Fool's Gold

Tombstone Trilogy #1

by pdmac

US Marshal Mason Sadler has a great hustle going on with the vivacious and lovely Belle Dubois, the madam of the Bird Cage Theater in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. She keeps the outlaws occupied until he conveniently shows up to arrest them after which she and Mason split the reward. Their business arrangement is going rather well until the wealthy inventor and archaeologist Henry Mitchell decides to make a play for Belle’s attention and affection. After all, he’s single while Mason is stuck in a marriage to a woman who prefers laudanum to marital bliss. But does Henry really desire Belle or is his interest a deflection from his true intentions, for gold from the Seven Cities of Cibola has been discovered in the mining hills of Tombstone. Two men desperately want to keep the discovery a secret – Caleb, the old miner who found the treasure, and Henry who has spent the past several years hunting for it. Unfortunately for Caleb, Henry has no qualms about using whatever means necessary to take what he wants, even if it means murder and kidnapping. Regrettably for Belle, she eventually gets in the way. With the help of two Chiricahua machinists, Mason sets out to stop Henry’s escape and rescue Belle. But everyone has failed to take into consideration two dead conquistadors who are not quite ready to part with the gold.

Genres: Westerns

338 pages, Paperback

Published October 22, 2015

About the author

pdmac spent a career in the US Army before transitioning to education as a university Academic Dean. He transitioned again and now writes fulltime. He has a MA in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in Theology. He is a member of the Blue Ridge Writers Guild, the Steampunk Writers and Artists Guild, and the Georgia Writers Association. A diverse author, writer, and editor, he has also edited a Literature anthology, served as managing editor of an archaeology magazine, ghost-written an autobiography, and has had poems, short stories, articles, and editorials published in various literary journals, magazines and newspapers. His most recent short stories appear in the Short Story America anthologies III and IV, Poets in Hell, The Mulberry Fork Review, and the Fantasy Anthology Chronicles of Mirstone. He has also sung back-up for Broadway plays, provided voice for radio plays, and acted and directed theater stage productions. In his off time, he and his wife enjoy cycling, kayaking, and occasionally backpacking sections of the Appalachian Trail. Additionally, he and his wife love to travel, their favorite place so far being Crete, Greece.

Reviews

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
""May we always find what we look for.""
The goldrush is on and Tombstone is busy. The beautiful Belle runs the only entertainment in town and she and the sheriff have a nice little sideline earner collecting bounties. Meanwhile, two men have staked claims near to each other, one the reclusive old timer, a real loser, who just about makes enough from his claim to keep body and soul together, and the other a newcomer to the town, a renowned archeologist looking for artifacts. But neither is quite what he seems.
An almost classic western setting apart from the steampunk influence, with flying machines and a wood burning car, this is a fun story, with great characterisations. Lots of dastardly deeds, too. Very colourful.
The narration is also good, a very pleasantly voiced Steve Wannell bringing life to the characters with individualistic personalities. His reading of the text was also well paced and clear. Just a downturn in cadence at the end of many sentences began, after a while, to irritate this listener - only slight but still a distraction. Otherwise, an excellent performance.

My thanks to the rights holder of Fools Gold, who freely gifted me with a complimentary copy of Fools Gold, via Audiobook Boom. Good fun and, for anyone looking for a light, unusual and character-filled Western, well worth reading.

[RJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

They’re calling this a steampunk western because it includes several steam-powered vehicles and/or inventions, which a few of the characters were utilizing. In fact this is a wonderfully written mystery/thriller with a western flavor. As you progress into the story more twists and turns are made known. I was quite impressed as I found the story getting better and more interesting as I dove deeper into the tale. The writing is excellent and cleverly done. The characters are likable and interesting and so well fleshed out that not a lot of background was necessary. Narration by Steve Wannall was excellent as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will look for more from pdmac. This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

[Craig Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. At first, it started slow, and read like a traditional western. It was enjoyable, but probably a 3-4 star book. However, that changed as the book continued on. The depth of the story, characters, and emotions was beautifully done. I found myself rooting for characters, and hating other characters. The steampunk added in was done well, as all the inventions were, and the fantasy element threw me for a bit of a shock when it appeared, nothing too crazy, more like Stephen King light fantasy elements with his horror. But at first, I thought it came from left field, and I was like, "What is this, there was no foreshadowing at all." Then it clicked. There was foreshadowing, and it was so subtle that I nearly missed it. A touch of dialog scattered throughout the book between characters was all the foreshadowing needed. I had the privilege of meeting this author at a local convention, and picked up his fantasy book, then found this book on audible. I look forward to checking more out by the author.

[timj26 · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of westerns I was presently surprised by this one
The old west with advanced steampunk Technology but doesn’t go overboard with it
The zombies are not your typical brain eaters and fit nicely in the story
Very original and well narrated highly recommended
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read from author P.D. Mac. I love a good mystery and I love Steampunk. This book has both. I don't restrict my reading to any particular genre. Instead, I'm a sucker for anything with memorable characters & a story that keeps me on the edge of my seat until the end. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. Narrator Steven Wannalls talented narration added greatly to the enjoyment of the book.
(RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018)