Trouble Rides Tall / Cross the Red Creek / Desert Stake-Out

by Harry Whittington, David Laurence Wilson (Introduction)

TROUBLE RIDES Bryant Shafter is the trouble marshal. Town leaders call him in when they need a gun to quiet things down. Which is why Bry settled in Pony Wells. But now the town is under control. They don’t need him anymore—more particularly, they don’t need to be paying his salary. Even his young deputy, Zach Adams, thinks it’s time he moved on. So when three businessmen from Gravehead make him an offer to leave Pony Wells to clean up their town, he’s sorely tempted—holding down the law is what Bry does best. Until a young prostitute named Glory is found murdered. Until the town bosses hire their own guns. Until a young buck named Rio, out to prove himself, comes gunning for him. Now Bry’s got a townful of trouble.CROSS THE RED Jim Gilmore is on the run from the rumors that plague him. When he is mistaken for a bank robber in Kiowa, Wyoming, he decides to take a stand. He knows he’s innocent, so he turns himself in—and is acquitted. But he remains guilty in the eyes of the town folk. Still, Gilmore is looking for a place to settle down, and decides that Kiowa is no worse than anywhere else. People will talk wherever you go. But trouble seems to follow Gilmore, and he is soon accused of another robbery. This time he figures it’s personal, and if he doesn’t find out who’s trying to frame him, he might find himself at the end of noose instead.DESERT There is an epidemic at San Carlos, and Blade Merrick is riding the medicine wagon across Apache territory. That’s when he meets up with Hardhead Charley Clinton, his son Billy, and Perch Fisher… and Valerie, headed out West with her husband. They had all just met when they were attacked by Apaches. Merrick leads them to a water hole he knows about. Merrick has been here before—this is where he found the bullet-ridden body of his brother. Now, he has a new problem, because the Clinton gang wants to go to Fort Ambush, in the opposite direction. And they’ve got the guns to back up their request. Merrick finds himself torn between the returning Apaches, the desperation of three hardened men, and the most desirable woman he has ever met in his life.

Genres: Westerns

338 pages, Paperback

Published August 8, 2016

About the author

He also wrote under the names Ashley Carter, Harriet Kathryn Myers, and Blaine Stevens, Curt Colman, John Dexter, Tabor Evans, Whit Harrison, Kel Holland, Suzanne Stephens, Clay Stuart, Hondo Wells, Harry White, Hallam Whitney, Henri Whittier, J.X. Williams.

Harry Whittington (February 4, 1915–June 11, 1989) was an American mystery novelist and one of the original founders of the paperback novel. Born in Ocala, Florida, he worked in government jobs before becoming a writer.

His reputation as a prolific writer of pulp fiction novels is supported by his writing of 85 novels in a span of twelve years (as many as seven in a single month) mostly in the crime, suspense, and noir fiction genres. In total, he published over 200 novels. Seven of his writings were produced for the screen, including the television series Lawman. His reputation for being known as 'The King of the Pulps' is shared with author H. Bedford-Jones. Only a handful of Whittington's novels are in print today.
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Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic collection of three of Whittington's short western novels. Each of these tales is incredibly gritty and packs a punch. Whittington's writing chops are impressive, and his penchant for and mastery of hardboiled crime themes is apparent here as it should be, as this was his bread and butter. His heroes are stoic, honorable men who have been tempered, even hollowed out to some extent, by great hardship and loss, yet seek justice despite the heavy cost.

Dubbed by some "The King of the Pulps" he pumped out more than 200 novels over the course of his career, primarily in the 1950's and 1960's, but the quality does not seem to have suffered at all despite the quantity. See links below for individual reviews of each story.

Trouble Rides Tall (5.0)

Cross the Red Creek (4.0)

Desert Stake-Out (4.5)

[Carla Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trouble Rides Tall
1958
I almost gave this three stars. But there are so many good parts in it I made it four. This saga of a widowed marshal felt like it was missing a center though. Maybe I should have given it three.
Oh, this is the first Western I've read by Harry Whittington.

[TiedGame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of these three, only read "Desert Stake-Out" in the original 1961 edition, but could not find that edition listed on GoodReads, so used this. I found 'Desert Stake-Out" quite good, reminded me of a Randolph Scott/Budd Boetticher western.

[Chris Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do/can you say about a master of wordcraft? Whittington moved between genres with ease it appears, the same haunted characters in these westerns as in his masterpieces of crime/thrillers. I am too in awe of this legend to add any more.

[Hyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

personal note: I only read Trouble Rides Tall. Would gladly read the other two, this is on the same level as Whittington's crime stories.