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Vengeance Valley
A riveting story of feuding brothers in a fight to the death from an early master of the western genre. Years ago, Owen Daybright was an orphan on a railroad crew when old Arch Stobie took him under his wing at the Acorn ranch. He needed the quiet, hardworking Owen for a special to act as a friend and be a calming influence on his fiery-tempered son, Lee. But, instead, the boys showed an immediate hatred for each other that never waned. Only out of loyalty to Arch did Owen cover for Lee’s stupidity and carelessness. But now Lee’s crossed the line. There are some angry men after him for disgracing their sister. And he’s put a target on Owen’s back. Unless Owen is very fast and very careful, he’s going to end up taking a bullet for the brother he’d like to kill himself. Luke Short, a winner of the Levi Strauss Golden Saddleman Award from the Western Writers of America, blazed the trail for authors such as Louis L’Amour and Elmore Leonard. Vengeance Valley is one of his most compelling tales of western adventure.
195 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1949
About the author
Luke Short
128 books37 followersLuke Short (real name Frederick Dilley Glidden) was a popular Western writer.
Born in Kewanee, Illinois Glidden attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for two and a half years and then transferred to the University of Missouri at Columbia to study journalism.
Following graduation in 1930 he worked for a number of newspapers before becoming a trapper in Canada then later moved to New Mexico to be an archeologist's assistant.
After reading Western pulp magazines and trying to escape unemployment he started writing Western fiction. He sold his first short story and novel in 1935 under the pen name of Luke Short (which was also the name of a famous gunslinger in the Old West, though it's unclear if he was aware of that when he assumed the pen name.)
After publishing over a dozen novels in the 1930s, he started writing for films in the 40s. In 1948 alone four Luke Short novels appeared as movies. Some of his memorable film credits includes Ramrod (1947) and Blood on the Moon (1948). He continued to write novels, despite increasing trouble with his eyes, until his death in 1975. His ashes are buried in Aspen, Colorado, his home at the time of his death.
Born in Kewanee, Illinois Glidden attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for two and a half years and then transferred to the University of Missouri at Columbia to study journalism.
Following graduation in 1930 he worked for a number of newspapers before becoming a trapper in Canada then later moved to New Mexico to be an archeologist's assistant.
After reading Western pulp magazines and trying to escape unemployment he started writing Western fiction. He sold his first short story and novel in 1935 under the pen name of Luke Short (which was also the name of a famous gunslinger in the Old West, though it's unclear if he was aware of that when he assumed the pen name.)
After publishing over a dozen novels in the 1930s, he started writing for films in the 40s. In 1948 alone four Luke Short novels appeared as movies. Some of his memorable film credits includes Ramrod (1947) and Blood on the Moon (1948). He continued to write novels, despite increasing trouble with his eyes, until his death in 1975. His ashes are buried in Aspen, Colorado, his home at the time of his death.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 31, 2022
3 stars
A decent, simple revenge-plot Western almost totally lacking in setting, environmental, or personal description. It's not even clear what the year is or which state we're in. What you get are actions and motivations, actions, actions, actions, motivation for action, actions, actions, motivation.
Hemingway would be proud.
For being originally published in 1949, the writer does a very fair job with the women. They aren't weepy, clinging homemakers like you see in movies, but active forces in the narrative with their own personalities, interests and opinions that are respected by the male characters (at least by the upstanding male characters).
Decent entertainment and was probably only meant as such.
Fun side note:
The cover of the German edition from 1963 features the painting of a cowboy who looks so much like the actor Russell Crowe, it was hard not to mentally cast him as the novel's nice guy hero, Owen Daybright.
A decent, simple revenge-plot Western almost totally lacking in setting, environmental, or personal description. It's not even clear what the year is or which state we're in. What you get are actions and motivations, actions, actions, actions, motivation for action, actions, actions, motivation.
Hemingway would be proud.
For being originally published in 1949, the writer does a very fair job with the women. They aren't weepy, clinging homemakers like you see in movies, but active forces in the narrative with their own personalities, interests and opinions that are respected by the male characters (at least by the upstanding male characters).
Decent entertainment and was probably only meant as such.
Fun side note:
The cover of the German edition from 1963 features the painting of a cowboy who looks so much like the actor Russell Crowe, it was hard not to mentally cast him as the novel's nice guy hero, Owen Daybright.
