Short Westerns

A remarkable collection of stories, Bad Dirt is filled with the vivid characters for which Annie Proulx has become known. In every story in this book, Proulx displays her wit and her knowledge of the West, of history, and, most of all, of characters who must use sheer will and courage to make it in tough territory.

Retired sheriff Owen Parson has been called back home to bury his father. His mother, eldest brother, and young sister are in attendance, but his younger brother Gil Parson is nowhere to be found. Gil is a gambler and a drunkard who frequents the seedy saloons and whorehouses of wild Arizona. When Owen Parson arrives at the town of Prescott, he finds his brother sobering up inside a jail cell. Gil has been arrested on suspicion of murder, a charge that he adamantly denies.

When you hear the term "western tales" most likely the name Zane Grey pops into your mind. but these three authors who lived around the same time as Grey are a welcome addition to Western Lore. This boxed set includes stories by either contemporaries of, or authors who followed in the footsteps of Zane Grey. Max Brand, a major influencer of Louis Lamour, Charles Selzer who lived in Zane's shadow for most of his life, and Jim Kirkegaard, who came later but had the same love of the outdoors and adventure as all of these writers.

Tim Beckdolt, rangy and self-reliant, is as American as the frontier itself. But after spending eight treacherous months digging $175,000 in gold out of Desperation Peak - all he has left is desperation. Two sadistic strangers have taken his gold, and now they want to take his life. He's on the run - the target of a Devil’s Manhunt.

Lance Gordon’s running out of room and time. Back in the Sierras he killed the man who murdered his father. Unfortunately that man turned out to be a Deputy Marshal, and now Lance has a price on his head. Like Alan Ladd as Shane, Lance wants only to live in peace, but he’ll have to go through hell to get there. Running from the law and the cavalry, Lance heads for the one place no sheriff or soldier will go—into the territory ruled by The Baron of Coyote River.

More than any writer before or since, Louis L'Amour brought the American West to life. His action-packed stories deal with eternal themes: honor, deceit, passion, betrayal, loyalty, courage, love. His settings are historically accurate, his prose riveting, and his characters colorful: good guys, bad guys, toughs, roughs, sidekicks, and saints.

A travers l'immensité des prairies vierges du Far-West, les chemins des Indiens, des pionniers, des cow-boys et des brigands se croisent aux abords d'une ville naissante, où tous convergent. Les frères Jeff et Brad, le médecin Gifford, le bandit Quibble, l'Indienne Eau-qui-court-sur-la-plaine, l'aventureux Elie.

Sherlock Holmes-worshiping cowboys Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer have starred in five Holmes on the Range novels, rustling up award nominations and fans aplenty as they cracked mysteries using the methods of their English hero. How did these Old West drifters first discover Holmes, though? What were they doing before their novel adventures began? And how did their early, awkward stabs at "deducifying" turn out? These seven short stories provide the answers.

Jessie McKay has accepted her marriage to Luke McKay wasn’t perfect. After two years of widowhood, she’s ready to kick up her bootheels - until Luke’s younger brother shows up to spoil her fun. But if Brandt thinks she’ll ever take orders from another McKay male, he’s got manure for brains. Brandt McKay has avoided his sweet, sexy sister-in-law ever since the night he confessed his feelings for her weren’t the brotherly type.

Five siblings. Five obligations. Five chances at sizzling, unexpected love.

Widower Caleb Jefferson is the blacksmith in Cutter’s Creek with no desire to fall in love again. But after an incident at church, he finally sees his daughter needs a mother — and a mail order bride might be his best option. Audrey Norris has just learned her late husband had many secrets — including a house note she can’t pay. With her daughter and mother depending on her for support, her options are few and mostly undesirable.

Here are 16 stories, where good meets bad, and everything in between, from the legendary author of the West, Elmer Kelton. Law of the Land chronicles some of his most exciting and dangerous tales of the Old West, collected together for the first time - including the exciting first publication of a never-before published Kelton story, “Biscuits for Bandit”.

Eighteen-year-old Lee Thompson has a chip on his shoulder and a mission in his heart to save his dad, an aging sheriff who’s lost control of his town. Old Diehard’s lost control of his town, and it seems every outcast and outlaw west of the Mississippi is on the prowl in Wolf River, Montana. Now Lee’s come all the way from Texas to stand up for his father, a man who hasn’t seen him since he was a boy and who doesn’t know him from Adam.

Lynn Taylor and his kid brother Frank may not be angels, but they’re not devils, either. They’re just a couple of men - two-fisted Texans who have landed on the wrong side of a corrupt lawman. Young Frank’s been framed for robbery, rustling, and murder, and if Lynn doesn’t think fast, his brother’s going to end up the guest of dishonor at a hanging party. Lynn cooks up a daring plan to clear his brother’s name and rope in the real outlaw.

He’s handsome. He’s charming. He’s a total gentleman ... and he’s totally outgunned and outnumbered. He’s Michael Patrick Obañon. Obañon’s lost his inheritance—a 100,000-acre New Mexico spread—and he could lose his life if he’s not careful. A ruthless band of renegades have seized his land, and he’s determined to get it back... Obañon’s got one secret weapon: his fierce intelligence. He can’t outshoot the outlaws, so he’ll have to find a way to outwit them....

Three Western Short Stories from best-selling author Carl Dane, including: Delta of The Dying Souls, The Mountain of Slow Madness, and Fury on the Far Horizon.

Immerse yourself in this unforgettable collection of Western short stories that brings the grit, adventure, and spirit of the Old West to life. Perfect for lovers of frontier tales, this anthology is packed with vivid depictions of the American West, where lawmen, outlaws, cowboys, and settlers battle against both the elements and each other. Each story plunges listeners into a world of dusty trails, saloon brawls, and gunfights at high noon, where justice is swift and often brutal.

Jon Talbot is a history professor who makes sense of the past by examining facts. He also knows how to speculate about the what-ifs. Jon’s doing both following the death of his wife, Pax. Driving home late from a volunteer assignment, she plunged off a mountain highway and died. The police find nothing suspicious about the facts: a deer in the road, a blown tire, a broken neck. But the what-ifs are leading Jon down a twisting trail of secrets. After five years of marriage, he is finally getting to know his wife.

From the dusty Great Depression to the far future to the Wild West to the era of big-fin automobiles, soda shops, and double features, as well as dark journey on an icy ocean full of ravenous sharks and a fantastic shipwreck that leads its survivors into a nightmarish Lovecraftian world of monsters and mystery, Joe R. Lansdale returns with a pack of stories for your consumption and enjoyment.

Louis L'Amour (1908-1988) is a world-renowned novelist and short story writer noted primarily for his stories of the Western frontier. L'Amour was born in Jamestown, North Dakota, and led an active, world-roaming life as, among other things, a seaman, longshoreman, rancher, miner, lumberjack, and boxer before focusing on writing after World War II. L'Amour was awarded both the Congressional Gold Medal and the Medal of Freedom and is one of America's best-selling fiction authors.