Ralph Compton Broken Rider

In this exciting new Ralph Compton western, a man without a memory meets an unforgettable ally: the one and only Bat Masterson. Riding into the town of Smoky River on a mangy mule, Dane looks as broken down as his old mount. His Stetson is ragged, his boots are tied together with leather thongs, and he wears a Colt Army revolver with exactly three bullets. He wouldn't know what to say if you asked him where he got the gun, or how he learned to shoot it so well. He doesn't know if Dane is his first name or his last. Something happened that cost him much of his memory, and he can't remember what that something was. For three years he's been traveling the West as a cowboy, a buffalo hunter, a farmhand. Smoky River looks to be a fine place to settle down. If only his past didn't decide to catch up to him here. . .

A keen judge of horseflesh takes a wild ride in this suspenseful new Western by USA Today bestselling author Ralph Cotton Two deputies fresh from a hard-won gunfight with the gang of notorious outlaw Dolan Coyle stroll into a saloon in the dusty little town of Broken Hat, inquiring after one Will Summers. The men are looking to swap out their exhausted horses, and they could use extra men, too. Just on the outskirts of town, Axel Coyle waits with the remnants of his brother’s crew, ready to shoot down the men who captured their leader. The deputies offer Summers a paid position in the posse escorting Dolan into federal custody. If they only knew how well acquainted the horse trader once was with the killer chained up out front, they might second-guess their proposal. Dolan had chosen a reckless trail for himself, like Summers and many others had done in their early years. Summers could not say exactly what had directed him off that trail before it managed to settle into his blood, but he’s grateful. He just doesn’t know if that resolution will hold now that his past has landed on him out of a clear blue sky… More than four million Ralph Cotton books in print!

They had beaten the harsh odds of the frontier. But for the two powerful ranchers, the most formidable trail lay ahead. There had never been a trail drive like this before... The only riches Texans had left after the Civil War were five million maverick longhorns and the brains, brawn, and boldness to drive them to market along treacherous trails. Now, Ralph Compton brings this violent and magnificent time to life in an extraordinary series based on the history-blazing trail drives. For veteran ranchers Nelson Story of Montana, and Benton McCaleb of Wyoming, it was an opportunity a man didn't pass up. In gold camps of the Black Hills, miners were hungry for beef, at boomtown prices. But within the two outfits were Indians, gunmen, Texans, lovesick cowboys, and high-spirited women. Worse, the drive would pass through Crow and Sioux territory, when Custer's defeat at the Little Big Horn was just hours away. The drives were tangled by violent grudges, stampeding herds, and dangerous deception. The two brawling outfits had one thing in common: a deadly surprise awaiting them at the end of the trail...

“An allegory for our time, full of creepy splendorand excitement . . . Demons is a brave and smart book. Read it if you dare.”—San Francisco Bay Guardian “Demons is funny, outrageous, and frightening, and, as a metaphor for our times, it works frighteningly well.”—Rocky Mountain News In a future uncomfortably close to the present day, the apocalypse has surpassed all expectations. Hideous demons roam the streets in an orgy of terror, drawing pleasure from torturing humans as sadistically as possible. Ira, a young San Francisco artist, becomes involved with a strange group of scientists and philosophers desperately trying to end the bloody siege. But the most shocking revelation is yet to come. . . . Praise for Demons “Barely street-legal, Shirley’s Bosch-like visions mark him out as perhaps the closest thing contemporary American fantasy has to a genuine ‘outsider artist.’”—William Gibson “John Shirley is an adventurer, returning from dark and troubled regions with visionary tales to tell. I heartily recommend a journey with John Shirley at your side.”—Clive Barker “John Shirley writes like a runaway train. . . . Intensely suspenseful, visionary, surreal, and every bit as gritty and immediate and believable as a police report, this book will scare you, dazzle you, and delight you.”—Tim Powers

After rejoining the Texas Rangers as part of the Frontier Battalion, Josiah Wolfe must escort his old friend Charlie Langdon to trial. But the ride to the hangman?s noose isn?t going to be easy. And Wolfe?s killer instinct may be his only chance to see his son again.

In this Ralph Compton western, a lawman seeks both retribution and justice—but his time is running out.... Years ago, Marshal Asher Thrall shot mad-dog killer Ben Sharkey in the leg to save a fellow lawman. Since then, every crooked step has reminded Sharkey of the man who put a bullet in him. And he's just repaid the favor to the marshal in spades. When Ash comes to, he's all too eager to ride after his nemesis. But time is against him. Because while Sharkey shot three times, the doctor only removed two slugs. The third is still in Ash's chest—and with every breath, every heartbeat, it is moving closer to ending his life. Ash knows he's a walking dead man. But before he dies, he's going to make sure that Sharkeyis one step ahead of him. More Than Eight Million Ralph Compton Books In Print!

The latest thrilling installment in Ralph Compton's bestselling Gunfighter series. The law only caught up with the Venom Snakes and their bitter rivals, the Red Trail Gang, because they were so busy killing each other. Now, after twenty years in prison, Ashford Sinclair is broke and broken. Without his gang behind him, the once fearsome leader of the Snakes is reduced to eking out a solitary living as a fur trapper. One day, news comes that his son William has married the daughter of Henry Odell, erstwhile leader of the Red Trail Gang. Furious at his son’s betrayal, Sinclair vows he’ll never speak to him again. But when William is murdered in a land dispute and a gang of hired guns starts threatening his grandson next, Sinclair has no choice but to join forces with his most hated enemy—as the two outlaw grandpas ride for justice!

From Spur Award-winning author Charles G. West comes a blistering tale of the American West, where guns are the law, good men are outnumbered—and sudden death is a way of life . . . MASSACRE IN MONTANA Raised among the Blackfoot, John Hawk is a valuable asset to the US Army. As a military scout at Fort Ellis, he is able to cross the line between two worlds—and help keep the peace. But when he disobeys a direct order from his commander, Hawk is immediately dismissed from his post. That was the army’s first mistake. The second was losing track of a small mule train en route to Helena. At the request of his former lieutenant, Hawk leaves his cabin on the Boulder River to help find the missing party. The mule train, it appears, was ambushed by a savage gang of outlaws. Most of the travelers were murdered. Only a few survived to tell the tale. And now it’s up to Hawk to stalk the killers across the lawless Montana territory—alone. No backup. No calvary. No mercy . . . “Rarely has an author painted the great American West in strokes so bold, vivid, and true.” —Ralph Compton

Former Texas Rangers Benton McCaleb, Will Elliot, and Brazos Gifford ride with Charles Goodnight as he rounds up thousands of ornery, unbranded cattle for the long drive to Colorado. From the Trinity River brakes to Denver, they'll battle endless miles of flooded rivers, parched desert, and whiskey-crazed Comanches. And come face-to-face with Judge Roy Bean and legendary gunslingers like Clay Allison. For McCaleb and his hard-riding crew, the drive is a fierce struggle against the perils of an untamed land. A fight to the finish where the brave reach glory—or die hard.