June 12, 2022
I don't believe I've ever read anything by Luke Short before. I picked up a copy of this on a whim at a used book store because a) it was a vintage paperback and I have a weakness for those, b) I liked the alliteration in the title, and c) I happen to know that Luke Short was the name of a real gunfighter in the old west that rubbed shoulders with people like Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp.
Well, according to the internet, it's unclear if the author, whose real name was Frederick Dilley Gladden, knew that there was actually a gunfighter named Luke Short once upon a time, or if he just thought the name had a good punch to it. But either way, it did its job of grabbing my attention.
Anyway, the story was a solid one. I will definitely give Luke Short another try if I find one of his books again. His writing may not be up to the standard of L'Amour or Grey, but he's still got a snappy way with words and plots, and I quite liked his characters. His women were interesting and distinctive, as well as his men, which can be hard to find in vintage westerns sometimes.
Well, according to the internet, it's unclear if the author, whose real name was Frederick Dilley Gladden, knew that there was actually a gunfighter named Luke Short once upon a time, or if he just thought the name had a good punch to it. But either way, it did its job of grabbing my attention.
Anyway, the story was a solid one. I will definitely give Luke Short another try if I find one of his books again. His writing may not be up to the standard of L'Amour or Grey, but he's still got a snappy way with words and plots, and I quite liked his characters. His women were interesting and distinctive, as well as his men, which can be hard to find in vintage westerns sometimes.
May 25, 2022
Top-Notch Western!!!
I have seen director Richard Thorpe’s film adaptation of “Vengeance Valley” many times, and my curiosity finally got the better of me, so I read the Luke Short source novel. Of course, the movie condensed characters, and Edith was eliminated. Several other changes were made, too. Basically, however, “Vengeance Valley” kept a lot. The novel is as much a western frontier yarn as it is a soap opera. Everything revolves around a son born out of wedlock and the man-Lee-who sired him is the villain. The hero is his foster brother and Owen has maintained silence about Lee’s misdeeds. The unwed mom has two vengeful brothers who want to kill the father as soon as they learn his identity. So you can see “Vengeance Valley was not written for children. My only complaint is the storekeeper’s subplot. Otherwise, a good western!
I have seen director Richard Thorpe’s film adaptation of “Vengeance Valley” many times, and my curiosity finally got the better of me, so I read the Luke Short source novel. Of course, the movie condensed characters, and Edith was eliminated. Several other changes were made, too. Basically, however, “Vengeance Valley” kept a lot. The novel is as much a western frontier yarn as it is a soap opera. Everything revolves around a son born out of wedlock and the man-Lee-who sired him is the villain. The hero is his foster brother and Owen has maintained silence about Lee’s misdeeds. The unwed mom has two vengeful brothers who want to kill the father as soon as they learn his identity. So you can see “Vengeance Valley was not written for children. My only complaint is the storekeeper’s subplot. Otherwise, a good western!
November 20, 2013
Owen Daybright had been a a part of Acorn, the Strobie ranch for fifteen years, since he was eleven. Old Arch had plucked him, an orphan, from the railroad crew for one reason. He wanted a companion for his son, Lee, a wild, short tempered boy. He hoped Owen would be a calming influence.
No such luck. The wo hated each other and once Owen nearly killed Lee in a fight. Arch knew the truth of it.
Owen was foreman now and because of his great regard and affection for Arch, he looked after, and cleaned up after, Lee even though they didn't like each other.
That's what he was doing when he ran into Lily Fasken's brothers, delivering groceries and five hundred to the mother of the new baby. He wants the name of the father. Lily won't say and neither will Owen.
An older Faskin brother arrives, sent for, and the pair keep pressing Owen, fighting, threatening to kill him, but Owen doesn't talk
It's also round-up time and the Acorn ranch is part of a massive gathering, broken up into two divisions, Lee heading one, Owen the other.
Before it's all over, Lee is conspiring with the Faskins, telling them Owen is the father, and planning his murder. He's out to sell the Acorn part of the herd and disappear with the money, desert his wife who he'd hurriedly married when Lily became pregnant, and dumping Jen, his fiance at the time. Edith was more malleable than Jen(who'd known Owen and Lee since they were all kids).
VENGEANCE VALLEY was published in 1949 and made into a film in 1951 starring Burt Lancaster as Owen Starbright. It stuck pretty close to the novel until the end, cut out a character or two, shifted a couple of scenes around, and made Jen Lee's wife.
