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John Hardin #1
Guns
Sam Bass is a hotshot pilot with a past, and when Sam makes a daring and dangerous rescue of a couple lost at sea in a storm, he gets publicity he definitely doesn't need. The Cowboy, as he's known in certain circles, has finally been located and a hit team is dispatched to take care of unfinished business. Original.
357 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2006
321 people are currently reading
316 people want to read
About the author
Phil Bowie
12 books7 followersPhil is a lifelong freelance writer with 300 articles published in national magazines over the years, including Reader's Digest, The Saturday Evening Post, Harper's, Troika, Yankee, Grit, Heartland USA, and AOPA Pilot.
He's a licensed boat captain, a licensed pilot, a fiddler, a motorcycle rider, and an avid reader of everything.
He lives in eastern North Carolina on a shore of the wide Neuse River.
His suspense novels have been endorsed by top best-selling authors Lee Child, Ridley Pearson, and Stephen Coonts, and his debut novel, GUNS, won honorable mention at the London Book Festival. His short story collection, Dagger and other tales, includes his award-winning version of a yarn begun by Stephen King.
Check out my NEW blog, with random thoughts in general and some tips on writing: http://www.philbowie.blogspot.com
He's a licensed boat captain, a licensed pilot, a fiddler, a motorcycle rider, and an avid reader of everything.
He lives in eastern North Carolina on a shore of the wide Neuse River.
His suspense novels have been endorsed by top best-selling authors Lee Child, Ridley Pearson, and Stephen Coonts, and his debut novel, GUNS, won honorable mention at the London Book Festival. His short story collection, Dagger and other tales, includes his award-winning version of a yarn begun by Stephen King.
Check out my NEW blog, with random thoughts in general and some tips on writing: http://www.philbowie.blogspot.com
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 16, 2022
A pilot in hiding on a Carolina island is found when he does a good deed.
Took way too long to get to the action.
Took way too long to get to the action.
September 16, 2011
Guns was a typical novel where the hero lost someone close to him and he eventually seeks revenge on the killers. I was really intrigued by the byline, which led me to believe it would present a new twist by our hero learning “ancient Cherokee ways”; however, this was a short chapter in the book, and it didn’t present anything interesting.
At times I got into the story, but then I would get bogged down with the author’s desire to explain detailed flight information as well as an the history of various firearms. I realize the book is titled “Guns”, but most of the details didn’t do anything to advance the story. While somewhat interesting to a gun buff, the gun info just seemed like filler information while we waited for the hero to go after the bad guys.
At times I got into the story, but then I would get bogged down with the author’s desire to explain detailed flight information as well as an the history of various firearms. I realize the book is titled “Guns”, but most of the details didn’t do anything to advance the story. While somewhat interesting to a gun buff, the gun info just seemed like filler information while we waited for the hero to go after the bad guys.
August 10, 2012
Guns gets off to a running start. Sam Bass is called by a friend with the Coast Guard concerning mutual friends in trouble in a storm off the North Carolina coast. Sam takes off into a storm to do an aerial search. When he is successful at spotting the friend’s sailboat and directing the Coast Guard to the rescue he is portrayed as a hero in the Raleigh newspaper. The story is picked up by the wires and Sam’s troubles begin.
Guns is a pretty good read, not great, but pretty good. I enjoy novels by authors that add to the story by giving a little bit of history along with the plot. Bowie took his history lessons a little bit too far. Also the preaching about the world’s gun sellers was just a little bit excessive. The first couple of pages of rant were okay, but the second time around turned into ‘skim time’. It’s also very obvious that Bowie is in love with flying. But, again, the author gets a little carried away with his descriptions. ““Working with familiar assurance he armed the auto feather, turned off the propeller synchrophaser, selected approach flaps, reduced the torques to 1,000 foot pounds per side, …..” You get the idea.
The story then goes back in time for the back story of why he is targeted for death by the hit team.
The end game, revenge, isn’t too involved and really wasn’t all that well thought out by the author.
As I stated, a pretty good, but not great, book. I will pick up book two in the next week or so and continue the story of the protag, once Sam Bass, now John Hardin.
Guns is a pretty good read, not great, but pretty good. I enjoy novels by authors that add to the story by giving a little bit of history along with the plot. Bowie took his history lessons a little bit too far. Also the preaching about the world’s gun sellers was just a little bit excessive. The first couple of pages of rant were okay, but the second time around turned into ‘skim time’. It’s also very obvious that Bowie is in love with flying. But, again, the author gets a little carried away with his descriptions. ““Working with familiar assurance he armed the auto feather, turned off the propeller synchrophaser, selected approach flaps, reduced the torques to 1,000 foot pounds per side, …..” You get the idea.
The story then goes back in time for the back story of why he is targeted for death by the hit team.
The end game, revenge, isn’t too involved and really wasn’t all that well thought out by the author.
As I stated, a pretty good, but not great, book. I will pick up book two in the next week or so and continue the story of the protag, once Sam Bass, now John Hardin.
May 14, 2013
I think men would love this book. I liked it a lot. I liked the characters, cowboy, the old Indian, the old couple that didn't want to retire. The only thing I didn't like was the details. There were long drawn out details about the airplane, several of them; the guns; wars; flight patterns etc. I skipped over a lot of that so it was a short read for me, but I think men would love it.
This author obviously knows a lot about all these things, but needs to shave it off a little bit. I liked the happy ending and the fact that all the bad guys got punished. I would recommend this book to men but don't know if I would read this author again myself.
This author obviously knows a lot about all these things, but needs to shave it off a little bit. I liked the happy ending and the fact that all the bad guys got punished. I would recommend this book to men but don't know if I would read this author again myself.
December 30, 2023
Guns
Phil Bowie
This is the first in the John Hardin Series.
Sam Bass is one of the good guys. He loves old westerns, wears cowboy boots, and lives with the moral code of John Wayne.
Guns is a strange title as there are not so many guns in the book, but it is a great worthwhile read.
The story is more of a collection of shorter stories that tie together as you move along. Phil, the author, likes his descriptions and does tend to go over the top with them making them lengthy and a bit boring at times. Phil has a very good working knowledge of a lot of interesting stuff, but it does bog the story down sometimes. However, the story does move on, the plot is slow to get going but the interest is kept up if you are willing to work through the explanations and the details about planes, politics and island life, etc.
I enjoyed reading Guns as the protagonist was very flawed and was not an ex-army special forces macho man who can deal with everything thrown his way. He was more the sort of person you can relate to that is wandering through life and gets caught up in a series of events that put him into a bad situation. The way Phil describes it, it could have happened to anyone.
Sam is living on his historic island of Ocracoke in relative peace with his gorgeous native American girlfriend and her son. His life seems idyllic living on the island and flying tourists on sightseeing tours. However, Sam has a past that he is running from, and it all comes tumbling down when he does a good deed for his friends.
Once the story gets past the initial description of the perfect life then we get into the meat of the story. Sam ends up running for his life after almost being killed. Then we enter the second section of the story where he goes on a sort of mission to alter himself. He also has to change his name and such to continue living without the bad guys coming after him. Sam becomes John and we follow the story as it unfolds and becomes a revenge attack type story but with a twist, as Sam/John has to become the “eye of the tiger” (I hope you get my movie reference here) but he still has no real skills. He takes the challenge stoically and works in the mountains to get his skill levels up. This part of the book could have been explained further and the story dug into more as there was a lot to unpack. It held considerable interest for me with the different cultures colliding accidentally and the acceptance of the Cherokee people he was staying with.
Finally, he is sort of ready to get his revenge and comes up with a very basic and flawed plan. He tracks down the bad guys with his newfound skills and confidence and slowly makes the score even, but he does not have it easy. He is not wandering around snapping necks like Jack Reacher or putting bullets into targets a mile off. He fumbles around doing his best and makes a bit of a mess of it all but that is human and something I found kept me reading. John is very likable, and I found myself rooting for him even though I was not sure how he would manage against seasoned professionals.
I will leave you to find out how Sam/John does and what happens. Guns is a good book and well worth the read. The protagonist is human, likable, and real. I ended up enjoying the fumbling as much as the rest of the book as I felt if I was ever in such a circumstance, I would be sort of similar but a lot worse!
Guns keeps your attention, and if you have strong opinions will give you something to think about.
Phil Bowie
This is the first in the John Hardin Series.
Sam Bass is one of the good guys. He loves old westerns, wears cowboy boots, and lives with the moral code of John Wayne.
Guns is a strange title as there are not so many guns in the book, but it is a great worthwhile read.
The story is more of a collection of shorter stories that tie together as you move along. Phil, the author, likes his descriptions and does tend to go over the top with them making them lengthy and a bit boring at times. Phil has a very good working knowledge of a lot of interesting stuff, but it does bog the story down sometimes. However, the story does move on, the plot is slow to get going but the interest is kept up if you are willing to work through the explanations and the details about planes, politics and island life, etc.
I enjoyed reading Guns as the protagonist was very flawed and was not an ex-army special forces macho man who can deal with everything thrown his way. He was more the sort of person you can relate to that is wandering through life and gets caught up in a series of events that put him into a bad situation. The way Phil describes it, it could have happened to anyone.
Sam is living on his historic island of Ocracoke in relative peace with his gorgeous native American girlfriend and her son. His life seems idyllic living on the island and flying tourists on sightseeing tours. However, Sam has a past that he is running from, and it all comes tumbling down when he does a good deed for his friends.
Once the story gets past the initial description of the perfect life then we get into the meat of the story. Sam ends up running for his life after almost being killed. Then we enter the second section of the story where he goes on a sort of mission to alter himself. He also has to change his name and such to continue living without the bad guys coming after him. Sam becomes John and we follow the story as it unfolds and becomes a revenge attack type story but with a twist, as Sam/John has to become the “eye of the tiger” (I hope you get my movie reference here) but he still has no real skills. He takes the challenge stoically and works in the mountains to get his skill levels up. This part of the book could have been explained further and the story dug into more as there was a lot to unpack. It held considerable interest for me with the different cultures colliding accidentally and the acceptance of the Cherokee people he was staying with.
Finally, he is sort of ready to get his revenge and comes up with a very basic and flawed plan. He tracks down the bad guys with his newfound skills and confidence and slowly makes the score even, but he does not have it easy. He is not wandering around snapping necks like Jack Reacher or putting bullets into targets a mile off. He fumbles around doing his best and makes a bit of a mess of it all but that is human and something I found kept me reading. John is very likable, and I found myself rooting for him even though I was not sure how he would manage against seasoned professionals.
I will leave you to find out how Sam/John does and what happens. Guns is a good book and well worth the read. The protagonist is human, likable, and real. I ended up enjoying the fumbling as much as the rest of the book as I felt if I was ever in such a circumstance, I would be sort of similar but a lot worse!
Guns keeps your attention, and if you have strong opinions will give you something to think about.
April 18, 2018
I might try to retake it later, but at the time the first few chapters tired me down.
While I do enjoy the characters and their relationships, there are two things that present a very amateur look on the author: the constant change of perspective, even if he is using 3rd person he is following a character and his perspective, his thoughts, and desires, and then he jumps to the character in front of someone else arriving in scene... that bothers me deeply.
While there is always the need to set the setting and characters there are descriptions that are totally unnecessary, there will bring nothing to the story or only serve to add word count... the whole thing of the magnets I am pretty sure there is nothing to come from it, it was just to establish how Val keeps falling in all kind failing schemes for extra money...
All in all the story seems to have future and a thread... but when you need to read 20% of the story to find the premise and the story... well... there is something wrong here.
While I do enjoy the characters and their relationships, there are two things that present a very amateur look on the author: the constant change of perspective, even if he is using 3rd person he is following a character and his perspective, his thoughts, and desires, and then he jumps to the character in front of someone else arriving in scene... that bothers me deeply.
While there is always the need to set the setting and characters there are descriptions that are totally unnecessary, there will bring nothing to the story or only serve to add word count... the whole thing of the magnets I am pretty sure there is nothing to come from it, it was just to establish how Val keeps falling in all kind failing schemes for extra money...
All in all the story seems to have future and a thread... but when you need to read 20% of the story to find the premise and the story... well... there is something wrong here.
July 28, 2024
Adding Phil Bowie to my favorite authors…
The description was intriguing and so I got this on a whim. Was needing a break from a series I had been reading and pulled up Guns. This book had me from go and I did not stop reading until it was finished. Looking for book 2 and other Phil Bowie books is next on my to-do list. Read it…you will not regret it.
The description was intriguing and so I got this on a whim. Was needing a break from a series I had been reading and pulled up Guns. This book had me from go and I did not stop reading until it was finished. Looking for book 2 and other Phil Bowie books is next on my to-do list. Read it…you will not regret it.
September 12, 2017
I downloaded this ebook for free from Barnes and Noble for my Nook library in 2012. This is a mystery-revenge novel. I wavered between 3 and 4 stars, and decided to go with 4 stars because I think other readers might enjoy it.
March 16, 2022
Actually a three and a half
It was a pleasant book to read, and was interesting, as I have flown a lot. It just did not seem to have any zing.I will read next one to see if there will be any further.
It was a pleasant book to read, and was interesting, as I have flown a lot. It just did not seem to have any zing.I will read next one to see if there will be any further.
May 31, 2022
Bush pilot liked it.
A good read. Aircraft references and piloting were accurate and believable. As a former Cessna delivery pilot, I enjoyed reading about the same aircraft I had stick time in.
A good read. Aircraft references and piloting were accurate and believable. As a former Cessna delivery pilot, I enjoyed reading about the same aircraft I had stick time in.
June 21, 2024
A very good book!
I really loved loved loved this book for it was wrote about my home state and I was married to a man that was half cherokee Indian!Thank You Phil Bowie for a really great book!
I really loved loved loved this book for it was wrote about my home state and I was married to a man that was half cherokee Indian!Thank You Phil Bowie for a really great book!
October 7, 2025
My goodness!!!
Riveting story...couldn't put it down. Love Sam....what a good guy....he's a keeper all right. The characters are well developed and well described. The descriptions of nature...the sea...the mountains put you right there. Loved the grandfather best of all.
Riveting story...couldn't put it down. Love Sam....what a good guy....he's a keeper all right. The characters are well developed and well described. The descriptions of nature...the sea...the mountains put you right there. Loved the grandfather best of all.
November 2, 2025
Guns, Guns, Guns
Well this is quite the surprise for a first time read and I must say a most pleasant surprise. Great story, great characters. I look forward to many more good reads. Thanks much to Phil Bowie.
Well this is quite the surprise for a first time read and I must say a most pleasant surprise. Great story, great characters. I look forward to many more good reads. Thanks much to Phil Bowie.
October 1, 2025
Good read
This author knows his stuff and does his best to insure that you learn it too. Needs a little editing but still good.
This author knows his stuff and does his best to insure that you learn it too. Needs a little editing but still good.
October 26, 2025
Good start
The first third is a bit slow as it builds the characters. Soundly researched. Somewhat preachy about guns. Needed a better editor but was mildly interesting.
The first third is a bit slow as it builds the characters. Soundly researched. Somewhat preachy about guns. Needed a better editor but was mildly interesting.
April 12, 2020
This book starts off okay with the main character Sam Bass receiving a call to help the Coast Guard in locating a boat in distress during a storm. He flies his plane into the storm helping the leading the Coast guard to the boat and the rescue, who are also his friends. Once the story gets out in the papers and some people from his past see his name, they come for him and now you have the second part of this story. The author will take you into why they are after Sam. I found this to bog down at times after the beginning and it seemed it got to be to much back story or history that took away from the story.
January 8, 2013
This was more like reading two stories rather than one. The first half of the book was about a man that was starting over and falling in love with a little excitement thrown in to keep the reader interested. And then all Hell breaks loose. People die and the real story begins to unfold. The plot felt done, but yet fresh. The hero wasn't ex anything but just a simple man that followed his moral compass and rolled with the punches that he got dealt for doing so, until they took his future. Then it's all about revenge. I enjoyed this book and recommend it highly if you enjoy action/thrillers.
February 24, 2013
a mystery in several parts.
First paragraph
THE RINGING PHONE WAS TRYING TO COMPETE WITH THE keening of the wind outside the cottage when Sam Bass untangled himself from the sheets and reached for it in the gray light. “Damn, what time is it,” he mumbled, sitting up groggily.
Bowie, Phil (2006-08-01). Guns: Book One in the John Hardin Series (p. 1). Independent Publishers Group. Kindle Edition.
First paragraph
THE RINGING PHONE WAS TRYING TO COMPETE WITH THE keening of the wind outside the cottage when Sam Bass untangled himself from the sheets and reached for it in the gray light. “Damn, what time is it,” he mumbled, sitting up groggily.
Bowie, Phil (2006-08-01). Guns: Book One in the John Hardin Series (p. 1). Independent Publishers Group. Kindle Edition.
March 20, 2012
Maybe a tiny bit too much detail about airplanes and flying but it jogged along happily enough. Plot a relatively standard one of witness protection programme and vengeance, with a Steven Segal training regime from a Cherokee but a light and easy read. Another freebee Kindle, so what could be better? Well worth dipping into.
February 10, 2014
Sam is a pilot with a heart, a good woman he loves, and a mysterious past. But then - his past catches up with him. Thriller with lots of flying action.
August 2, 2012
This book gives a lot of detail about airplanes and flying as well as info about different types of guns. I found it fascinating and really liked the Indian perspective on vengeance,
January 16, 2013
Great read! I will look for future installments. The protagonist is very "Jack Reacher". I fell in love with him within two chapters.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews