law and order, in this campaign, would come at a high price-to those on both sides of the fight.

Imagine the story of an epic dispute, which has become a part of American mythology. "Kingdom Of The Hollow, The Story of the Hatfields and McCoys" is the comprehensive tale of the most famous family feud in American History. It is a story of jealousy, unrequited love and murder, packed with vivid historical characters that are real and captivating. Authors Note: This is not a history book. It is a work of historical fiction

Growing up in Ohio in the 1860s, brothers Bill and John Cole dream of going west and becoming gunfighters. They have no intention of following in their father's footsteps and working the land, spending their days as farmers. At eighteen, Bill is the first to leave and become a deputy. He cleans up the town of Amber Walls, Texas, and is believed to be the fastest gun of his time. But there's one faster-his brother, John, who rides into Abilene, Kansas, on his bay mare and leaves his mark on this western town as a deputy sheriff. He becomes known as the "left-handed gun." All those who challenge young John Cole end up six feet under in Boot Hill. "The Left-Handed Gun" follows the trials and fortunes of Bill and John Cole as they tackle the challenges of the Old West. They learn that all who take the way of the gun will sooner or later end up on Boot Hill.

They raped and murdered his mother and sister. Then they viciously killed his father and seriously wounded his Uncle Milo. Finally, believing all to be dead, the killers burned down the cabin with the bodies inside, but...they had missed one.
Young Jonathan Doyle returning from a hunting trip with some Indian friends finds his home burned to the ground, the charred bodies of his family in the ashes. The heinous murders would have gone unsolved except for one thing: his Uncle Milo, though seriously wounded, had escaped the inferno and survived to tell the tale. Jonathan Doyle swears revenge, citing "an eye for an eye" as his ultimate goal.
Thus begins a trail of vengeance as a distraught young man begins the search that will last for years; destined be one of the most dangerous ever attempted in the bloody history of western lore: filled with danger and heartbreak for a nineteen year old boy intent on delivering his brand of "Ozark Mountain Justice" on the killers; A quest known simply as: the "Ozark Vengeance Trail."

Part of Tom Cutters instructions to his men:

"We will have something original on this drive. Out artist, Artie Cohn, has painted a map all the way to Abilene on the chuck wagon canvas. He'll be painting our progress each day all the way to our destination as well as incidents that may happen along the way."

On the other side of the wagon he has painted another map for our trip back home. Check with them to know where we are, how far we've gone and how far we have to go."

She came to California as a young bride in an arranged marriage. Now she owns 75 square miles of property bordering the Mokelumne River, where gold has been discovered. They want her land and will stop at nothing, even if it means her murder.

Rafer Allard was a bank robber. A very good bank robber. It was a career choice that greatly pleased him and his every intention was to keep it up as long as he could run to a horse and spur it away. That was until a late afternoon in Tumer, Kansas, when two bullets in the back and a man named Peter Stone irrevocably changed his life forever. Large print book - 16 pt.

A young girl cherishes the time spent with her father. Kallie is no exception. Daddy's Little Squirrel, pays tribute to the special relationship between a father and daughter. The duo's adventures are never dull, and are always made possible from the help of Kallie, her father's special helper.

Texas Ranger Lieutenant Jim Blawcyzk is on his way to the easiest assignment he's had in a long time... until a fellow Ranger, a man Jim trusted as a friend and partner, murders their commanding officer and puts two bullets into Jim. Now, with Jim lying gravely wounded in a hospital bed, his long-time partner Smoky McCue, along with Jim's son Charlie, newly appointed to the Rangers, must try and track down the Ranger turned killer. The only problem is the renegade lawman has powerful friends and allies in Mexico, and they are determined to keep him safe from Texas law, at any cost.

The novel, The Big Sandy, is set in the years following the civil war. IDA MAE SCHWEISTAHL is a bitter, head strong, naive Minnesota farm girl who is brutally attacked by a young man from a neighboring farm. Rage provokes her to kill him and bad blood between the families erupts into hostilities, forcing her to flee. Her journey on a steamboat down the Mississippi river begins her perilous misadventures and tragic love affairs. Running for her life, she takes the identity of NED MCCONNELL, and rides shotgun for the Oxbow Stage Line between Springfield, Missouri and Fort Smith, Arkansas hoping to thwart her enemies from exacting their revenge. While defending the stagecoach in a confrontation involving gun play, a passenger who is a writer, pens a dime novel about the incident. She is forced to become, The Big Sandy Kid. Her notoriety soon spins out of proportion with each publication of the exploitative dime novels and her masquerade as a man unravels. A tragic set of circumstances provides her the opportunity to resume her life as a woman. She is torn between the anonymity she treasures and her desires for romance. Unfortunately, her natural bent to the contrary prevents her from realizing both worlds. Along the way she encounters desperate individuals who unwittingly follow in her reckless charge to find true love, or deadly retribution. Filled with ruthless characters, this novel vividly details Ida Mae's resolve to preserve her secrecy as she stumbles into clandestine romance and deadly gun play. In the end she faces the choice of having to take the outlaw road or not. Before she can decide, fate comes looking for her.

A young systems analyst in Chicago is a witness to a mob murder and flees after an attempt on his life. He ends up hiding out from the mob and the police on a sheep ranch in Kemmerer, Wyoming where he is working as a sheepherder. The mob sends a team of hitmen to find him and he is forced to turn to newly made friends to try to save his life.

The story is being told by the now old Victor Way. At present he has been chewed by a grizzly bear and is stranded in a cabin in the wilderness with no supplies. While waiting for spring and his wounds to heal, he is reliving his first trip to the untamed west. He knew nothing of survival as he had been in an orphanage until age 14. The year is 1879 when he meets Charlie a shady man, who is in the business of fulfilling jobs in Wyoming. He has no problem lying to find people to sign his contract to fill jobs for mining, cowboys, school teachers and especially whores to keep the single men happy and working. Vick signs a contract along with four whores and a school teacher. Vick befriends an overweight man, Oliver, and decides to be his keeper. Little does he know, he himself will need Oliver to save him time and time again. Oliver keeps to himself as he feels no one likes him. He knows more than he lets on and has his own money. Oliver never forgets Vick for being the only person to ever care for him and will spend the rest of his life hoping to keep him alive. Miss Shelly is a fun loving gal and knows nothing but being a whore. She truly enjoys her life and is afraid she could loose life as she knows it. She has her eye on the innocent Vick. Miss Kelly has been let down by her husband and left him only taking her horse and one eyed dog. The only job available was being a whore. She does her job with a six shooter and takes guff from anyone. Miss Janice is elusive and just goes along doing what is handed her and asks no questions even if she knows it is wrong. No one really knows what is in her heart and she doesn't want to talk about her past. Miss Ella just likes money and swindles men out of all she can put her hands on. Jenny has an education and is the good girl of the bunch, but as life goes all her good intentions don't pan out. She trusts and loves everyone she meets and gives all she has to her friends. She and Vick share a big surprise. Walter is a big fun player and without him the gang would be obligated entirely to Charlie. He has just what they need to lead them down the path of freedom from Charlie. As they travel across Wyoming horse back and in covered wagons they encounter many hard times but manage to make life long friends with one another.

It is 1865. People are moving westward along the Oregon Trail, searching for freedom, land, and wealth. Sarah sets out with her new husband, Johnny, only to find he has been damaged in the Civil War. He abandons her and chases rumors of gold in the Black Hills. A young Indian finds her and takes her to his village. She is accepted on the condition she teach them language skills necessary to cope with the onslaught of white settlers. Sarah has no choice but to stay. She learns to appreciate their culture and their dilemma, is torn between that and white civilization as she knows it. The Indian chief, Makhpiya Luta, goes to Washington D.C. to make peace with President Grant, taking Sarah in his party. He returns to his lands, leaving Sarah to make her way in a world to which she no longer belongs. Boarding schools for Indian children open up possibilities for her. The experience of teaching in these is disillusioning. She goes back to live among and teach her adopted people.

The Twin Forks crew is back with their most exciting and dangerous adventure of all in the third story of the Rocky Mountian Odyssey series. Dan Kade has married Allison, the love of his life and they have their first child. His three best friends Bear Rollins, Red Elk, and Five Ponies have become his parters on the beatutiful Twin Forks Ranch. All is well. Life is good. Or is it? Don't get too comfortable in the wild, wild west, because danger is always at hand. Unbeknownst to Dan and his friends, their deadliest enemy is back, and he's casting a Shadow of Vengeance on all they've sought to build. But this time he's brought all manner of ruthless evil along with him, and the friends of Twin Forks will have all they can do just to stay alive He carried a Sharps fifty caliber buffalo gun and a huge and menacing Bowie knife. The man was known simply as "Cannon" and he was a ruthless, cold-blooded killer. Dan Kade thought he was gone, but now Cannon was back with a vengeance, casting an evil shadow everywhere he went.