Silver City: A Novel of the American West

Cash McLendon #3

by Jeff Guinn

Cash McLendon faces off against stone-cold enforcer Killer Boots in a final showdown in this rousing Western adventure from the  New York Times bestselling author of  Buffalo Trail— winner of the TCU Texas Book Award.

Cash McLendon, reluctant hero of the epic Indian battle at Adobe Walls, has journeyed to Mountain View in the Arizona Territory with one to convince Gabrielle Tirrito that he’s a changed man and win her back from schoolteacher Joe Saint.

As they’re about to depart by stage for their new life in San Francisco, Gabrielle is kidnapped by enforcer Killer Boots, who is working on orders from crooked St. Louis businessman Rupert Douglass. Cash, once married to Douglass’s troubled daughter, fled the city when she died of accidental overdose—and Douglass vowed he’d track Cash down and make him pay.

Now McLendon, accompanied by Joe Saint and Major Mulkins, hits the trail in pursuit of Gabrielle and Killer Boots, hoping to make a trade before it’s too late...

Genres: Westerns, Historical Fiction, Fiction

400 pages, Hardcover

Published January 24, 2017

About the author

Jeff Guinn is a former journalist who has won national, regional and state awards for investigative reporting, feature writing, and literary criticism.

Guinn is also the bestselling author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction including, but not limited to: Go Down Together: The True Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde (which was a finalist for an Edgar Award in 2010); The Last Gunfight: The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral - and How It Changed the West; Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson; and The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple.

Jeff Guinn is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters, and the Texas Literary Hall of Fame. He appears as an expert guest in documentaries and on television programs on a variety of topics.

Guinn lives in Fort Worth, Texas.

Reviews

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 🌟

Nice to see another of Cash McLendon's adventures. Hope he has fun.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received the advance reader copy of this book free as I was selected a winner in a Goodreads give away. I would rate this western as 3 1/2 stars. Silver City is the third book in this series that can be read as a stand alone novel as readers are quickly brought up to speed of previous happenings. Cash "CM" McClendon is our main character arriving in the Arizona territory town of Hope Valley after surviving a battle with Native Americans where he & others were greatly outnumbered. Cash comes to Hope Valley with the intent on winning back the love of Gabrielle. Cash had previously been in love with Gabrielle in St. Louis only to leave her and marry the daughter of a wealthy businessman Mr. Douglas. His bride later died from an accidental overdose of opium. Mr. Douglas wants Cash dead now as he feels his daughter's death was Cash's fault. Douglas sends a giant of a man known as Killer Boots out west to find McClendon to bring him back to St. Louis so Douglas can watch him be killed. Killer Boots had tracked down McClendon 2 years earlier in Glorious but McClendon was able to get away with the help of Sheriff Joe Saint. Now Joe Saint is a school teacher in Hope Valley and also in love with Gabrielle. Will McClendon be able to win Gabrielle's love away from Saint? Will Cash be able to avoid the wrath of Killer Boots a second time? Those readers that enjoy westerns will enjoy this book. Not a lot of fun shooting violence as gunplay was scarce and only used when absolutely necessary, otherwise a lot of "but buffaloing" with with pistol grips upside the cranium.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dont read many westerns, but I have found myself enjoying this 3 part series by the author. This the 3rd and I think the last in the series, that began with Buffalo Trail, and the 2nd part Glourious. A quick read I read it over the weekend. It wasn't a bad way to pass a rainy day.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

1874, AZ. Cash McLendon has been on the run from Patrick “Killer Boots” Brautigan, since Ellen McLendon (nee Douglass) died.
Rupert Douglass (wealthy industrialist) wants Cash found & brought back to him. He feels his daughter’s death was his fault.
Yrs. ago in St. Louis Cash had sought out Gabrielle Tirrito to be his suitor.
Mountain View, AZ (Pinal Mts.). Gabrielle took care of her father Salvatore Tirrito because he was very ill. She also worked at the White Horse Hotel as a receptionist.

Major Mulkins owned it.
Gabrielle also fancied Sheriff Joe Saint.
The Ritz Saloon catered to everyone.
McGee “Mac” Fielding (Mountain View Herald newspaper editor) had heard a wild frontier story about Cash & wanted to interview him.
With some reluctance, he finally agreed.
Patrick Brautigan solicited Ike Clanton. He seemed to know the whereabouts of Cash.

He would be richly awarded for his efforts.
Would Killer Boots finally catch up with Cash?
Will Gabrielle pick Sheriff Saint or Cash for her suitor?
Will Killer Boots get Cash returned to Rupert?

Warning: This book is for adults only & contains extreme violent or graphic adult content or profanity &/or sexually explicit scenarios. It may be offensive to some readers.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great movie, an animated cartoon or better yet a mini TV series. I’m pretty sure Pearl Zane Grey returned from the dead. My top 25 list of 2017. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free Goodreads; MakingConnections; G.P. Putnam’s Sons; (Penguin Random House LLC.); UCP; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[James Wingerter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging read and page turner. I am annoyed at some of the characters and plot points. But overall it is a worthwhile read that keeps the reader engaged

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume is the third of a series set in the old west. Though Guinn uses some historical characters, he uses them in a fictitious manner, and with the exceptions of the Native Americans, makes little effort to feature them in an historically accurate manner. For example, Ike Clanton was little more than an imbecile, and Guinn's rendering does little to display that.

The story is well written and without this installment we would not know what would become of our hero and his romance with Gabrielle. This time, Brautigan ("Killer Boots") shows up to capture Cash, but being unable to do so, kidnaps Gabrielle and offers her as an exchange for Cash. Cash commits an act of sacrifice and offers himself in exchange. From there, Gabrielle determines to go after Cash and rescue him as Brautigan escorts him across Arizona. Along the way, they will meet up with Geronimo himself, off the reservation on a raid.

Guinn does make a minor error in regards to equipment used to ride horses. He refers to pulling on a hackamore inside a horse's mouth. A hackamore goes across the bridge of the horse's nose with a swivel piece under the horse's chin. It is sometimes used on a very young horse to prevent damage to the horse's mouth, but usually used on a horse that somehow won't work with a bit, perhaps because of damage done at another time to the horse's mouth. However, this is a minor error and doesn't really detract from the story.

Taken as a fictional account, a western, I think the author would've done better leaving the historical figures out, but as a typical western this one is as good as any... I enjoyed it and couldn't wait to see how the group would overcome this obstacle.

[Thomas Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

More engaging than Buffalo Trail, SIlver City continues the tale of Cash McLendon and his pursuit of Gabrielle Tiritto. Cash travels back to Arizona to attempt to win Gabrielle's hand from her current suitor Joe Saint Not knowing that Patrick Brautigan is hot on his trail, he undertakes ingratiating himself into her life in Mountain View, becoming a local celebrity much to his dismay. Found once again by Brautigan, Cash and his friends must find a way to extricate him from being returned to St. Louis for torture and death in front of his former father-in-law. Includes cameos from Ike Clanton and Geronimo.

[Kristin Poley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific end to the trilogy! This book was action-packed but centered more on characters' emotions than previous books, which made the ending seem more personal. My one complaint - and this is the same complaint I had about book #2 - is the doubling up of events in text. You read an event from one perspective, but instead of continuing forward with the plot from another perspective, you re-read the same event from someone else's point of view. It's redundant at times. The end of "killer boots" was perhaps a bit anti-climatic, but overall I was not disappointed.

[Josh Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re in the mood for a good, old-fashioned, Western, this is the series for you (I haven’t yet read Glorious, the first book in the series, but I can’t imagine it’s bad). The author takes historical fiction to a new level and makes you feel like you’re a part of it. I know where I’ll be turning whenever I have to quench my desire for a Western.
#dodgecity #silvercitynm #cowboy #mamasdontletyourbabiesgrowuptobecowboys

[MAYO · Rating 5 out of 5]

This final book didn't hold back on stirring up emotions! Although it starts a bit slow, adventure awaits in the finale of this story and left me riding off into the sunset with a thrill only the Wild West can provide.

[RJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sadistic killer, a woman who must choose between two men, neither of whom is outstanding, a
rescue chase, and some Apaches, including Geronimo, thrown in, serve as the basis of this book. I tend to remember the story more than any historical facts about the old West.

[Rebecca Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. A good follow-up to Glorious. I love a good Western.
This is exciting and brimming with interesting characters.

[Carolynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story set in the Wild West, good story!

[Kelly Hemrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm new to the Cash McLendon series, and was excited about reading this book. But I found it hard to read/follow, and I didn't finish it.

[Quirky Shauna · Rating 2 out of 5]

My 500th book on Goodreads. I wish it was an amazing read. Alas, it was lackluster. 2.5 stars. A western for a change of pace and a male writer's perspective.

[Cody Ponsler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of the three Cash Mclendon books, they each seemed to be slightly less better than the one before.

[Brett T · Rating 2 out of 5]

Journalist Jeff Guinn has explored a number of unsavory characters in his non-fiction books, including Charles Manson, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Cash McLendon, the protagonist of his three Western novels so far, can be a weak man now and again but is nothing like the criminals Guinn has profiled.

Which doesn't mean there aren't unsavory characters in the McLendon novels, and 2017's Silver City brings back one from the initial story, Glorious, to settle things between them once and for all. Ted "Killer Boots" Brautigan has been dispatched westward once again because word of Cash's appearance has reached his former father-in-law, Rupert Douglass. Douglass frequently uses Brautigan for deadly work he can't accomplish with his wealth, and sends him out to bring Cash back.

Brautigan will team with a pre-O.K. Corral Ike Clanton to home in on Cash and get him out of the bustling frontier town of Silver City by kidnapping Gabrielle Tirrito, the woman Cash moved west to find and ask for forgiveness. Cash and Gabrielle's other suitor, schoolteacher Joe Saint, pursue Brautigan prepared to take his life or sacrifice their own in order to rescue her.

Silver City is easily the least of the three Cash McLendon novels so far. Its opening act, with Cash finding his way in Silver City and enjoying the blessings of fame that come with survival of the Adobe Wells battle, is light and fun, and helps demonstrate the depth of character our rather shallow hero has developed since we first met him. Once Brautigan makes his move, though, we settle in for a grinding chase story that rinses and repeats until the end of the novel. Brautigan is brutal to Gabrielle. Cash and Joe Saint hate each other. Brautigan is brutal to Gabrielle. Brautigan is brutal to Cash. Silver City might have made an interesting novella or even short story, but as a 400-page book it's a chore -- and although chores are necessary it's a very rare one indeed that you actually enjoy doing.

Original available here.

[Kev Willoughby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad finish to the trilogy, which takes place in the Arizona territory, although the initial installment in the series, "Glorious," still stands out as the absolute best story in the group. Fans of the 1993 classic movie, "Tombstone," will enjoy the appearance of Ike Clanton, who is no stranger to this series. In fact, the mix of fact and fiction by author Jeff Guinn makes for a fascinating storyline throughout.

Generally speaking, there aren't enough good books in the western genre. For the series as a whole, the relationship between Cash McLendon and Gabrielle Torrito is what kept me reading through all three books.

In the first book, Cash almost gets the girl, but through heartbreaking circumstances beyond his control, he loses her at the end. In the second book ("Buffalo Trail") Gabrielle is not even a main character (which made for a frustrating read). Early in "Silver City," Cash finally wins Gabrielle, but less than 24 hours later, she is kidnapped by the villain, and thus the plot unfolds as Cash attempts to bring her back. One of the treats of this series as a whole is the authentic vernacular of all the characters. I love the 19th century style of conversation, or conversing, as it were. This one particular element gives the book a style and character all its own and makes for an endearing read.

I won't spoil the ending, but as a seasoned reader, I'm not accustomed to the resolution coming on the very last page of the book. Usually, the plot is resolved somewhere before the last chapter, and then the last chapter is customarily reserved for the denouement. This book ends abruptly, and there is no afterword. Maybe Guinn has a 4th book up his sleeve? Regardless, I'd still like to see a movie from the original installment: Glorious.

In summary, if you only check out one book in the series, "Glorious" is the one you want to read. But even if you haven't read "Glorious," I like the way that Guinn, in "Silver City," catches the reader up on the most important happenings from the first two books. In that sense, this book can stand alone and you'll still get a full story.

Happy Reading!

[Gryffindorable Fox · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never read a western before, so I do not have anything to compare this book to in that genre. That being said, this book from a story standpoint was terrible. Maybe this is partly because this is book 3 of a series, but that definitely isn't the only reason. This book was tedious to finish. I actually only finished because as a favor to my friend. First, the character names were laughable (pun-like) if not just juvenile and the characters themselves were so impractical. The main character, Cash McLendon, makes me think of a bank. Cash is a very inspipid character. He isn't brave. Former Sheriff Joe Saint, who is too "gentle and good" compared to the scoundrel McLendon. Saint does nothing but whine.thay much tlThe "heinous" Brautigan (Killer Boots), whom wasn't really so villainous as they tried to convince everyone that he was, at least not all the time. Throughout the book, he often said and did quite normal and civilized conversations and upheld decency, especially towards Gabrielle, who I couldn't stand the entire book. She wasn't a strong character and her character development escalated so dramatically then swung back again that I was given whiplash. She went from chaste or at least trying to keep up the vision of being chaste, to spurned, to then using Saint as a consolidation prize, to being desperately devoted and in love with McLendon, only to become murderous then switch back to being irresolute about who was wants. The man she wants in a shallow way or the one she settled for. Oh, and the depiction of the indigenous was so offensive.

[John Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third in the saga of Cash McLendon, which began in the novel Glorious.
Fresh from his battle with Indians at the battle of Adobe Walls, Cash lights out to Mountain View, Arizona, where his love Gabrielle Tirrito lives with her ailing father.

There are complications in Mountain View; first in the form Joe Saint sheriff of Glorious now a school teacher, who Gabrielle as feeling for. If that were all then it would be a love story in the Old West. The second and biggest problem arrive in the form of Patrick Bautigan better known as "Killer Boots" for the steel tip toed shoes. Evil Cuss too.

In the first book Brautigan was sent out to kill Cash by his boss the rich baron Robert Douglass, but failed. Now he's back to bring Cash to St. Louis to be murdered in front Douglass.

Guinn is terrific in his description of 1874 towns, people, and locations. Ike Clanton and an Apache named Goyathlay (known as Geronimo) make appearances.

I hope that Jeff Guinn continues to write historical fiction of the Old West. I'd saddle up with him anytime.

[Beth Yeary]

After recieving this book from Goodreads, I once again read a wwestern. After getting away from reading westerns in somthiing like 20 years, it was nice to go back to the genre. I did come in at the end of a sweies, but it stood alone nicely.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have not read many westerns so I can't really compare this one to others. It was a nice book and read quickly I did not read the ones before it but this one was ok on its own.

[Michael Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, entertaining western spin. I needed this escape.

[WANDA HARRISON]

THERE IS LOVE, ROMANCE, ESPIONAGE AND HIRED ASSASINS ENOUGH TO KEEP THE READER IN SUSPENSE AND TURNING PAGE AFTER PAGE. MR. GUINN HAS SUPERBLY DEFINED HIS CHARACTERS IN THIS OLD WEST ADVENTURE. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO THE ADVENTURE SEEKER AND ROMANTIC ALIKE.
CHARLES R. HARRISON

[Art · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cash McLendon's western adventures continue, this time with supporting appearances by Geronimo and Ike Clanton.

Cash has traveled to Mountain View, Arizona Territory, to try to rewin the heart of his former love. But he is still being pursued by a hired killer and his past life in St. Louis.

This novel is not as good as the previous entry in the series. But I have a weakness for the West and will continue to follow the characters and the series.