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Stagecoach Station #1
Dodge City: Stagecoach Station One
The massive Concord stage thundered across the empty lawless miles of the Great Plains bound for the wickedest town in the West—Dodge City. It was a wide-open cattle town always itching for a fight, and a big one was about to start. For Burl Channing was on this stage, a Federal marshal hell-bent on a mission of personal vengeance to bring a vicious murderer to justice. The man he seeks is Frank Killian, a cunning gambler with a killer's finely honed edge. Frightened of one man and betrayed by the other, Emily Barker, a beautiful young widow, is suddenly caught up in their struggle—a battle that will soon explode in front of the legendary Long Branch Saloon in one of Dodge City's deadliest gunfights.
- GenresWesterns
264 pages, Hardcover
First published June 17, 1982
About the author
Hank Mitchum
90 books5 followersHouse name for James Reasoner and others such as D.B. Newton and Will C. Knott.
American author James Reasoner specializes in historical military novels, westerns, and mysteries. He also writes under the pseudonyms "Mike Jameson", "Hank Mitchum" and "Dana Fuller Ross." He has written more than 40 novels. His spouse, Livia Washburn Reasoner, is also a prolific writer of westerns, mysteries, and romances. The Reasoners were each raised in Texas, and currently live near Azle, Texas.
Perhaps Reasoner's best known work is the ten-volume James Reasoner Civil War Series, which features the fictional Brannon family. The series is set in the town and county of Culpeper, Virginia, a major Confederate supply depot in central northern Virginia north of the Rapidan River.
Reasoner has another series of novels set in the American Civil War era, "The Palmetto Trilogy." This series is set in South Carolina and revolves around the Tyler and Gilmore families.
In addition to authoring the Walker, Texas Ranger books, he has written several volumes in the Wagons West series, a frontier series starting with the first wagon train heading to Oregon in 1837, and continuing on with their descendants up through 1941.
American author James Reasoner specializes in historical military novels, westerns, and mysteries. He also writes under the pseudonyms "Mike Jameson", "Hank Mitchum" and "Dana Fuller Ross." He has written more than 40 novels. His spouse, Livia Washburn Reasoner, is also a prolific writer of westerns, mysteries, and romances. The Reasoners were each raised in Texas, and currently live near Azle, Texas.
Perhaps Reasoner's best known work is the ten-volume James Reasoner Civil War Series, which features the fictional Brannon family. The series is set in the town and county of Culpeper, Virginia, a major Confederate supply depot in central northern Virginia north of the Rapidan River.
Reasoner has another series of novels set in the American Civil War era, "The Palmetto Trilogy." This series is set in South Carolina and revolves around the Tyler and Gilmore families.
In addition to authoring the Walker, Texas Ranger books, he has written several volumes in the Wagons West series, a frontier series starting with the first wagon train heading to Oregon in 1837, and continuing on with their descendants up through 1941.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 5, 2019
1878 - Burl Channing is a Federal marshal and out to bring who he thinks is a vicious murderer to justice. Frank Killian is the man he is after, a down and out gambler who somehow gained a windfall of cash in Nebraska before becoming a faro dealer in Dodge City, Kansas. Their inevitable clash is muddled by a young and independently-minded widow and a host of other fictional and non-fictional characters in one of the deadliest locations of the old West.
This is the first in a long and largely forgotten series of historical western novels written by Hank Mitchum, a house name that includes James Reasoner. I’m often leery of long series such as this, expecting them to have been written by a number of different authors and written purely to formula. I discovered this one was written by the prolific D.B. Newton and if this novel is any indication, I wouldn't mind reading more from him.
In truth, this novel is a little bit on the formulaic western side, but I was happy to see that it wasn’t quite as predictable as it could have been. While the romance subplot was clearly headed exactly where it went, the main story line revolving around the murder and who was behind it was not resolved until the end. In between, was plenty of nice confrontational drama and story build-up, all presented in an easy, enjoyable style. I appreciate that the story was set against real history in Dodge City, and actual historical events such as the death of Ed Masterson and legendary locations such as the Long Branch Saloon and the original “Boot Hill” are included.
This sort of book was not written to win the Booker Prize but it did serve me well as an enjoyable and relaxing outing between longer and more thought-provoking reads. It’s important to take a break now and then and not succumb to the constant peer pressure to read only hi-brow material. And in today’s entertainment marketplace, there is certainly something to be said for happy endings for the good guys.
I look forward to book number 2, Laredo…and see no reason at this point to not continue on for the next ten years or so to get through book #52 at a leisurely pace.
This is the first in a long and largely forgotten series of historical western novels written by Hank Mitchum, a house name that includes James Reasoner. I’m often leery of long series such as this, expecting them to have been written by a number of different authors and written purely to formula. I discovered this one was written by the prolific D.B. Newton and if this novel is any indication, I wouldn't mind reading more from him.
In truth, this novel is a little bit on the formulaic western side, but I was happy to see that it wasn’t quite as predictable as it could have been. While the romance subplot was clearly headed exactly where it went, the main story line revolving around the murder and who was behind it was not resolved until the end. In between, was plenty of nice confrontational drama and story build-up, all presented in an easy, enjoyable style. I appreciate that the story was set against real history in Dodge City, and actual historical events such as the death of Ed Masterson and legendary locations such as the Long Branch Saloon and the original “Boot Hill” are included.
This sort of book was not written to win the Booker Prize but it did serve me well as an enjoyable and relaxing outing between longer and more thought-provoking reads. It’s important to take a break now and then and not succumb to the constant peer pressure to read only hi-brow material. And in today’s entertainment marketplace, there is certainly something to be said for happy endings for the good guys.
I look forward to book number 2, Laredo…and see no reason at this point to not continue on for the next ten years or so to get through book #52 at a leisurely pace.
January 29, 2021
My heavens! I’ve been reading this old series of books called the Wagons West series. Most of these you have to buy used, and they’re all yellow and beat up. But in the back of one it advertised this new (at the time) series of books called Stagecoach. So I bought the first one, Dodge City, from a used book store.
It was published in 1982, when I was in college. If only I had seen it in stores at the time...I’d have blown off all that foolish education to become a stage coach driver. And back then the book only cost $2.25! Of course, coffee back then was like, maybe, a nickel...a nickel!!
It’s got everything...romance, gunfights, stage coaches, horses, no good low down bandits, saloons, gamblers, lawmen, and true ambience! I’m serious! This paperback is frail, yellow, and 39 years old...it smells like it just blew in from the dusty trail!
And unlike college it’s short and uses no complicated words...which is just how I like things.
It was published in 1982, when I was in college. If only I had seen it in stores at the time...I’d have blown off all that foolish education to become a stage coach driver. And back then the book only cost $2.25! Of course, coffee back then was like, maybe, a nickel...a nickel!!
It’s got everything...romance, gunfights, stage coaches, horses, no good low down bandits, saloons, gamblers, lawmen, and true ambience! I’m serious! This paperback is frail, yellow, and 39 years old...it smells like it just blew in from the dusty trail!
And unlike college it’s short and uses no complicated words...which is just how I like things.
July 16, 2025
A quaint little story of adventure and love placed in the wild west Dodge City.
A surprisingly good, quick summer read!
A surprisingly good, quick summer read!
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July 18, 2016read some time in 1983
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews