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WILDCAT: A Novel of the West

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She fought rustlers, land thieves, murderers, and her own heart!

Her pa taught Allison Katherine "Kat" Crandall to ride, rope, and shoot as good as any man. That's why they called her "Wildcat"! Then her pa died in what folks called an "accident", and when she returned from his funeral, half her ranch hands up and left. Kat knew that meant her father's death was no accident but cold-blooded murder, even if she couldn't prove it - yet!

Soon her troubles really started: Rustling, stampedes, hijackings, her remaining hands attacked. If she didn't do something fast, Kat would lose everything her father had worked for.

Kit was ready to strap on her gun and shoot it out with whatever hombres were behind these doin's. But first she had to know who was behind it all, and why?

Right then a mysterious drifter who called himself "Laredo" and his two saddle pals, Banty and Bear, drifted into town. Laredo, big and handsome, with an easygoing sense of humor, said he wanted to help Kat out. Kat liked him right from the start. But from the things he said, she realized there was something mysterious about Laredo, something he was keeping from her. Something secret in his past.

Kat's heart said she could trust him, but her head said she didn't dare.

Then the attempts to drive her off the range with guns and sabotage intensified. Kat found herself riding into one of the great gun battles of the West, but was the man riding at her side true or a traitor?

Wildcat wouldn't know until the last bullet had been fired.

Wildcat is a thrilling romance of the frontier, brimming with action in the tradition of authors like Zane Grey, Max Brand, and Louis L'Amour and the classic Saturday-afternoon Western B-movies.

Audible Audio

Published May 23, 2019

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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Profile Image for Beverly Laude.
2,271 reviews43 followers
August 26, 2019
An entertaining book, reminiscent of books by Zane Grey, Louis L'Amour, etal. Katherine "Kat" Crandall was raised by her father after her mother's death at childbirth. Since Tom Crandall wanted a son, he raised Kat as if she were a boy.

When Tom dies suddenly in a mysterious accident, Kat is left on her own to run the ranch. However, most of her ranch hands refuse to work for a woman and she is left searching for help. A trio of "pards" wanders in and she reluctantly hires them (with some reservations).

This book is wonderful entertainment for those who love watching or reading the old westerns. It has it all: characters with great names (Dakota, Slim, Banty, Bear, Laredo), cattle rustlers, shoot outs, fisticuffs, and a bit of mystery. It also has a very strong and independent female character, which is unusual in this genre. No weak, crying heroine in this lady for sure! Of course, the story ends with a happy ending, but not after plenty of villainous attacks by the bad guys and a few dead bodies.

There is violence, but very little descriptions of gore. The language is suitable for readers of any age (I think there was one curse word in the whole book) and I would recommend this book as a great one for a family listen.

The narrator, Jennifer March, does a great job. Her different voices were great and (mostly) believable, even those of the male characters. She had just the right inflections for the typical Old West jargon/accents. Her pacing was perfect and when the action started, her voice was just perfect.

I was given a chance to listen to this audiobook by the publisher and chose to review it.
Profile Image for RJ.
2,044 reviews13 followers
February 10, 2022
Allison Katherine “Kat” Crandall’s Pa raised the young woman to fight, ride, and shoot like any cowboy. Pa wanted a boy but he got her. That’s how they come to call her “Wildcat”. Her Pa died in unusual circumstances, Kat figuring he was murdered but couldn’t prove it. After her Pa’s funeral, most of the ranch hands resigned save for three. The herd was more than three cowhands could handle and no one was applying for the posted jobs. It didn’t take long for cattle to start disappearing. Shortly after the trouble started, three drifters came through looking for work. Kat didn’t like it and was very suspicious. Desperate for help, Kat gave in and hired all three; Loredo, Banty, and Bear. Kat remained suspicious of Laredo, keeping her eye on him. Continuing, the tale gives a rousing account of Kat and her Bar-C hands against rustlers and ambushers. There was a mystery who-done-it element within the story that added much and kept my curiosity piqued until the very end. The question that pops up is, who is this Laredo character, and how did he and his pards happen to show up? It’s a curiously fun read, with Laredo adding additional mystery and humor to the tale.
Profile Image for Kristjan.
588 reviews30 followers
February 21, 2024
Book: **
Performance: **

A Simple Western

How many times to I need to be reminded that Kat’s pa wanted a boy? I didn’t care for it the first time and it got old fast. I didn’t particularly enjoy the “folksy” language either (doesn’t really add as much authenticity as might otherwise be expected when narrator struggles to differentiate the character voices) … and there is a LOT of dialog to wade through. All of that said … as far as Westerns go, this is pretty average … all the expected elements are there within a straight up, wholesome western plot that would be at home in a Zane Grey novel (although not quite the same quality). The drama can be down right silly and over the top at times. There are a few production quality issues as well … such as an odd skip just prior to chapter 9 (that’s worth subtracting a point on its own).

I was given this free advance review/listener copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#Wildcat #FreeAudiobkFacebkGrp
Profile Image for Judith Bowers.
45 reviews
April 12, 2019
Review

I recognized every one of the store mentioned characters you spoke of!! I as well as most of my friends spent countless hours watching western on TV! Reading has always been a passion of mine, I enjoyed this book very much, you see, I grew up as a Tomboy riding horses from an early age, and fighting with my brothers and the boys in our rural community! So I knew how to fight, spit, and chew with the best of them. Thank you for bringing Kat to the forefront of this story, It isn't easy being a girl who's parents wanted another son. You rd all of us proud by telling her story, oh and Laredo was a nice touch! I too married a man who knew that he could not and would not ever want to change me!!! Thank you for this wonderful stiry!
Profile Image for Jim Lyon.
Author 16 books180 followers
May 23, 2019
Here's a western with an unusual focus, the main character is a woman who's as tough as the villains who killed her pa and are trying to steal her land. Great narration by Jennifer March.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews

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