Classic Western Mystery

There will never be another Western writer like Louis L’Amour. A legendary author and indisputably the greatest storyteller in his genre of all time, L’Amour captivated millions of readers and has sold well over three hundred million copies of his works, which includes nearly ninety novels and countless short stories. Mistakes Can Kill You highlights an essential selection featuring nine of L’Amour’s earlier short stories, sometimes written under the pen name Jim Mayo, that exemplify the rugged morality of the best Western writing.

Evelyn Harper shoots her abusive husband to protect her son, then flees Indiana under the cover of night. They find refuge in Arlington, Wyoming, where Evelyn starts over as a seamstress, but danger isn’t finished with her yet… Widowed sheriff Jonathan Tate has kept his heart buried since his wife's death, focused solely on protecting his town. Yet, Evelyn’s strength and guarded warmth catch him off guard. He senses she’s running from something, and he’s not sure if he can trust her… or afford not to. When ruthless outlaws appear in Arlington, Evelyn and Jonathan face their ...

Running from a past he didn’t choose, Cal Brooker is forced to leave New Orleans after being falsely accused of a bloody crime. Hoping to escape the wrath of a vicious gambler who will stop at nothing to punish Cal for the death of his brother, he joins a wagon train heading to Oregon. Along the way, he is determined to survive the difficult trail, but the fear that his past is catching up to him looms large... Will he be able to find the refuge his heart yearns for on this treacherous journey out West? Etta Foreman is a spirited young woman with a heavy past. Much like Cal, she and her ...

A blizzard traps a stagecoach and its passengers at Willow Creek Station—but the real danger isn't the storm outside. Samuel "Hawk" Harrison, a former Pinkerton with a scarred past, recognizes the signs of an ambush just in time to stop it. What waits at the station is worse: veiled threats, strangers with secrets, and eyes that never stop watching. Catherine Powell runs the station with grit and a rifle, refusing to be driven off the land she fought to keep. She's wary of Hawk—too guarded to trust, too smart to be charmed—but she sees something in him she’s not ready to name. As ...

Sam Morrison leaves his Texas ranch with one mission: honor his father’s dying wish and find the sister he’s never met. He joins a wagon train to California, expecting rough trails and merciless outlaws, but not a strong, beautiful woman who hides dangerous secrets. Eliza Blake was meant to marry wealth and power, not the man she could love. Fleeing Boston under a false name, she hopes the vast frontier will swallow her past. But as she unites with Sam, bounty hunters and a jealous rival are closing in, putting the entire wagon train in peril. As bullets fly and loyalties are tested, ...

Five years after losing her husband, Madeline Banks is finally steady on her feet until a gang of outlaws attacks her ranch and she barely escapes with her life. Hunted through the hills of Sangre Pass, she takes refuge in a crumbling outpost and prepares for the worst. When a weathered stranger finds her hiding there, is he the threat she fears—or the only ally she has left? Jebediah Hurst, a former officer turned recluse, known as the Hermit of Sangre Pass, is a man with a haunted past and no interest in unfinished business. When he finds a desperate woman chased by the same ruthless ...

Nathan King was once a lawman until a brutal event shattered his world and forced him to abandon his badge. Now a hardened bounty hunter, he chases outlaws across the West, driven by a desperate need for redemption he fears may never come… David is a fierce Comanche tracker, a man without a tribe who survives on skill, grit, and the scars left by a war that stole his family and his home. Haunted but unyielding, he’s learned to trust no one, especially the man whose past still casts a long shadow over his own. When a powerful railroad baron hires Nathan and David to take down an outlaw ...

After years of war and months in a prison camp, Jed Markum returns to Dry Gulch with hope in his heart. But his hometown is dying, the land scorched and the people broken. What was once home now lives in the grip of a ruthless man. Mary Beaumont has lost everything to a villain determined to claim what little she has left. Desperate and alone, she plans to fight, though deep down she knows it is a battle she cannot win. Then Jed walks back into her life, and for the first time in years, she dares to hope. Bound by a common enemy, Jed and Mary join forces against the man who destroyed their ...

A gunslinger, a ranch owner, and a jaded deacon turned outlaw. What could possibly go wrong as three very different lives collide in small town Praytell, Texas? Jacob Roy spends his life catching bad guys for a living, yet the public can’t seem to get around his reputation as a killer. Though he prefers to bring in his bounties standing on two feet, many are ignorant enough to test his prowess and end up six feet under. All it takes is an innocent telegram to send him on a quest to test his mettle, right a wrong, and protect something he loves beyond life itself. Jessie North, a tough, ...

Wesley Hunt carries the weight of the Hunt family legacy—a rags-to-riches story built on grit and determination. But when a devastating storm obliterates his ranch and takes his parents' lives, Wesley is left with shattered dreams, a broken home, and a fiancée who vanishes with his fortune. Thus his fight for revenge begins… Hank Morgan, the no-nonsense foreman, knows the land and its dangers better than anyone. Steady, loyal, and tougher than the frontier itself, Hank refuses to let the Hunt legacy die. With the remaining cattle, he and Wesley set out on a perilous drive to ...

Caleb Morgan, a relentless bounty hunter, prowls the frontier in pursuit of vengeance from the gang that his brother belonged to. His brother's death at the hands of The Hangman, fuels his rage... Tracking the gang's trail, he spies a wagon train heading to their territory and seizes the opportunity by joining it undercover. But when Caleb starts falling for the wagon master's daughter, love will clash with his quest… Revenge neither forgives nor forgets... As the wagon train inches closer to the gang's lair, Caleb's resolve is unyielding. Emily Thornton, who's escorting wagon trains at ...

Abandoned with his sister as children, Claus has only known life the hard way. Years later, Claus tries to lead a peaceful life, until the day he finds his sister’s baby on his doorstep. The baby boy comes with a note to protect him as she is on the run from her former outlaw partner. Grappling with this unexpected responsibility, Claus takes young Samuel on a journey across the state to find his sister. Along the way, he meets Mattie, a young woman who has had her own share of troubles... Can he rediscover his heart through this dangerous journey? After losing her mother, Mattie was cast...

Set in 1879, SIX-GUN RETRIBUTION follows the cowboy adventures of Gunfighter Edward Landon as he sets off across the wild west searching for six outlaws he holds responsible for his mother's death. This contemporary action novel features a wide range of western characters, including lawmen, gunslingers, outlaws, Mexican bandits, Indian rebels, and bounty hunters. Andy Munro’s SIX-GUN RETRIBUTION includes realistic characters, historic wild west locations, fast-paced cowboy dialogue, action, mystery and suspense mixed with humour and romance. Synopsis The journey begins as Landon rides his...

Alex has always walked the line between two identities—his American heritage and his tribal roots. Living as a hunter in the wilderness, he's unprepared for the chaos of the city. But with his mother ill and with the tensions between his tribe and the townsfolk ready to ignite, Alex must summon all his courage and face enemies on both sides… Kate never imagined herself defying the rules of society. As the daughter of the town doctor, her life has been one of duty and tradition. But Alex's arrival shatters her carefully built world. and she becomes drawn to his strength and mystery. When...

After a violent train robbery, a stranger is left for dead, with no memory of who he is. Rescued by the rancher Sam Garrett and his widowed sister Sarah, he takes the name "Jack" and begins the slow road to recovery, never knowing if the men who attacked him will return to finish the job… Grateful for their kindness, Jack works to repay them. He has a natural way with horses, yet no memory of the life he left behind. The more time he spends at the ranch, the stronger his bond grows with Sarah, a bond shadowed by the mystery of who he was before the robbery. But Copper Valley is no safe ...

In the shadowed streets of Blackthorne, Colorado, Marshal Edward Morgan stands at the edge of despair. The town he's sworn to protect is unraveling at the seams, caught in the tumult of a booming gold rush and a chilling spree of murders, the first in decades. With his back against the wall, Edward's battle-worn spirit faces the ultimate test. Can he marshal his fading strength to defend his town one last time? Samuel Marcus is a young deputy with ambitions as vast as the Texas plains he left behind. Summoned by Edward, his old friend and mentor, Samuel envisions a fresh start and a chance ...

Roddy Crippman is a seasoned hunter who has chosen a life of solitude after the tragic loss of his wife. Nature is his only companion, offering an escape from the pain of his past. But when he hears a woman’s desperate cries for help, he can’t ignore them. Roddy rescues her, only to discover that her troubles are far from over, and now they’ve become his as well. Can Roddy let someone back into his life, after being a loner for so long? Zadie Smallwood is on the run, having escaped from slave traders who planned to sell her to the highest bidder. Her narrow escape leaves her ...

Colt Branch is a man on the run, battling not only the ruthless bounty hunters on his trail but also the fragments of his own shattered memory. After a perilous escape through the harsh landscapes of Arizona, a near-fatal fall erases his memory, leaving him to awake under the relentless desert sun with no recollection of his identity. Rescued by a benevolent trader, he is given a second chance at life in the small, dusty town of Rattler’s Ridge. But as parts of his past start surfacing, Colt is left wondering: Can a man truly outrun his old sins, or are some ghosts too persistent to ...

When Confederate soldier Caleb Kelly abandons the front line to follow his friend, the two find themselves fighting for survival on a dangerous journey back home. As deserters, they stick to the outskirts, and without horses, they only arrive in Texas during an uncommonly cold winter. Seeing his family is what kept Caleb going all the years at war, but things have changed, and new threats await him. Will Caleb's long-awaited return bring the solace he seeks, or lead him into an even fiercer battle? Molly Steen spends her days working on her family’s ranch and caring for Isaac Kelly, their...

Jake and Sammy, two spirited companions, find themselves toiling away at the familiar confines of an orphanage they've called home since childhood. Yet, beneath the mundane routine lies an insatiable thirst for adventure. When Sammy finds a mysterious postcard from the distant town of Ponderosa Springs, hope ignites within him that this could be his long-lost parents reaching out. With hearts ablaze with determination, the duo sets forth on a quest that promises to unravel the secrets of their past… Their path soon intertwines with that of Clara, who discovers the purpose of their journey...