The Western Fiction Shelf

Half a Pig and Other Stories of the West
Matthew P. Mayo
Five Star Publishing
c/o Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210
https://www.gale.com/five-star
www.cengageptr.com
9781432898090, $25.95, HC, 303pp

https://www.amazon.com/Half-Pig-Other-Stories-West/dp/1432898094

Synopsis: "Half a Pig and Other Stories of the West" is a collection of eig= hteen frontier tales by Matthew P. Mayo that includes his previously unpubl= ished novella, "Trouble at Tall Pine", starring ever-popular Roamer, noble = loner forever trying to lose himself in the West.

In this special anthology the reader will find the lynching-inspired Spur A= ward finalist title story, 'Half a Pig'; the bone-cold, eye-for-an-eye dram=
a of Will Rogers Medallion Award-winning 'Peaches'; the clanking, clockwork=
gundown of Peacemaker Award finalist 'Scourge of the Spoils'; and numerous=
other critically acclaimed short stories, including the noir-tinged pages =
of 'Snows of Montana' and 'Snake Farm.'

The there's the classic Western barroom showdown in 'Just Once,' the time-t= ravel nightmare of 'Been a Long Time,' and the brutal hunter/hunted chase n= ovella 'Bloodline.' The freaky shaman's subterranean rituals in 'The Witch = Hole' rival the grim comeuppance of a truly bad seed in 'Pay the Ferryman.'=
And then there's the mysterious journal of the gritty disappearance of an = inveterate rover in 'Lucky Tam'.

Of special note is the inclusion of five bold and brassy adventures of that=
silent, noble loner, Roamer, and his jug-hoisting mentor, crusty mountain = man, Maple Jack, including the heretofore unpublished 'Trouble at Tall Pine=
..

"Half a Pig and Other Stories of the West" is a memorable compendium of sho=
rt stories that are as varied and as surprising as the assortment of bottle=
s lining the mirror-backed bar in Lucky's Gambling Hall and Saloon!

Critique: A fun and memorable read throughout, "Half a Pig and Other Storie=
s of the West", is an anthology of short stories by western author Matthew =
P. Mayo that is particularly and especially recommended for both personal r= eading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Matthew P. Mayo (www.MatthewMayo.com) is the author of thir= ty-plus books and dozens more short stories. His novel, "Stranded: A Story =
of Frontier Survival" won the prestigious Western Heritage Wrangler Award f=
or Outstanding Western Novel by the National Cowboy Western Heritage Museum=
, as well as the Spur Award for Best Western Juvenile Fiction by the Wester=
n Writers of America. His novel, "Tucker's Reckoning" won the Spur Award fo=
r Best Western Novel, and his short stories have been Spur Award and Peacem= aker Award finalists.

Killstraight Returns
Johnny D. Boggs
Five Star Publishing
c/o Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210
https://www.gale.com/five-star
www.cengageptr.com
9781432899912, $25.95, HC, 253pp

https://www.amazon.com/Killstraight-Returns-Daniel-Novel/dp/1432899910

Synopsis: Returning home to the Comanche reservation after spending seven y= ears learning the ways of the white man, Daniel Killstraight discovers that=
his childhood friend Jimmy has been hanged for a crime he did not commit a=
nd agrees to help Jimmy's mother prove her late son's innocence -- even at = the risk of his own life.

Critique: Part of western author Johnny D. Boggs' Daniel Killstraight serie=
s, "Killstraight Returns" is set in the 1892 Comanche reservation in southe=
rn Oklahoma and offers the reader a deftly crafted adventure story with a N= ative American as the hero. Entertaining, compelling, deftly crafted, and h= ighly recommended for community library Western Fiction collections, it sho= uld be noted for fans of western action/adventure stories that "Killstraigh=
t Returns" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).

Editorial Note: Johnny D. Boggs (www.johnnydboggs.com) has won six Spur Awa= rds from Western Writers of America, a Western Heritage Wrangler Award from=
the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, and has been called by Bo= oklist magazine "among the best western writers at work today". He also wri= tes for numerous magazines, including True West, Wild West, Boys' Life and = Western Art & Architecture, speaks and lectures often, studies old movies (= Westerns and film noir).

Branded
Jon Armour
Decker Place Publishing
https://www.instagram.com/deckerplacepublishing
9798218063870, $24.99, PB, 606pp

https://www.amazon.com/Branded-Jon-Armour/dp/B0BFWNGQZK

Synopsis: Although a work of fiction, "Branded" by Jon Armour is based on a=
true story of one of the most notorious cattle rustlers in the modern West=
and details the larger-than-life events and exciting, colorful, humorous a= ntics of a cowboy named Bob as he is chased by the Texas Rangers, FBI, scor= ned women, fraught investors. His nemesis none other than Diamond Jim and t=
he cowboy is still affixed on those precious thoughts of wide-open spaces, = beautiful cowgirls and a herd of cattle as far as the eye could see.

A charming character and bristling, energetic man, will this be the Texas c= owboy's final ride into a last sunset? -- Or possibly into something much h= otter!

Critique: A massive saga of a story that is all the more impressive when co= nsidering that "Branded" is author Jon Armour's debut as a novelist. It is =
an inherently riveting read and the stuff of which block-buster movies are = made. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library c= ollections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Branded" is=
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Jon Armour (https://jonarmour-author.com) is a Texas author=
who has long held an internal yearning to write novels portraying humorous=
but tragic life situations.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
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(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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