The Collected Short Stories of Louis L'Amour, Volume 2

November 1, 2004
L'Amour is well known for Western novels about strong characters in hard situations. Names like Sackett, Hondo, and Bowdrie are synonymous with fast-drawing, straight-shooting Western heroes. This second collection of short stories falls into the same pattern: 19 of them deal with Texas Ranger Chick Bowdrie, a frontier lawman who combines fast thinking with fast shooting. The best story overall is "More Brains Than Bullets," in which Bowdrie has to solve a murder, a bank robbery, and a frame-up all at the same time. Other stories are pure Western romance, e.g., "Trail to Pie Town," in which a wandering cowboy rescues a woman in trouble. All of these stories have seen print more than once before, though here a few authorial notes and a brief biography of L'Amour add to the reader's enjoyment. Those who appreciate well-told tales with plenty of action, Western lore, and local color will enjoy.-Ken St. Andre, Phoenix P.L.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2004
L'Amour published 90 novels, 27 short story collections, a memoir, 2 nonfiction books, and even a volume of poetry. He is the only novelist to win both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. This is the second volume of his western stories to be released posthumously. The 30 tales collected here reflect the qualities on which L'Amour's timeless popularity is based: memorable protagonists, excellent plots, moral clarity, and plenty of action. About half of these tales feature Chick Bowdrie, a tough-as-nails Texas Ranger with a Holmesian ability to analyze a crime scene. Bowdrie solves a 20-year-old kidnapping, ends a nascent range war, and brings to justice the killers of 14 outlaws slaughtered in an ambush, among other heroics. Beyond the Bowdrie offerings, the standout tale in the collection may be "Law of the Desert Born," in which Shad Marone, on the run for a crime he didn't commit, draws his pursuers into a trap in which only one man will survive. Great reading from a genre master.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)