The Rustlers of Pecos County

by Zane Grey

In those days, Texas was a huge wide place full of frontiersmen, ranchers, farmers, cowpokes, shiftless no-accounts, shootists, rascals, and politicians -- all of them blended together into a single state. The Rangers -- lawmen, Texas Rangers -- were outnumbered a thousand to one and in one county -- Pecos county -- the law was all but helpless. Until Ranger Vaughn Steel went to Pecos, looking for revenge. . . .

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Classics, Audiobook, Ebooks, 20th Century, Historical

169 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1923

About the author

Pearl Zane Grey was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that presented an idealized image of the rugged Old West. As of June 2007, the Internet Movie Database credits Grey with 110 films, one TV episode, and a series, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater based loosely on his novels and short stories.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good character development as in all of Zane Grey's books. I liked the theme of redemption. As always, there is plenty of romance and good triumphing over evil in the romantic relationships.

[john rolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your average western

Not a bad story, very heavy on the love angle, full of mush, but the actual action just like average western.

[Omar Abdel-razzak · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Texas Rangers do it again

I really like Zane Grey’s stories about the rangers. The tend to be supermen at times, but that’s why I read westerns, for escapist fantasy about cowboy heroes

[Borud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice western

Nice western describing the role of rangers on the early Texas frontier. Vibrant characters. Another great read from a skilled author.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a mystery, since the identity of the shady boss of the rustler gangs is hinted at early on, and the plot doesn't make many twists or turns on that aspect. What surprised me was how much ink and how many chapters were invested in the double love stories. Like a romance novel, the two couples have obstacles they have to overcome in order to be together. The undercover Marshall, for example, has to pass himself off as a drinking, gambling, brawling, and gun-fighting cowboy, and the woman he likes hates all of those things in a man, especially when men kill other men. This makes the book low on bad behavior from the narrator's point of view. There are some action sequences, but we don't get graphic depictions of violence from them. I don't even remember prostitutes being mentioned at all in this book, so I'm guessing that in the 1920s Grey's books could have appeared on the preteen boys' shelves in the library. If I had to pick a favorite aspect of this book, it would be that a point is made to show what happens when you put a crook in a position of power, like a town mayor. The rustlers may have been lowlifes, but a greedy rich man is pulling the strings, and Grey could have found many examples of that in the 1920s. He didn't need to look all the way back to the Wild West to find examples, so his readers still got his most important lesson.

[RJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Russ Sittell was a young cowpuncher working for Diane Sampson, daughter of Colonel Sampson, Mayor of Linrock. Diane’s cousin, Sally Langdon accompanied Diane and was a bit of a flirt with the cowboys. Unfortunately for Russ, he had a crush on Sally and would cause him nothing but trouble. Unknown to all, Russ was also a Texas Ranger, placed in Sampson’s outfit to infiltrate the gang of rustlers that worked out of Linrock. Well-known and respected Texas Ranger Vonne Steel arrived in Linrock to speak with the Mayor but was surprisingly unwelcome. He knew who Russ was and spoke to him of their plans. In a short amount of time Steel fell for Diane. Now we have two sad-eyed pups trailing the skirts! Half of the story revolves around the two women. Steel and Russ were there to break up the rustler’s gang and so the story continued on that path. Would the women get their heroes and the Rangers their ladies?

[Jim Collett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a typical Western with shootouts and definite good and bad characters. There is however so ambiguity in the leader of the rustlers who is apparently the father of the heroine of the novel (or one of the heroines). The tale is narrated by an undercover Texas Ranger who is working in cooperation with another Ranger Vaughn Steele sent to Pecos County to destroy a gang of rustlers. (At this point, as a long-time Pecos County resident, I should add that this novel has nothing to do with the real Pecos County. I think Grey just used the name for the connotations of a place beyond the reach of civilization and law). If you ignore the historical and geographic inaccuries, the novel is fairly good and involves not one, but two, interconnected romances. A still fairly well-readable western.

[Brian Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting. It's my first stab at Zane Grey and I'm going to have to read more as this as apparently an unpublished in his lifetime draft and might not be indicative of his other work. That being said it was good. I was surprised how he kept the focus on the interpersonal and romantic tension as a way to indicate how his central characters were fearless to physical danger but deeply vulnerable to true feelings. Having it be the story of a paladin-like Vaughn Steel told from the viewpoint of his more worldly sidekick worked really well, and I'm going to be recommending this to people in the RPG space as an example of properly producing that archetype.

[Dystopian Mayhem · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little bit different from other books I’ve read so far, the romance was a big factor in the story, and the long description was missing. I liked the humor but wished the point of view was told by both Russ and Steel, I wanted more Steel scenes. I love my romance and I love a big dose of it, unfortunately, Grey is brilliant and remarkable author when it comes to the western genre but not so much in romance, at least for me. None the less, a Zane Grey book is always an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.

[Clifton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love of...

This is not a typical western imo. This was in a way as much to do with love than anything else. Love of a woman who by doing your duty may cause pain and embarrassment and doom your relationship, love of being a Texas ranger and bringing law and order where needed and also the love and respect you have for someone you look up to. If you are looking for a shoot em up western with bullets flying every other page this may not be for you.

[Christopher Lutz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a Texas Ranger and a Deputy US Marshal fighting a rustler gang and finding romance in west Texas. The first and last acts were great western storytelling. The climatic shootouts were particularly stellar, but the middle act of the story got bogged down in the double romance storyline to the point my attention started to wane. Maybe not Zane Grey’s best work but still an entertaining story that retains the authentic feel of his version of the Old West.

[Richard Koerner · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are in confinement in the time of coronavirus and this is the perfect antidote, a novel by Zane Grey. This was a steady, pleasant read, another western tale of good and bad, of good slowly taking charge and beating down the bad. It tells of optimism in a time of bad government, fascism, racism, and just simple overall hatred and ignorance and a destruction of nature.

[Richard Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grey’s stories never get old

Today there are many great writers of western tales and stories. Zane Grey was a master in his day and his stories live on even to this day. Of course, there are the good guys after the bad ones, the alluring girls that the good guys will die for. In the end everything falls in place.

[Tim Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two Texas Rangers—one overt and one under cover—head to Pecos County, Texas, to expose and end a cattle rustling gang and fall in love with the daughter and cousin of the gang’s leaders.

Will they defeat the gang and still find love? Well, you know how these stories go so I won’t include any spoilers.

I do think, though, that good Rangers would have been a bit more mission-focused…

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really made my imagination go wild, partly because I wad born in Del Rio, Val Verde County, and traveled often to Pecos County. This book should be required reading for all young men, to know the difference between good and evil, courageous vs weak minded and how to keep your head up, in great adversity.

[Monte Lamb · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me awhile to get into this one but the last half was quite good. Grey follows his usual pattern of good vs. bad and a damsel in distress is saved, but it is interesting reading. The Texas rangers win out in this one and they have to balance their love interests against taking the bad guys out.

[Joanne N. Dorsett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wild & Wonderful Western Story!

This Story is all Action from page one to the last page! It also tells of a lot of emotional feelings of folks like you & me! This Book is worth your time to read & enjoy! It is also worth the price! ENJOY!

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Thaddeus J Banley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zane Grey

Outstanding. Typical Zane Grey. I had not read a western in 15 years ... could not put this book down.

[Ronald L Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book.

As usual Zane Grey did it again. His picture of the Texas desert and the wild, wild west was fascinating beautiful,

[Ginevra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet little cowboy story, compelling but rather predictable, a gentle sort of fun with endearing characters...

[Neal Mirin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friendship,love

As they say friend and love don't mind will, not true in this storytelling,
Through hardship, spying,and truthfulness, this story line was fun to read

[Jdonohue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, some sexual content, but other wise good.

[Douglas Wingert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. Mr. Grey provides several insights to ponder as the story enfolds. He again, has spun another great yarn.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story but too romantic for my taste

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay. Zane Grey has much better novels, such as Riders of the Purple Sage, and The Rainbow Trail.

[richard stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old fashioned cowboy story

While way to long. It turned out to be a story about the Texas old west and also a love story about two different couples.

[Cade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this would be like a Louis Lamour book. Wrong. This is more like Jane Austen wrote a book based on a plot outline from Louis Lamour.

[Beth Helm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. This story involves the Texas Rangers trying find the rustlers in Linrock and also trying to clean up the town.

[Scott Betts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! I'm glad I picked this up and I'm interested in checking out more Zane Grey. The narrator was definitely gay for Steele though, right? I don't think I've read one male character describe another man so lovingly