Ralph Compton The Sagebrush Trail

Trail Drive #34

by Robert J. Randisi, Ralph Compton

In this fast-paced new installment in bestselling author Ralph Compton's Trail Drive series, a trail drive boss faces many challenges.

Luke Ross is determined to drive his herd to the trailhead, but along the way he'll have to cope with rustlers, bandits, and warlike Indians.

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published November 30, 2021

About the author

Robert Joseph Randisi was a prolific American author, editor, and screenwriter, best known for his work in detective and Western fiction. He wrote over 650 books, including The Gunsmith series under the pen name J.R. Roberts, and edited more than 30 anthologies. A co-founder of Mystery Scene magazine, the American Crime Writers League, and Western Fictioneers, he also established The Private Eye Writers of America and created the Shamus Award. Randisi collaborated on novels with Eileen Davidson and Vince Van Patten, and created memorable characters such as Miles Jacoby, Joe Keough, and The Rat Pack. He received multiple lifetime achievement awards and the John Seigenthaler Humanitarian Award.

Reviews

[Gerald Creasy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seems to be a short story padded out. It really does not get interesting until about a 100 pages in. The first hundred pages go like this: A brief setup, The ranch owner has breakfast, something brief happens to move the story along, then a good dinner with drink and cigars, breakfast, something brief happens to move the story along, a good dinner and then maybe a drink and cigar, breakfast, something brief happens.....
I felt as if I had entered a never ending loop. I kid you not, take descriptions of meals and mealtime out and the page count would drop significantly.
There's a drive of 200 horses along an incredibly long trail in an incredibly short time which is the only incredible thing about the drive.
After about a hundred pages things get more interesting with Buffalo Soldiers, a bar fight, and an attempt to find stolen rifles and perhaps a chance to capture a former Union Officer who is attempting to reboot the Confederacy...yes, you read that right.
The black folk are almost stereotypical. One is a fierce soldier, one is excellent at treating wounds, one is an undefeated fighter and one excels at.....wait for it....cooking fried chicken.
Any character that was of Southern origin is equally stereotypical.
I find it amazing that this was published so recently and still has the "N word" in the mouths of unsavory characters. In this age of hyper-sensitivity and "righteousness" obtained through being offended, I would of thought this would have been censored. When the word was used, the person was scolded or severely admonished. While the author has such condemnation coming from the "good" characters, I somehow doubt that anyone in days of fighting Indians, gunfights and brutal life conditions would be as sensitive over the use of a word. How one treats a person, yes, words I'm not sure about.
The final success of the main character and his men is perhaps the most flaccid wrap up of a Western I have ever read.
I know Randisi can write good stories, this, perhaps, is not one of them.

[Aaron G · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I really enjoy Compton's Trail Drive series, it was only the first half of the book that was enjoyable. After Ethan and his trail drivers reach Fort Davis, the book becomes a lot more predictable.

Was rife with a lot of historical inaccuracies about New Mexico and west Texas in the late 19th century. The Battle of Valverde, for example, was fought in New Mexico, not Texas. I truly enjoy historical fiction, but certain components were not well researched. The author seems to have spent very little time in the west Texas regions between El Paso and San Antonio, and certainly needed to familiarize himself more with the history of those areas. The ending reads more like the end of an episode of Wagon Train or Rawhide.

Liked the characters, but not one of my favorite stories in the Trail Drive series.

[Jim'S Phone · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a fun read, I ended up finishing it in about a day, it really pulls you into the story!

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan Miller and twelve men who served under him during the Civil War, once it is over go to Montana to breed and catch wild horses. Has 200 horses to sell, has to make the trip, 1400 miles to a Fort in Texas in 45 days to get paid. Has Indian trouble, sandstorm, men who die or get hurt, Buffalo soldiers, stolen Army guns and even some comedy in this story. Pretty good story.