One-Man Massacre

Buchanan #3

by Jonas Ward

He stepped back and gazed at the tall, smiling man with wonderment. He had just seen him lick the most deadly gunslinger in the West with his bare fists. "Where'd you come from?" he asked admiringly. "No place in particular," Buchanan said. "Is that a fact? And where you bound?" "Same place." Buchanan laughed. "You must like it there," the little rancher said. "I like it best wherever I am," Buchanan replied gently. Available only in Wheeler Western 6.

Genres: Westerns

211 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

A pseudonym used by William Ard. House name from 1960 to 1986.

In 1956, hardboiled writer William Ard turned his pen westward and introduced one of the genre’s most enduring characters: Thomas Buchanan, better known as just “Buchanan,” a drifter as likeable as he is deadly. The first novel in the series was called The Name’s Buchanan and appeared under the pseudonym “Jonas Ward.”

Only the first 6 books in the series were written by Ard, and the last, Buchanan on the Prod, was completed by Robert Silverberg.

After Ard's death in 1960 "Jonas Ward" became a house name. Brian Garfield did one and then William R. Cox took over the series and it continued until 1986.

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this story conforms to the persona of the Buchanan character, it simply does not have the charm of others. This is largely due to the fact that there is more gun violence than usual and there is less deep interaction with the secondary characters. Furthermore, the premise of a renegade Texas Ranger with his gang of mercenaries being hired by a large rancher is simply implausible. The timeframe is before the American Civil War.
Buchanan is on a mountain mining gold with his friend and partner Fargo when he sees the lights of the town of Scotstown and Buchanan would like to take a day off mining and engage in a little bit of recreation. Local rancher Malcolm Lord is in the process of hiring a man that insists on being called Captain Gibbons to roust out small ranchers along the Rio Grande and use the premise of invaders from Mexico as justification. Gibbons has brought along some hired guns and it is only a short time when one of his hardcases is threatening Buchanan.
Since he did not take his gun with him, Buchanan is forced to borrow a gun from a bystander and he quickly dispatches the professional gunfighter. This makes him a target of the bad guys as well as a hero to the threatened locals. Buchanan would much rather just go back to mining gold, but the evil forces cannot let him go unpunished for killing one of their best. There is a local woman named Rosemarie that serves drinks in a saloon and the initial incident takes place because Buchanan intervened when the gunman was annoying her.
With a bad premise and too much gunplay and not enough of the witty dialog so characteristic of the Buchanan series, this is not one of the best of the adventures of Buchanan.

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, to remark of great writing throughout. From narrative to dialogue. For example, "... wheeled and drove three slugs into the crouching (xxxxxxx) -fatal punishment for the cynical chance the gunman had taken with Rosemarie's innocent life." Nicely done. I withheld the name to not reveal certain results.

The author does better in this entry in the series tying the various elements all together. i found, main character, Buchanan is written more realistically with cogent motivation than in other volumes, where he has been written to incidentally stumbling into troubles and battles. The latter is fun, but it's needed to show an assertive main character at times.

The plot is something common to find, these days, in an espionage/undermine US government books. This was a rather complex story deftly written & resolved within 154 pages. Excellent work by the writer. The current writers of such plots that sprawl some 400 pages needlessly.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 10 out of ten points.

[Chris Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another really interesting and exciting book in the series. One interesting aspect of the series, and maybe it's just me, but it seems like the author spends more time with the side characters than he does with Buchanan. There is a section in the middle of the book when Buchanan is off in the mountains and is not mentioned in the story at all. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just different. Overall, I really liked the book.

[John Peel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Buchanan is the most peaceable man you'd ever meet, except when people hurt his friends. And he's got a lot of friends. This time around, he's just in town for a drink and a hand of cards when a gunman calls him out. Before the evening is through, there are two bodies , three men injured (one being Buchanan) and a bunch of crazed killers loose. And THEN Buchanan gets mad...

You really can't go wrong by picking up a Buchanan to read, and this is one of the best.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet. Jonas Ward knows how to write the west. Buchanan is a likeable and strong character, and the supporting characters brought their own little personal touches.

Great climax, good build up, cool swindles. Overall very enjoyable:)

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 4 out of 5]

ONE
MAN

And then
The Massacre

Fuck, they had to ruin the whole plot for me, just when i highly enjoyed the first paragraph
and then i noticed the title of the book

and it ruined my sense of
MYSTERY

[Chris Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good clean vintage western, Bucannon being the original Jack Reacher character type, aka drifter good guy in a bad world.