Dusty Richards (1937–2018)

This is a pretty typical western, where the cowboys are morally straight, hard-working, honorable men and the women are strong, nurturing and ready to fight alongside their men.

The story takes place just at the end of the Civil War. When the O’Malley boys, Long John and Harp, set off from the family ranch to help a local man take cattle to Missouri. Northerners are hungry for meat after the long war years and there is money to be made. Barely out of their teens when they sign on as crew, show more Harp and Long quickly rise to positions of leadership in the outfit, and Harp, in particular, absorbs every lesson he can from former Confederate Captain Emory Greg.

In many ways it reminded me of Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove, though it isn’t nearly so well written. Richards’ style is more simple and straightforward. There’s a problem, the O’Malleys will solve it. They’re attacked – by Indians, by outlaws, by lawmen or soldiers – and they fight back, and win (of course). But it isn’t ALL danger and drama. Along the way, a couple of women come into their circle. Harp finds a bride. Their cook, Ira, cares for a traumatized young girl.

This first delivery of cattle, however, is only the beginning for the O’Malleys. Their success gives them some capital and they begin to build their empire.

The storyline is pretty basic and the characters are mostly out of central casting. What I really loved about the book, though, was the landscape. It’s the landscape of my youth. I grew up in Bexar county, where the O’Malley homestead is located. And I’ve traveled many of the areas through which their cattle drives take them.

This is the first in a series of westerns featuring the O’Malleys, and it ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger. That’s a pet peeve of mine. I wish authors would trust their readers to want to read another book by them rather than try to “force” them to continue by using this device. show less

This is Book 6 in the Byrnes Family Ranch series. Richards continues the saga of Chet Byrnes attempt to build a ranch empire in Arizona. Driven by bad experiences in Texas with law breakers, he organized and leads a group of lawmen and vigilantes who track down bandits and murderers and if they surrender, he passes them on to sheriffs or marshals for trial. If not, they are shot dead.

In ranching he concentrates on improving the quality of his cattle and protecting the land from over grazing show more and environmental damage from mining and other destructive activities. He purchases land and ranches and gives them to friends and family to work and protect for his growing empire. Strangers and friends who need help are quickly put on the payroll or assisted to go into a business that is needed in the community. Examples are saddle making, blacksmithing, lawman, cowboy, merchant and more.

He suffers some setbacks including the deaths of friends and family. Novel reads somewhat like a long soap opera but it is readable and moves along fairly swiftly. I am not encouraged by this effort to go looking for other volumes in the series, show less

I can't really rate this book; I couldn't finish this book.

I have read other books in the series and read them cover to cover in less than a day, this one, dragged for me.

The main character was always going from place to place...the relationships he had with his wife and men felt wooden and one dimensional, not like the other books where we felt a connection of sorts. All the things going on with building his cattle empire versus being a U.S. Marshal, too confusing and over lapped without show more me even knowing it was happening. In the others in the series these situations came up but there was a clear cut division of his time and energy.

Maybe this will be a "sit on the shelf for a year and try to read again" kind of books. I hope since I enjoyed other books by this author. show less

Western Heritage and Spur award-winning author Dusty Richards tells the thrilling saga of Chet Byrnes, a man who brought the spirit of Texas into Arizona Territory—and the guns to back it up.