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Merlin Fanshaw #3

Saving Miss Julie

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ANNOTATION: When cattle baron Thane McAllister's daughter Julie disappears from her home and a ransom note signed by the notorious Coldwater brothers arrives at the ranch, the cattleman calls on his longtime friend U.S. Marshall Chance Ridgeway to deal with the situation. Marshal Ridgeway deputizes cowboy Merlin Fanshaw and sends him and legendary tracker Hoodoo Hawks to deliver the ransom and rescue Julie. The job is supposed to be a simple one, but Merlin soon learns that a simple assignment can sometimes be the most difficult of all. Once again, popular author Stan Lynde blends humor, suspense, and high adventure to create a story rich in characterization and a sense of place. Saving Miss Julie is an exciting and fast-paced tale told by a master storyteller.

240 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2003

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About the author

Stan Lynde

30 books7 followers
Author of eight novels featuring the adventures of Deputy U.S. Marshal Merlin Fanshaw, Stan Lynde is a fourth-generation native Montanan and the creator, author, and artist of two highly acclaimed syndicated cartoon strips, Rick O'Shay and Latigo.

Stan passed away in his beloved Montana on August 6th, 2013. He was a great talent and beloved by all that new him. He was a master story teller both in his story strip cartoons Rick O’shay, and Latigo and through his western novels, the Merlin Fanshaw series. His work speaks for the values he and his fans held so dear. As in his most famous syndicated cartoon strip Rick O’Shay “Happy Birthday Boss” Stan has gone on to be with the boss. His death is grieved by his wife Lynda, family, friends and fans.

Born in Billings, Montana, he was raised on a sheep ranch near Lodge Grass. He attended the University of Montana in Missoula and later lived in Helena.
In 1958, Lynde created the comic strip Rick O'Shay, a critical and commercial success. Like most of his work, it was set in the West and mixed humor with strong storytelling. After a dispute with the syndicate, Lynde left the strip in 1977. The strip continued, drawn by Alfredo Alcala.
In 1979, Lynde launched another strip, Latigo, starring Cole "Latigo" Cantrell, a.k.a. "Two Trails". His father was a mountain man and his mother a Crow Indian. After serving in the Union Army during the Civil War, Latigo returned to the West and became a federal marshal. The daily strip was launched on June 25, 1979, joined by a Sunday strip, best seen in the half page format, on 1 July 1979. It was not a great commercial success and ended in 1983, the daily on May 7, the Sunday on 5 June.
From 1984 to 1985, Lynde produced the weekly panel Grass Roots, which was revived in 1998. In the late 1980s, the Swedish financial newspaper Dagens Industri commissioned a comic strip from Lynde. It became "Chief Plenty Bucks", set in the West and starring a capitalistic Native American chief. Lynde drew ten pages, but the project was shelved and never published in Dagens Industri. In 1997, the strip was revived for the Swedish Fantomen magazine (and its Norwegian and Finnish counterparts). The title was changed to Chief Sly Fox and a total of 86 pages (including the original from the 1980s) were published from 1997 to 2000. They have never been published in English.
In 2002, Lynde returned with another exclusive comic for Fantomen; Bad Bob about a hopeless Wild West criminal. This strip is still running in reprint.
He died of cancer on August 6, 2013.

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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
17 reviews1 follower
March 8, 2025
A nice light western by a 4th generation Montana author.
265 reviews
September 11, 2016
Although somewhat predictable, the book was better than the cover made it appear. Thanks to Nancy Roth for getting everyone in book club a copy of this book. It's ok, not great, but liked that Nancy has a connection with the author and is supporting him.
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6 reviews2 followers
July 10, 2012
Saving Miss Julie was the first Merlin Fanshaw western I read, and I was instantly captivated by Stan Lynde's engaging style, a great book! (review by Bonnie Bowman)
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294 reviews3 followers
September 14, 2012
A fine western, really first rate. Stan Lynde is better know for his comic strip Ric O'Shay, but is a fine writer as well. This is my first of his novels, it will not be my last.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews

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