What do you think?


The Floating Outfit #8
Quiet Town
Gold makes good men greedy, and makes greedy men vicious and wild. Which is why Quiet Town was about as quiet as a hellcat's scream.Dusty Fog decided it was time to bring some lay to Quiet Town. If that meant facing down every gun thug in the Montana Territory, Dusty was ready, willing...and damned able!
- GenresWesterns
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
About the author
J.T. Edson
184 books81 followersJohn Thomas Edson is an English writer of Westerns.
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 8, 2012
Picked this book up in early 1969 after I left school and whilst I was looking for a permanent job. Enjoyed the read so much I was spending over half my hard earned wages picking up more by this auther. Over the years I have collected over 120 of J T Edson's books and enjoyed everyone. This book introduced the central characters of the most prolific series, Dusty Fog, Mark Counter and the Ysabel Kid. Secondary characters like Red Blaze and Doc leroy also made an appearance. these are all characters I came to love ver the years. Even now I still pick out one of his books just to refresh and enjoy the memories.
April 30, 2020
Some of the names mentioned in these novels are real people.
That is where the similarity ends.
In many ways these are modern versions of the old dime novels. The only similarity to the truth are the fact that... The author mentions real people.
However if you just want to read an old fashion cowboy shoot em up, that's what these books are.
That is where the similarity ends.
In many ways these are modern versions of the old dime novels. The only similarity to the truth are the fact that... The author mentions real people.
However if you just want to read an old fashion cowboy shoot em up, that's what these books are.
April 4, 2018
Great!
This is an enjoyable western adventure that is well written but lacking where editing is concerned. Otherwise I would give it five stars.
This is an enjoyable western adventure that is well written but lacking where editing is concerned. Otherwise I would give it five stars.
May 17, 2022
Shame about the spelling mistakes.
Too many spelling mistakes which does tend to spoil the story.If it wasn't for the fact that I've read most of JT Edson s books when in my early twenties. I would be put off reading any more of his works.
Too many spelling mistakes which does tend to spoil the story.If it wasn't for the fact that I've read most of JT Edson s books when in my early twenties. I would be put off reading any more of his works.
September 17, 2017
Hardheaded
Don't listen you pay a price for every wrong doing in your life. She didn't listen to the quiet talker. Got the beat down.
Don't listen you pay a price for every wrong doing in your life. She didn't listen to the quiet talker. Got the beat down.
July 12, 2019
Wow. Once again I have found a good book in this story. I found it hard to put it down until the end.
January 30, 2020
Floating outfit
Another in the series. Read these years ago. The books are light reading you can read them in a day. It's easy to imagine them as a B western movie.
Another in the series. Read these years ago. The books are light reading you can read them in a day. It's easy to imagine them as a B western movie.
Read
June 19, 2020Re-reading this book after over forty years! Feels so different. What it lacks in depth, it makes up in pace. Filled with action and western wit. Breezy.
October 16, 2022
Another great story
Great author great story fantastic characters from the OD Connected and the Wedge Dusty Fog Mark Counter the Ysabel Kid and Doc Leroy and Rusty Willis
Great author great story fantastic characters from the OD Connected and the Wedge Dusty Fog Mark Counter the Ysabel Kid and Doc Leroy and Rusty Willis
March 9, 2017
Re visited
Read these books many moons ago and this was one of my favourite s then and still is now
Fun read
Read these books many moons ago and this was one of my favourite s then and still is now
Fun read
February 25, 2017
"RATTLE SNAKE DEADLY"
A go get'em adventure that will keep your interest. The names and descriptions of some of the characters are funny. Some of the names remind you of Roy Rogers side kick, who drove the Army jeep. You'll enjoy Captain Dusty Fog and his rough, tough hard living and straight shooting Texans. First time reading this author looking forward to reading more about "The Floating Outfit"...
A go get'em adventure that will keep your interest. The names and descriptions of some of the characters are funny. Some of the names remind you of Roy Rogers side kick, who drove the Army jeep. You'll enjoy Captain Dusty Fog and his rough, tough hard living and straight shooting Texans. First time reading this author looking forward to reading more about "The Floating Outfit"...
November 29, 2012
This is one of my favorite JT's. I love the stories where the floating outfit is acting as law enforcement. In this instance, Dusty happens to pass through Quiet Town, Montana searching for a crooked gambler who murdered a kinsman of his; little does he know the leading citizens of the town have just sent a letter to his uncle Old Devil Hardin asking that he be sent to clean up their town. After some initial reluctance Dusty and the floating outfit agree to stay on and help out. We meet some of the minor recurring characters of the series for the first time as Dusty drafts Doc Leroy (who will later be a regular member of the floating outfit) and Rusty Willis of the Wedge to help. Frank Derringer, who will later himself serve as a deputy under Dusty in Mulroony, also makes his first appearance working for the crooked saloon keeper Bearcat Annie.
Dusty trains his new deputies the way his father, who is the sheriff of Rio Hondo County, trained him. Doc Leroy in particular will make good use of the training when he and another member of the floating outfit serve in the Arizona Rangers. The group quickly make a big difference in the wide open town but Dusty begins to sense that there is an unseen mastermind behind many of the criminal activity. With two romance sub-plots between a miner and a lady boxer and a freight owner and her driver as well as a gold strike about to go bust there are plenty of plot lines for everyone. The Town Tamers or Mulroony books are slightly better in my opinion, but this is still a great story!
Dusty trains his new deputies the way his father, who is the sheriff of Rio Hondo County, trained him. Doc Leroy in particular will make good use of the training when he and another member of the floating outfit serve in the Arizona Rangers. The group quickly make a big difference in the wide open town but Dusty begins to sense that there is an unseen mastermind behind many of the criminal activity. With two romance sub-plots between a miner and a lady boxer and a freight owner and her driver as well as a gold strike about to go bust there are plenty of plot lines for everyone. The Town Tamers or Mulroony books are slightly better in my opinion, but this is still a great story!
February 12, 2017
Dusty Fog, Mark Counter and the Ysebel kid go to Quiet Town, where they are thrust into the roles of Town Matshalls along with Doc LeRoy and Rusty Wiles. They tame the town
Read
July 20, 2008Love all of his books.
September 30, 2014
This is probably my favorite of the Floating Outfit stories. I've read it many times.
May 14, 2017
Been reading j.t. Edison since early 90's and I love all his stories. My favorite though is town gamers.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews










