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Bluff City
Bluff City is a prosperous silver-mining town-and a place of opportunity for those willing to exploit its hard-working citizens. Harve Barker is the wealthiest man in the territory, offering irresistible vices to anyone willing and able to afford them. Outlaw Jesse Stark has grown fond of the town's surrounding mining camps, leading a gang of desperadoes on a violent spree of robberies-and staying one step ahead of the law at all times.
Between the megalomaniacal entrepreneur and the brutal bandit stands the enigmatic Clay Adams. And he has a score to settle with both of them.
Between the megalomaniacal entrepreneur and the brutal bandit stands the enigmatic Clay Adams. And he has a score to settle with both of them.
- GenresWesterns
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 5, 2007
6 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Ralph Compton
247 books84 followersRalph Compton (April 11, 1934—September 16, 1998) was an American writer of western fiction.
A native of St. Clair County, Alabama, Compton began his writing career with a notable work, The Goodnight Trail, which was chosen as a finalist for the Western Writers of America "Medicine Pipe Bearer Award" bestowed upon the "Best Debut Novel". He was also the author of the Sundown Rider series and the Border Empire series. In the last decade of his life, he authored more than two dozen novels, some of which made it onto the USA Today bestseller list for fiction.
Ralph Compton died in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 64. Since his passing, Signet Books has continued the author's legacy, releasing new novels, written by authors such as Joseph A. West and David Robbins, under Compton's byline.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ralphc...
A native of St. Clair County, Alabama, Compton began his writing career with a notable work, The Goodnight Trail, which was chosen as a finalist for the Western Writers of America "Medicine Pipe Bearer Award" bestowed upon the "Best Debut Novel". He was also the author of the Sundown Rider series and the Border Empire series. In the last decade of his life, he authored more than two dozen novels, some of which made it onto the USA Today bestseller list for fiction.
Ralph Compton died in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 64. Since his passing, Signet Books has continued the author's legacy, releasing new novels, written by authors such as Joseph A. West and David Robbins, under Compton's byline.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ralphc...
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 22, 2025
Written by David Robbins under the Ralph Compton byline, Bluff City is an excellent pulp Western that excels at delivering fast-paced gunslinging and fist-fighting action.
Bluff City is about a gunslinger named Neville Baine, nicknamed “Crooked Nose” due to his facial disfigurement. While drinking bug juice In a dusty podunk town, Baine runs into an outlaw named Jesse Stark, who’s planning on robbing the bank. Having a strong moral code, Neville tries to stop Stark and ends up getting badly beaten in the process. After looking at his reflection in a stream, Neville realizes that his crooked nose has been fixed! Corny? Yep. Fun? Yep.
Adopting the alias “Clay Adams,” Neville tracks Jesse Stark down to a boom town named “Bluff City,” taking on a job at the local paper, where he meets the beautiful Melanie Parker. Unfortunately, Melanie is coveted by Harve Barker, the most fiscally powerful man in the territory, and a virtual crime lord.
The only reason I docked a star is because although the book delivers the pulp goods, it does so at the expense of exploring Neville Baine’s borderline sociopathic psychology beyond the surface level. Neville Baine is shown to enjoy killing to an extent, and he takes much pride in being a deadly pistoleer. Progressively, Neville Baine gets sick of pretending to be someone he isn’t, and when it’s time to strap on the guns and shoot some assholes in the top-knot, he’s ecstatic.
Neville isn’t an evil character, but he has a nasty tendency of defaulting to extreme violence to protect his pride and his manhood, which is common in Westerns. However, instead of deconstructing the dangers of these negative manifestations of masculinity as a result of insecurity, the author seemingly encourages it by painting Melanie as unreasonable for frequently criticizing and pointing out Neville’s homicidal tendencies. Neville is given a position as a deputy towards the end, which….I don’t know. Neville’s a good gun, but as Louis L’amour has repeatedly demonstrated, the best gunmen know when to kill, which Neville needs work with. Neville never really changes his ways.
Alas, this is a pulpy Western shoot-em-up that delivers some of the best action I’ve read in a book. If you want to read some badass gunslinging, this is your book. David Robbins writes excellent action, and I’ll be reading more of his works.
Bluff City is about a gunslinger named Neville Baine, nicknamed “Crooked Nose” due to his facial disfigurement. While drinking bug juice In a dusty podunk town, Baine runs into an outlaw named Jesse Stark, who’s planning on robbing the bank. Having a strong moral code, Neville tries to stop Stark and ends up getting badly beaten in the process. After looking at his reflection in a stream, Neville realizes that his crooked nose has been fixed! Corny? Yep. Fun? Yep.
Adopting the alias “Clay Adams,” Neville tracks Jesse Stark down to a boom town named “Bluff City,” taking on a job at the local paper, where he meets the beautiful Melanie Parker. Unfortunately, Melanie is coveted by Harve Barker, the most fiscally powerful man in the territory, and a virtual crime lord.
The only reason I docked a star is because although the book delivers the pulp goods, it does so at the expense of exploring Neville Baine’s borderline sociopathic psychology beyond the surface level. Neville Baine is shown to enjoy killing to an extent, and he takes much pride in being a deadly pistoleer. Progressively, Neville Baine gets sick of pretending to be someone he isn’t, and when it’s time to strap on the guns and shoot some assholes in the top-knot, he’s ecstatic.
Neville isn’t an evil character, but he has a nasty tendency of defaulting to extreme violence to protect his pride and his manhood, which is common in Westerns. However, instead of deconstructing the dangers of these negative manifestations of masculinity as a result of insecurity, the author seemingly encourages it by painting Melanie as unreasonable for frequently criticizing and pointing out Neville’s homicidal tendencies. Neville is given a position as a deputy towards the end, which….I don’t know. Neville’s a good gun, but as Louis L’amour has repeatedly demonstrated, the best gunmen know when to kill, which Neville needs work with. Neville never really changes his ways.
Alas, this is a pulpy Western shoot-em-up that delivers some of the best action I’ve read in a book. If you want to read some badass gunslinging, this is your book. David Robbins writes excellent action, and I’ll be reading more of his works.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2022
very enjoyable 10 out10
August 13, 2022
A very good story, even though it followed a familiar line, woman attracts man, tries to change him etc. I was held to the story from start to end. A fun read.
July 30, 2025
"Bluff City pulls no punches, it drags you in by the collar and doesn’t let go."
I picked this up thinking I’d read a chapter or two before bed. Ha. Next thing I know, it’s 3 AM, I’ve mentally fist-fought Jesse Stark twice, and I’m silently nodding to Clay Adams like we go way back.
David Robbins has a gift, he paints grit, danger, and justice in such bold strokes you practically smell the dust and gunpowder. Bluff City isn’t just a town, it’s a battleground of ambition and vengeance. Every character pops with purpose, and the tension? Sharper than a bowie knife at a poker table.
Whether you’re a longtime fan of the Ralph Compton line or just diving into westerns, this one’s a banger. Clean, cinematic storytelling with just the right amount of grit, guts, and heart.
I picked this up thinking I’d read a chapter or two before bed. Ha. Next thing I know, it’s 3 AM, I’ve mentally fist-fought Jesse Stark twice, and I’m silently nodding to Clay Adams like we go way back.
David Robbins has a gift, he paints grit, danger, and justice in such bold strokes you practically smell the dust and gunpowder. Bluff City isn’t just a town, it’s a battleground of ambition and vengeance. Every character pops with purpose, and the tension? Sharper than a bowie knife at a poker table.
Whether you’re a longtime fan of the Ralph Compton line or just diving into westerns, this one’s a banger. Clean, cinematic storytelling with just the right amount of grit, guts, and heart.
June 12, 2009
Every now and again I revert to my younger days when I read one western after another. I've been listening to this one (Audible download) and it's holding my interest. Not an especially original plot, you know, bad guy reforms - falls in love - faces up to other bad guy - gets girl, but it's fun anyway. Ho Hum
June 20, 2016
At first it started out strong but then just went downhill. I hated Melanie and thought she was just so annoying and stupid. The other characters were good, but Melanie just ruined the book for me.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews