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The Floating Outfit #56
The Rio Hondo War
They came from the East--well-dressed men with greed in their hearts and money in their wallets. They thought nothing could stop them and their hired guns from taking over. But when they chose the Rio Hondo country they chose wrong. For that put them up against an outfit called the O.D. Connected, run by a mild-mannered Texan named Dusty Fog.
- GenresWesterns
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 24, 1970
About the author
J.T. Edson
184 books81 followersJohn Thomas Edson is an English writer of Westerns.
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 18, 2023
This was a great book. I haven't read any of the other floating outfit books but i will after finishing this one. This book has action. With a gruesome championship boxing match, a cougar hunt, a femme fatale, a standoff with a crooked sheriff, a hired assassin and a shootout with bandidos at the cantina all within 180 pages this book moves quickly without feeling rushed. If you like a good, no frills western then you'll probably like this.
July 11, 2023
Cowboy v city slicker
Stillwater reckoned he could break the OF Connected and Double B and take over Too Hindi County. He failed to recognise the abilities of Dusty Fog
Stillwater reckoned he could break the OF Connected and Double B and take over Too Hindi County. He failed to recognise the abilities of Dusty Fog
November 29, 2012
This is one of my favorite stories and is one of only a handful that actually take place in the Floating Outfit's home territory. A ruthless eastern businessman has his sights on cashing in on the wealth brought by Texas ranching. But of all of the great lone star state he picks the Rio Hondo country. He fondly believes that he can turn the ignorant hicks against one another but he seriously underestimates the bonds between the Hardin, Fog and Blaze clans who have made the Rio Hondo their home. His partner is along for one purpose, revenge on Captain Dusty Fog whom he believes murdered his only son during the Civil War. While shopping for someone to take him out they run into a Texas man who claims not to be scared of Dusty. Johnny Raybolt has no reason to be scared of Dusty or the rest of the floating outfit, as a former Wedge rider he counts them among his closest friends. But a band of outlaws from below the border count no one as friends and when they murder a rider from the Double B ranch they bring the full wrath of the clans down on them. The men from back east wondered why everyone was scared to face Dusty Fog and his men. They were about to find out why...
July 21, 2016
I love these stories, I've worked hard to collect the entire series.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews