I've liked westerns for most of my life, but took very little active interest in reading them until a couple of years ago. Last year, I went on my first big western reading kick, consuming dozens of them and even saw my share of movies despite a busy schedule. My favorite western author by a long mile, even more than Louis L'amour, is Lewis B. Patten, although the likes of Alan LeMay and Clifton Adams are up there.
Patten began writing for the western pulps in the 40s, then graduated to hardcover novels and paperback originals and continued to write until his death in the 80s. He wrote over 100 novels and only a few were adapted into film. The plot in many of his stories includes a wronged person who seeks justice and the resolution that either redeems or dooms them. I'll share a few of his works that I read last year.
The first story of his that I encountered was "Gun the Man Down" about a young man returns home after hearing that his father and brothers were unjustly lynched for rustling cattle. The tone was ominous, the odds were stacked against the protagonist until the very end. You're ready to believe in the worst of humanity as well as the worst possible outcome until things turn around near the end. Similar to several other westerns, it seems to begin like a noir crime story but ultimately results in a hopeful outcome. Not quite noir but definitely a crime story with a western setting. I was hooked.
"They Called Him a Killer" is a pulp novella about a young man who sets out to find his father, an escapee on the run, who went to prison for killing his mother. Originally, he's out to find justice for his mother but learns there's much more to the story than he realized. This was another compelling piece.
The Killer from Yuma is an excellent novel about a woman who engineers a killer's escape from prison so he'll kill the man responsible for his father's death. This is a crazy story full of suspense and psychological complexity of a morally gray variety. This book left me speechless.
Five Rode West is a story about a group of misfits displaced after the Civil War. They are loyal to a mother figure who sends them in a journey to rustle a thousand unclaimed cattle in Indian territory, although she doesn't bother to join them in what becomes a harrowing journey. This is another ominous story with a very possible bleak outcome, but I like the way this one turns out.
A Killer in Kiowa was an award-winner about some ruffians who kill an innocent man for defending a prostitute that they tried to violate. Tensions rise when the sheriff determines it was murder and brings in the culprits. The father of one of the men knows his son is guilty but will stop at nothing to free him whether it's bribery, intimidation, or murder. This one is a tightly written, gripping siege story.
The Red Sabbath was an award-winner as well, but this one is historical fiction about General Custer's campaign at Little Big Horn, told through the perspective of a scout who has a complicated history with him. We learn that Custer was hated by his entire unit, who he leads into a hopeless battle in a desperate attempt at prestige. The protagonist also has an extensive backstory about the hardships he has seen in his life and it is moving to see his will to survive with the faintest hope that life will get better for him. Overall, this is an incredible book about survival and the human spirit.
Somehow, westerns have a hold on me. I'll always be a horror fan and 15 years ago, I wouldn't have believed you if you told me I would get into westerns too. It's 2026 and I'm back to reading them, hopefully for some time to come. I'll drop you a line on what I'm reading including some horrific westerns I plan on reading by Lee Savage Jr. and Peter Brandvold. This is a rich field and I'm glad to take the opportunity to explore it.
Written by Nick Montelongo
Patten began writing for the western pulps in the 40s, then graduated to hardcover novels and paperback originals and continued to write until his death in the 80s. He wrote over 100 novels and only a few were adapted into film. The plot in many of his stories includes a wronged person who seeks justice and the resolution that either redeems or dooms them. I'll share a few of his works that I read last year.
The first story of his that I encountered was "Gun the Man Down" about a young man returns home after hearing that his father and brothers were unjustly lynched for rustling cattle. The tone was ominous, the odds were stacked against the protagonist until the very end. You're ready to believe in the worst of humanity as well as the worst possible outcome until things turn around near the end. Similar to several other westerns, it seems to begin like a noir crime story but ultimately results in a hopeful outcome. Not quite noir but definitely a crime story with a western setting. I was hooked.
"They Called Him a Killer" is a pulp novella about a young man who sets out to find his father, an escapee on the run, who went to prison for killing his mother. Originally, he's out to find justice for his mother but learns there's much more to the story than he realized. This was another compelling piece.
The Killer from Yuma is an excellent novel about a woman who engineers a killer's escape from prison so he'll kill the man responsible for his father's death. This is a crazy story full of suspense and psychological complexity of a morally gray variety. This book left me speechless.
Five Rode West is a story about a group of misfits displaced after the Civil War. They are loyal to a mother figure who sends them in a journey to rustle a thousand unclaimed cattle in Indian territory, although she doesn't bother to join them in what becomes a harrowing journey. This is another ominous story with a very possible bleak outcome, but I like the way this one turns out.
A Killer in Kiowa was an award-winner about some ruffians who kill an innocent man for defending a prostitute that they tried to violate. Tensions rise when the sheriff determines it was murder and brings in the culprits. The father of one of the men knows his son is guilty but will stop at nothing to free him whether it's bribery, intimidation, or murder. This one is a tightly written, gripping siege story.
The Red Sabbath was an award-winner as well, but this one is historical fiction about General Custer's campaign at Little Big Horn, told through the perspective of a scout who has a complicated history with him. We learn that Custer was hated by his entire unit, who he leads into a hopeless battle in a desperate attempt at prestige. The protagonist also has an extensive backstory about the hardships he has seen in his life and it is moving to see his will to survive with the faintest hope that life will get better for him. Overall, this is an incredible book about survival and the human spirit.Somehow, westerns have a hold on me. I'll always be a horror fan and 15 years ago, I wouldn't have believed you if you told me I would get into westerns too. It's 2026 and I'm back to reading them, hopefully for some time to come. I'll drop you a line on what I'm reading including some horrific westerns I plan on reading by Lee Savage Jr. and Peter Brandvold. This is a rich field and I'm glad to take the opportunity to explore it.
Written by Nick Montelongo
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