Where the Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas

Where the Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas, 320 p. 

"1916. The two-street town of Wallace is not exactly what Ellen Webster had in mind when she accepted a teaching position in Wyoming, but within a year’s time she’s fallen in love—both with the High Plains and with a handsome cowboy named Charlie Bacon. Life is not easy in the flat, brown corner of the state where winter blizzards are unforgiving and the summer heat relentless. But Ellen and Charlie face it all together, their relationship growing stronger with each shared success, and each deeply felt tragedy.

Ellen finds purpose in her work as a rancher’s wife and in her bonds with other women settled on the prairie. Not all of them are so lucky as to have loving husbands, not all came to Wallace willingly, and not all of them can survive the cruel seasons. But they look out for each other, share their secrets, and help one another in times of need. And the needs are great and constant. The only city to speak of, Cheyenne, is miles away, making it akin to the Wild West in rural Wallace. In the end, it is not the trials Ellen and Charlie face together that make them remarkable, but their love for one another that endures through it all."--Goodreads blurb

I've been a Sandra Dallas fan for years as she is a master of heartfelt and emotional stories that are simply written. This one left me with one main thought: goodness I am glad I didn't live during that time. It left me with heartbreak and love, anger and sadness. What more could you ask for in a novel? This was joyful at times, but that feeling of "what is going to happen now' is always in the back of your head. Because that's just how life was back then. Dallas puts you right in the wilds of Wyoming with Ellen, Charlie, and their friends and family, and they stay in the heart even after the book is over. I will forever read Sandra Dallas.

 

Over on the Dry Side by Louis L'Amour

Over on the Dry Side by Louis L'Amour – 164 p.

Owen Chantry arrives at his brother Clive's ranch to find him murdered and two squatters occupying his cabin. The unlikely trio—along with a mysterious woman and a crusty mountaineer--soon find themselves in a deadly feud with Clive's killers, the Mowatt gang, who return in search of Clive's rumored buried treasure.

L'Amour tosses bits of history, poetry, and philosophy into a great “stranger comes to town” Western yarn.

Ebook available on Libby.

Beneath a Prairie Moon by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Beneath a Prairie Moon by Kim Vogel Sawyer - 337 pages

The single men of Spiveyville, decided to order some mail order brides, only to discover they had to take classes in manners before getting married.

Robert B. Parkers Ironhorse by Robert Knott

Robert B. Parker's Ironhorse  Robert Knott  pgs. 374

"For years, Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch have ridden roughshod over rabble-rousers and gun hands in troubled towns like Appaloosa, Resolution, and Brimstone.  Now, newly appointed as Territorial Marshalls, they find themselves traveling by train through the Indian Territories.  Their first marshaling duty starts out as a simple mission to escort Mexican prisoners to the border, but when the Governor of Texas, his wife and daughters climb aboard with their bodyguards and $500,000 in tow, their journey suddenly becomes a lot more complicated." From Amazon.com

 This is another great Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch story! Robert Knott has got the dialogue of these two cowboys down pat. Great story, awesome shoot-'em-up scenes, mean bad guys, kidnapping beautiful women for ransom, all the things that you need in a wonderful  western story.

As the Crow Flies - 308 p.

  In the 7th adventure with Walt Longmire, the sheriff has more on his mind than crime and justice. His daughter Cady is getting married to his under-sherrif's little brother. He doesn't quite know how he feels about the whole situation, and he may be avoiding the whole thing - just maybe. Walt and The Bear have been roped into being wedding planners, and since she wants to be married on the Rez, Walt is more than happy to let Henry shoulder most of the responsibility.
   While scouting out wedding venues, Walt and Henry witness the horrific fall to death of a young Crow woman. With the help of newly-appointed tribal police chief and Iraq war vet Lolo Long, justice must be found for this poor young woman. Little does Walt know that Lolo has no idea what she's doing, so he is stretched thin between the detective mentoring, the wedding plans, and the overall weight that is on him from sheriffing for more than 30 years. Oh, and don't forget the 10-hour long acid trip he goes on.
   Johnson outdoes himself in this newest installment in the series. Walt's wit and ever-present ability to see parallels between life and classic literature, make this book a must-read.
   

Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson - 320 p.

   In Johnson's 6th installment of the Walt Longmire series, Walt, Vic, Henry, Sancho, and Dog team up to find the owner of a severed thumb found by the local dump owners. Along the way, they find themselves deep in million-dollar developments, industrial-sized drug cultivation, and murder. While Sancho tries to face his demons and Walt and Vic try to come to terms with their undeniable attraction to one another, the case unfolds and we are along for the ride.
   Written with Johnson's trademark wit and Wyoming justice, the plot-twists and laughs will keep you turning the pages.