A. T. Butler

The new sheriff of San Adrian is ruling the town with an iron fist. But what his deputies and the nervous townsfolk don't know is that the man posing as sheriff is a man on the run from the law, wanted for the murder of his wife. It's up to bounty hunter Jacob Payne to expose the outlaw for who he is in Trouble By Any Name by author A.T. Butler.

Yup. I had a hankerin' to read me a Western.

Yup. Jacob Payne's story gets violent at the climax. Even so, I found it to be the easy and unsurprising show more but entertaining read I needed for some relaxation. The pace is good for its novella (or novelette) length, like an episode of a TV show instead of a movie. There's a vague point or two where the story would make more sense with a little explanation, but it isn't the biggest deal. Some mild colorful language pops up here and there, but there's nothing R-rated.

Now, the style does get to be a bit much in places where the drama heightens, with the men's glaring and growling and such, but the read wasn't too corny for me overall. There are also a few errors (such as the word "snuggly" where it should say "snugly," and a couple of places where the author gets the characters' names/identities mixed up), but I was only mildly distracted by that.

Yup. I intend to read more in the Jacob Payne, Bounty Hunter series. show less

Having enjoyed a few of this author's Jacob Payne, Bounty Hunter novellas, and loving the colors sweeping across the sky on the cover of this three-story collection, I decided to check it out.

I found it to be a quick dose of easily-digestible historical fiction. I wouldn't call it a women's fiction collection as the cover does, since not every story's lead character is a woman. But female leads do open and close the collection.

Now, if I'd known ahead of time that the stories aren't arranged show more in chronological order, I would have started with the last story. Due to some side details in the second story, I knew what the outcome of the third story would be too early on. Also, certain details in the writing are pretty repetitive.

Nevertheless, I liked the read overall. Perhaps some of the characters will show up in this author's upcoming Juniper Falls series.

Note:
• theme of past domestic abuse, but with limited descriptions
• no profanity
• no sexual content show less

Bounty hunter Jacob Payne agrees to serve as a deputy marshal to catch an outlaw in the town of Jasper, Arizona. But it isn't so simple when not all of the wanted man's victims believe they're victims in Justice for Jasper by author A.T. Butler.

I'll admit I reached for this third Jacob Payne novella because I wanted to snack on a fairly quick and easy win, and I knew this Western would deliver one. In rather "PG" fashion, too. This story does include a little more mild language than the show more first two, I think, but it doesn't go overboard.

And, yeah, it's still pretty clear and corny how some hero worship for Payne shows right through the narration. But I don't mind it, since I don't revisit this series to be too serious but just to get some comfortable entertainment.

I reckon I'll read at least one more from this series sometime. show less

Jacob always preferred to take in his targets alive, but if Corker wanted a fight, he would get one.

Bounty hunter Jacob Payne is tracking a bank robber through the Arizona desert, but the outlaw himself may not prove to be the biggest threat to Jacob out here. The heat is intense, water is scarce—and not to mention hazards like rattlesnakes and falling rocks in Danger in the Canyon by author A.T. Butler.

After enjoying the first Western novella (well, novelette) in this series, I looked show more forward to taking a break with the next one. I'll admit I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first, as Jacob spends most of this story alone, trekking through the desert. Stories about traveling and surviving in nature without much dialogue tend not to be my favorites, and it does get a bit corny when the narrator blatantly praises Payne's abilities, here.

Still, this is a quick, profanity-free read with some grit and Western flavor, and I plan on trying at least one more book in the series. show less