L. P. Holmes (1895–1988)

The writing style is dated, yet not as much as the Zane Grey novels it makes me recall. Holmes hits all the beats of the genre and won’t disappoint western lovers.

Wade Stagmire is set up for a murder he did not commit and flees the town and avoids places that may show his wanted poster. When he gets to Castle City, California, a young woman gives him advice as to what ranch might hire him. When he gets there, Gib, the handicapped owner, is attacked by three ranch hands when he fires them for theft. The attack on Gib brings Wade into the fight where he beats the leader into a pulp and then gets a job from Gib for the help.

The young woman turns out to show more the niece of the saw mill owner who on the surface appears to be buying stolen cattle to feed his employees and forcing ranchers to bankruptcy so he can get their land and timber rights. While rustling is part of the plot, timber rights are the big money makers in this western novel. Entertaining read. show less

Stuart which is a nom de plume of writer L. P. Holmes who wrote countless westerns. This one is a barn burner with a lot of action and unexpected turns in the plot that do not follow the usual route.

Link Asbell has worked for the Double Diamond Ranch for many years starting a young man whose character was strongly influenced by the owner Mike Vincent. Mike is now dead who on his death bed asked Link to look after the ranch and his daughter Sue Vincent. When Link discovers a line cabin burnt show more and a ranch hand dead inside he suspects that the owners of a neighbouring ranch may be responsible. Proving it and keeping friends and others safe becomes a complicated job for Link especially since he loves Sue who opposes his ideas on what to do next. show less

L.P. Holmes will probably never be lauded by any great critics, but for great stories that are fun to read and leave a reader satisfied, there are few better than he was. The three stories collected in this binding follow the common theme of much of Holmes' work and all three are worth the read.