Liked this one.
No such luck. The wo hated each other and once Owen nearly killed Lee in a fight. Arch knew the truth of it.
Owen was foreman now and because of his great regard and affection for Arch, he looked after, and cleaned up after, Lee even though they didn't like each other.
That's what he was doing when he ran into Lily Fasken's brothers, delivering groceries and five hundred to the mother of the new baby. He wants the name of the father. Lily won't say and neither will Owen.
An older Faskin brother arrives, sent for, and the pair keep pressing Owen, fighting, threatening to kill him, but Owen doesn't talk
It's also round-up time and the Acorn ranch is part of a massive gathering, broken up into two divisions, Lee heading one, Owen the other.
Before it's all over, Lee is conspiring with the Faskins, telling them Owen is the father, and planning his murder. He's out to sell the Acorn part of the herd and disappear with the money, desert his wife who he'd hurriedly married when Lily became pregnant, and dumping Jen, his fiance at the time. Edith was more malleable than Jen(who'd known Owen and Lee since they were all kids).
VENGEANCE VALLEY was published in 1949 and made into a film in 1951 starring Burt Lancaster as Owen Starbright. It stuck pretty close to the novel until the end, cut out a character or two, shifted a couple of scenes around, and made Jen Lee's wife.
Liked this one.
May 28, 2010
A good solid read. Owen Daybright's loyalty is to Arch Stobie, the man who took him in as an orphan. But that means his loyalty is also given to the Arch's son, Lee, who doesn't deserve it. But when two killers come seeking Owen's life for something that Lee has done, a showdown is bound to come.
November 18, 2024
This book is a short, to-the-point, and well-constructed western. It centers around Owen Daybright, a ranch foreman and adopted brother of Lee Stobie, son of the ranch's owner. There is a great deal of tension between them, with Owen being honorable and Lee prone to scheming. Trouble comes when an unwed other gives birth, and two of her brothers come to town, under the impression that Owen is responsible. Owen knows the father, but can't reveal him, ad ends up in the crosshairs of these two, along with a person close to him. It all comes to a head during a big roundup. There's a good amount of character-work for such a short novel, though a few secondary characters are slighted. The action is good, though I wish there was more of it. A few more pages at the end to round things out would've been nice, but on the whole it was a fast-moving, entertaining read. Good western pulp.
December 4, 2023
A good story of two men, who are opposites of each other, fighting for what they want. This one has Owen Daybright a good man with a sense of duty and honor having to cover for his boss's son. The son, Lee Stobie, is no good and has no honor or decency about him. Then throw in two brothers out to avenge their sister's honor and punish the father of her baby for his misdeeds. The big question in this story how far will a man go to protect those he cares about. Like most of the stories by this author you kind of know what is going to happen, but the ride to get there is what makes it worthwhile.
December 22, 2023
A solid western, which isn't surprising since I have never read a bad one from Short. A tale of two brothers, one adopted, that were at odds with each other. The natural son was a no count bum and the adopted one always tried to protect him only to protect their father from knowing. However when the natural son got a woman pregnant and her two brothers came after the father, the other son knew that this was trouble that would come out.
Recommended, again Short was always good. There is an odd subplot with a storekeeper son that doesn't fit and was just thrown in for extra words which is odd for the author.
Recommended, again Short was always good. There is an odd subplot with a storekeeper son that doesn't fit and was just thrown in for extra words which is odd for the author.
October 23, 2013
Owen Daybright just wants to do right by Jen, a woman wronged by another man and left to raise her baby alone. But when Jen’s brothers show up, looking for revenge against the man they feel wronged their sister, Owen becomes the target. His misplaced sense of loyalty and obligation lead to ever-escalating danger, until the explosive climax. This is one of my absolute favorite Westerns so far—Luke Short wrote most of his books in the fifties, but this one still feels modern, with great characters and a story that just keeps getting more and more tense. I immediately went out and bought more Short after reading this one.
October 6, 2018
A Luke Short Western about two alleged brothers who want revenge for what happened to their sister. The oldest is the be everyone thinks is responsible for the troubled the family is having. This was an excellent western with Burt Lancaster and Robert Walker. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
August 10, 2016
Bad son, good foster son. Some twists. BS gets one girl pregnant, gilts neighbor, marries another. Hillbilly brothers want GS to marry or disclose father. GS wants to shelter foster father and enables BS. The action and romance flow from this situation.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews