Roosevelt's Boys

John C. Horst makes his historical fiction debut with Roosevelt's Boys, a saga of not only the Rough Riders, but the nurses and loved ones left behind in the Spanish War. While Roosevelt's Boys wasn't a huge departure from Horst's beloved westerns, he still manages to keep his distinct storytelling and penchant for creating impossibly likable characters. Told through multiple perspectives, two brothers head off to the Spanish War to fight for adventure and glory leaving behind a feisty fiance, a spinster sister, a Hopi farmhand, and a dour father. We are also introduced to three nurses; a nun, a black woman, and a beautiful German girl. These character's lives intertwine repeatedly throughout the story, although their experiences vary. By the end of the war, those who have survived have become different people; more hardened, loving, and eager to live life to the fullest. The "little war," though often overlooked, was anything but little to those who lived it. Horst does a commanding job of bringing his characters to life, fleshing out their histories, and giving them depth. It's clear that he also did a great amount of research because the attention to detail is staggering. It all ties together wonderfully in this hard to put down war saga. For fans of historical fiction, war sagas, and westerns, with a touch of romance to entice the ladies as well. Another home run for Horst.

The Case of the Silver Republicans

The fourth book in The Mule Tamer series won't disappoint. Fans will pick up right where they left off and newcomers won't have any problem getting into the swing of things, as the story does a great job of filling readers in on previous events without being too repetitive or overwhelming.

Arvel Walsh and his partner in crime, Dick Welles, may not have a job to report after long, the political climate is in turmoil and depending on who gets elected, the Arizona Rangers may be on the chopping block. Rather than worry about the election, Arvel and Dick have their hands full trying to find out who brutally cut up a local whore. Left to die, the Rangers vow to bring vengeance on her attacker. Little do they know that their bad boy is very well connected politically and his family will stop at nothing to make sure all loose ends are tied up; the Rangers being one of them. Arvel's feisty Mexican wife, Chica, vows that she will keep her family safe from any thugs and sends the Rangers to go track down the bad men. Little do they know it's only a diversion... Full of danger, excitement, and wild west tales, this western will keep readers intrigued. Another great installment full of unforgettable characters, notorious bad guys, and lots of fun. Not to be missed!

I received this book for free from the author in return for my honest, unbiased review.

Allingham: The Long Journey Home

John Horst has done it again, the third installment (and final one I believe) of the Allingham series is just as good as the first two, if not better. This time however, our hero, Allingham, takes the backseat for some of the adventure because of the tragic loss of his beautiful wife. While mourning Rebecca, all hell breaks loose in Arizona. It's a land war and ranches are pitted against each other as cattle go missing, men get lynched, houses burned down, etc.Without Allingham to save the day they hire his old friend Stosh Gorski, a tough cop from New York to try and clean up the land and figure out who is behind it all. As the body count keeps mounting, Stosh wishes like hell that Allingham could pull his shit together and help him straighten out the mess. Will the conflict ever end?

Overall, another great western with memorable characters and of course Horst's trademark, strong women. At points it gets a little confusing straightening out the minor characters, figuring who works for who, but it's easily remedied when you continue reading. Another must read!

Allingham: Desperate Ride

John Horst manages to once again bring to life a western drama that will leave readers wanting more. Not content to let lawmen, Allingham, get all the credit, Horst introduces a variety of new characters (as well as old ones) to seek justice and save the day.

Ramon la Garza is on the run after he kills a rude white rancher in self defense. Thad Hall is dead set on revenging his brother's killer and immediately sets off to find and kill Ramon. Allingham's right hand man, Hobbs and his hard headed Mexican wife, Rosalie, team up with Pierce (half brother to Thad and the murdered rancher) and Old Pop to track down and stop Thad before he catches up with Ramon. Allingham would have come along on the ride but he is stuck at home trying to find a gruesome serial killer who has been killing and mutilating red-headed prostitutes. The two stories are threaded together more than anyone can imagine and Hobbs and Allingham have their hands full trying to keep the peace.

In true western style, this book is a page turner as the reader desperately tries to predict the outcome (you won't!). Another great installment from John Horst :)

Western - Allingham

Author: John C. Horst
Title: Allingham

Publication Date: 2013
Number of Pages: 266 pages

Geographical Setting: Arizona
Time Period: mid-nineteenth century

Subject Headings: wild west, police officers, criminals, cowboys
Appeal: fast paced, character driven, dark and graphic

Series: n/a

Summary: John Horst really got in his stride in his latest (and in my opinion, so far greatest) Western novel. This is John's first stand alone novel since his critically acclaimed Mule Tamer series (Amazon top 100 Bestselling Western  for the Kindle) and I really enjoyed getting to meet new characters. As usual, Allingham is a masterfully character driven novel. The plot goes in and out, but his wonderful, relate-able characters move the story forward.

Sergeant Allingham, a solitary and generally unlikable police officer, decides to move out west to Arizona when he finds that due to cancer he has only has months to live . His doctor assures him that Arizona's dry heat is much better suited for his condition then the cold unpredictable weather of New York. He figures that being a marshall in the Wild West will give him an easy way out, he can go out in a blaze of glory rather than wasting away in a hospital bed.

Canyon Diablo is more of a challenge then he expected, it is filled with the lowest of men, people shitting in streets, whores, pimps, and gamblers, having the run of a town. In no time at all Allingam gets to work and starts to clean up the town. It's citizens are amazed, they've never had a sheriff that lasted than more a few weeks and they've certainly never encountered anyone that was capable of improving the town. Instead of dreaming about dying in a blaze of glory, Allingham discovers that he's actually starting to enjoy himself and wants to help this town get's back on his feet. For the first time in his life he is happy. He has good deputies working under him and has found himself trying to impress the impossibly beautiful Rebecca Halstead. With everything starting to go so good at the end of his life, nothing can go wrong.... or can it???

Like I said this book is wonderfully character driven. I immediately fell in love with Francis (one of the young deputies) and his funny stories that amused the Marshall and the crew ("I'll be go to hell!"). I even found myself warming up to Allingham who really starts to develop as a character as the story progresses. He starts off cold and impenetrable but as he starts to help Canyon Diablo he lets his guard down and shows us that he really has a heart. I even found myself tearing up at the end.

John C. Horst has done it again. He's created a western that is perfect for everyone because it has a little bit of everything, it has mystery, a little romance, and historical intrigue. Give it a try!!

Maria's Trail, The Early Adventures of Chica, Heroine of The Mule Tamer Trilogy

I had the privilege of getting to read an advance manuscript of John C. Horst's upcoming work, Maria's Trail, The Early Adventures of Chica, Heroine of The Mule Tamer Trilogy. John has been really good about letting me read his works as they come out and I try to be good about reviewing them in a timely manner :)

As I've mentioned before westerns aren't really my thing, fortunately The Mule Tamer Trilogy has proved to be the exception to the rule. The characters are diverse and engaging and you can't help but cheering them on every time something dreadful seems to befall them (which is a lot). Throughout the trilogy Chica has remained my favorite character. She's crude and crass, yet she somehow is still the classiest damn woman you've ever met. She's a wild Mexican mix between Annie Oakley and Robin Hood. She's a free spirit and one of the most lovable characters in the trilogy.

This prequel helps us understand Chica's early life and why she is the way she is. Maria (Chica) suffered through a lot of tragedy but it never crippled her, it just made her stronger and more resilient. Maria's Trail gives us a glimpse of many of the stories that are mentioned in the Mule Tamer and fleshes them out. We get the real back story on Sombrero del Oro, the Indian tribe, and Chica's "uncle."

All in all this was a fantastic read and it made me love Chica's character even more. I highly recommend you read it when it is released in September!!!

The Epic Conclusion

I just had the pleasure of finishing, The Mule Tamer III: Marta's Quest, the third and final installment in The Mule Tamer Trilogy by John C. Horst and I was not disappointed. In the first two books we are introduced to Arvel Walsh and Chica, a ranger and a feisty but loving Mexican daredevil. They face many battles and trials but through it all discover their love for each other and the wild west and join together to form a family. Enter Rebecca and Marta. Rebecca is Chica and Arvel's only biological child, but they adopted Marta into their family when they rescued her from a gang of bloodthirsty Mexican bandits. Ten years later Marta and Rebecca are inseparable, Rebecca is a thoughtful, loyal, and seemingly quiet girl of nineteen and Marta is quite the opposite. Marta is strong, willed, bawdy, and always looking for a good adventure. They have just finished their schooling in Maryland and are supposed to vacation in Paris for a few months before going to college (did I mention that their grandmother is quite wealthy?) but plans change when Marta wants to check on her estate in Mexico (her Uncle was also quite wealthy). Mexico is going through some troubled times and Marta becomes even more nervous when she discovers that men want to buy her land to strip it for gold and oil. Since the duo is inseparable, Rebecca decides to join Marta on her trip to Mexico and they hope their parents won't realize where they're going.

On the ship from Maryland to Mexico, Rebecca becomes immediately smitten with young engineer, Robert Curtin. They have a whirlwind romance that I at first thought was ridiculously fast (he proposes to her within 48 hours!!) but in comparison to Romeo and Juliet who have a three day relationship (as a 13 year old and a 17 year old!) that results in the death of six people, I realized that Robert and Rebecca's fast road to love wasn't really that far fetched, plus their relationship continues to grow as the story continues. Not to be left behind Marta also starts to swoon for Marine captain, Pedro del Calle but isn't so quick to give her heart (or her virginity away), which is interesting because as a character she is much more of a risk taker and thrill seeker, however when it comes to relationships she is much more reserved. Once they make it to Marta's land they realize that they are in a pretty deep mess. Can their new lovers be trusted or are they just out for their land? I highly recommend reading to see how this adventure ends!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see Arvel's daughter's mature into quick-witted adventurous girls just like their mother, Chica. The Walsh family always runs into excitement and it has been interesting to see how each member of the family reacts to adventure and grows in different parts of the trilogy. I'm sad that this exciting saga is over, but I can't wait to see what else John C. Horst has in store!