The Marshal of Blazing Gulch by the late prolific multi-genre British author Denis Hughes (
ISFDB,
SFE), is his vintage standalone western historical action novel, starring a wandering newcomer who gets caught in the midst of an escalating feud between two formerly friendly ranchers now turned deadly enemies, and is appointed town marshal by the locals in the hopes of ending the dispute once and for all, free courtesy of publisher Endeavour Press' Pioneering imprint, who are e-printing it from its 1958 edition originally out from publisher Herbert Jenkins using the Ken Kester pseudonym.
Currently free @
Amazon (available to Canadians & in the
UK and pretty much everywhere else that Amazon sells worldwide, since this is being done via their KDP Select exclusive-or-else program)
Description
Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer…
Karl Oetzman and Lou Chanley used to be buddies.
But Oetzman blames Chanley for the death of his brother and since then, they have been battling for control of Blazing Gulch.
Now, the feud is threatening to turn into all out war, with neither of the two hombres, or the strong-minded women by their side, are willing to back down.
When Texan Rusty McCade arrives in town he is offered work by both sides.
But McCade has no interest in their feud and, despite his expert gun-wielding skills, he only wants peace for Blazing Gulch.
He may be old and approaching retirement, but the town Marshal is determined to minimise bloodshed and keep the two gangs from all out warfare.
But when he falls victim to an attack by a group of merciless boarder bandits, Tindall personally requests that McCade takes over his badge.
Despite his doubts, the townspeople vote in favour of the Texan becoming their new Marshal and so he must find a way to stop the fighting once and for all.
But when McCade's old nemesis is hired by Oetzman, the risk of death becomes even greater, and McCade’s own life is suddenly in grave danger.
Will the Texan be able to make the two old ranchers see sense?
Or will Blazing Gulch be ripped apart by the senseless feuding?
Only McCade, the new Marshal of Blazing Gulch, can save the town from itself.
With action and adventure from the start, Marshal of the Blazing Gulch is a classic western, reminiscent of Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour.