Review: The Guns of Fort Griffin - James J. Griffin

For more than twenty years, James J. Griffin has been turning out top-notch traditional Western novels and contemporary Western thrillers, often featuring Texas Rangers. I’ve always enjoyed his books, so I didn’t hesitate to pick up his latest novel, the first in a new series. Instead of a Texas Ranger, THE GUNS OF FORT GRIFFIN features a new character, Deputy United States Marshal Vic Verdugo, who enforces the law in Texas during the late Reconstruction Era, just before the Rangers were reformed and became the premier law enforcement organization in the Lone Star State.

Verdugo is sent by his boss, a federal district judge, to the lawless frontier settlement of Fort Griffin with orders to tame the town. The U.S. Army is establishing a fort of the same name near the settlement, but Verdugo can’t expect any help from the commanding officer. In fact, the man wants to declare martial law and place the town under federal jurisdiction. With Reconstruction coming to an end, Verdugo wants to prevent the army from taking over, knowing that would just cause more trouble from the resentful Texans in the long run.

It’s a good thing that Verdugo is fast on the draw and skilled with his fists, because he finds himself surrounded by enemies as he tries to bring about law and order. The owners of the saloons and gambling dens and whorehouses all oppose him, of course, and so do the wild cowboys from the trail herds that travel through the area and the buffalo hunters who make Fort Griffin their headquarters. As if all that wasn’t enough, three newcomers show up in town and are looking for trouble. Their names: Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Bat Masterson.

The action never lets up for long in this yarn, and Griffin does a fine job of making the fists and bullets fly. Vic Verdugo is a tough, likable protagonist and faces plenty of vicious enemies. There’s also a real sense of authenticity in the setting and historical characters. Griffin knows his stuff. I think this is one of his best novels and recommend it for fans of traditional Westerns. It’s available on Amazon from Dusty Saddle Publishing in e-book and paperback editions.

As an aside, Fort Griffin was a real place and it’s just a coincidence that the author has the same name. But the title, THE GUNS OF FORT GRIFFIN, isn’t really a coincidence because Jim Griffin is, like me, a long-time fan of the Western pulp TEXAS RANGERS. In fact, at one point he had a complete collection before donating it to the Texas Ranger Museum in Waco, Texas. And the November 1949 issue of TEXAS RANGERS features a Jim Hatfield novel by Tom Curry writing as Jackson Cole entitled (you guessed it) “Guns of Fort Griffin”. So now you know, as Paul Harvey used to say, the rest of the story.

Review: Trouble Percolates in Coffee City - James J. Griffin

James J. Griffin’s latest Western novel featuring Texas Rangers Will Kirkpatrick and Jonas Peterson, TROUBLE PERCOLATES IN COFFEE CITY (available in e-book and trade paperback editions), takes up right where the previous novel, ROUGH RIDERS OF THE RAGGED RIMROCK, left off with a bit of a cliffhanger. Griffin doesn’t take long to resolve that cliffhanger, although it leaves both of his protagonists in fairly battered shape. In fact, once they return to their headquarters in Sweetwater, Texas, Jonas is laid up for a while, leaving Will to deal with their next case alone. It’s a gruesome one, too, involving a mass murderer.

No sooner is that taken care of than our Ranger heroes get new orders: they’re to set out for Coffee City, a settlement on the Mexican border, and corral a notorious bandit whose gang is causing trouble along both sides of the Rio Grande. This mysterious mastermind is regarded as something of a Robin Hood figure by many of the people in the area, which is likely to make the mission even more challenging for Will and Jonas.

And of course, before they even reach the border, they run into more trouble along the way. When they finally arrive in Coffee City, they find quite a mystery waiting for them, and it’s a well-plotted one that results in a genuine surprise when the bandit boss’s true identity is revealed.

You can tell that Griffin really enjoys spinning these traditional Western yarns, and he does a fine job of it, too. Will Kirkpatrick is a stalwart hero, and Jonas Peterson, a provisional Ranger in Will’s custody who’s trying to reform from a brief, involuntary stint as an outlaw, is an intriguing character. The growing friendship between them is handled very well. If you’re a fan of traditional Westerns, I’d recommend any of James J. Griffin’s books. He’s one of the top practitioners of the genre these days.

Review: Rough Riders of the Ragged Rimrock - James J. Griffin

I think James J. Griffin has written more novels about the Texas Rangers than anyone since A. Leslie Scott, who must hold the record for the most novels featuring a Texas Ranger as the hero. But for more than twenty years, Griffin has also been spinning action-packed yarns about the Rangers starring several different protagonists.

One of his recent books, ROUGH RIDERS OF THE RAGGED RIMROCK (I love that title) stars veteran Ranger Will Kirkpatrick and his young sidekick Jonas Peterson. This isn’t the first novel featuring these characters, although it’s the first one I’ve read, but Griffin does a good job filling in their backgrounds: Jonas is actually a probationary Ranger in Kirkpatrick’s custody, who arrested him for taking part in a robbery, even though it was Jonas’s outlaw cousins who forced him into it. Will believes in second chances, so now he and Jonas ride on the same side of the law and cover a broad swath of West Texas and the Panhandle as they try to bring law and order to the Lone Star State.

ROUGH RIDERS OF THE RAGGED RIMROCK actually comes across as something of a frontier law enforcement procedural as Will and Jonas deal with several cases involving bank robberies, stagecoach holdups, crooked local lawmen, and a cattle baron and his sons who believe they’re above the law. For a while, Jonas operates on his own while Will is recovering from a bullet wound, and he acquits himself admirably before the Rangers team up again to track down a gang of stagecoach robbers who murder all the passengers when they pull a job, so as not to leave any witnesses behind.

Griffin’s passion for writing action-packed traditional Western novels really comes through in this tale, and his knowledge of horses, the landscape, and frontier life lends it a definite air of authenticity without sacrificing a bit of a mythic quality, too. I enjoyed ROUGH RIDERS OF THE RAGGED RIMROCK, but fair warning, it does end on sort of a cliffhanger. But I already have the next book in the series on my Kindle, so no problem there. If you’re already a fan you’ll want to read this one, and if you haven’t sampled Griffin’s work before, it wouldn’t be a bad place to start. It's available on Amazon in e-book and trade paperback editions.

Now Available: Death in Dark Places

Six full length detective novels with a mix of longtime bestselling mystery authors and some new to the genre.

This set includes James Reasoner’s legendary debut novel TEXAS WIND. Originally published in 1980, TEXAS WIND has been acclaimed as one of the finest private eye novels ever written.

DEVIL IN A CAGE is a classic private eye novel by renowned action/adventure author W.L. Fieldhouse. Featuring a compelling protagonist in John Weller, a complex plot, sheer storytelling energy, insightful social commentary, and a vivid portrait of Las Vegas that could only be provided by an insider like Fieldhouse. A powerful novel of crime and detection.

Multi award winning novel WILD NIGHT is a historical detective novel. In the 1920's Lucas Hallam was something of a legend: a Texas Ranger turned Pinkerton agent turned Hollywood P.I. And when the occasion arose, Hallam mounted up again and rode with Tom Mix, William S. Hart, and the other famous movie cowboys of the silent era. He didn't think of his past often, and it was the furthest thing from his mind when he went into Chuckwalla, California, hoping to turn the ghost town into a movie set . . . even when the two men started shooting at him.

SOME DIE HARD is legendary mystery and thriller author Stephen Mertz's first novel, originally published in paperback nearly forty years ago and long out of print. Part hardboiled private eye yarn, part classic novel of detection (with a locked-room mystery unlike any other), SOME DIE HARD is pure entertainment.

In TRIPL3 CROSS, veteran author John Hegenberger spins a yarn that is both an exciting thriller and a compelling piece of "noirstalgia", expertly recreating a sense of late-Eighties paranoia and double-dealing and painting a vivid picture of Washington and Cuba during that era, as well as saving a shocking twist for the very end.

Acclaimed, bestselling historical novelist James J. Griffin makes a stunning debut as an author of contemporary thrillers with MURDER AMONG THE CLOUDS. Fast-paced, populated with compelling, intriguing characters, and filled with fascinating police procedure and breathtaking suspense.

Now Available: Death by Dressage - James J. Griffin

New Hampshire State Police detective Paul Talbot returns for another spine-tingling murder mystery. Someone is killing many of the top dressage riders on the horse show circuit. This time, though, the murders hit too close to home when his wife Jacquie’s riding instructor, Horst Wilhelm, is murdered and the body hung from the covered bridge near the Talbots’ farm. Paul becomes the prime suspect in Wilhelm’s murder and is taken off the investigation just when it appears Jacquie may be the murderer’s next target. Sprinkled throughout with welcome, offbeat bits of humor, DEATH BY DRESSAGE will keep you on the edge of your saddle until the shocking conclusion is reached. 

James J. Griffin is an acclaimed novelist of historical fiction, featuring stories of the famed lawmen from the Lone Star State, the Texas Rangers. His books are always full of action, suspense, and, just when needed, Jim’s off-beat sense of humor. As a native New Englander, he knows almost every foot of his adopted home state of New Hampshire. Jim is also a life-long horseman, and horses always play a prominent role in his novels and short stories. DEATH BY DRESSAGE is his second Paul Talbot mystery novel.

Now Available: Six-Guns: Six Classic Western Novels

(This is a great deal, if I do say so myself.)

Six classic Western novels. The good old shoot-'em-up westerns are still around, and this collection has six by the masters of the genre. 

William M. "Bill" Tilghman had one of the most illustrious careers of any Old West lawman, but he faced perhaps his greatest and most dangerous challenge when he rode alone into the wild Oklahoma Territory settlement of Burnt Creek on the trail of a gang of rustlers and outlaws with some unexpected allies . . . THE LAWMAN, by New York Times bestselling author James Reasoner, is the first novel in the West of the Big River series. 

In Frank Roderus’ HOME TO TEXAS, Charlie McMurty brought a herd north, got a great price, and had enough left over once he repaid his neighbors to buy a ranch so he could ask for the hand of his sweetheart. Unfortunately, on the way back to Texas he was robbed and left for dead. To make matters worse one of his attackers was his friend he'd hired to help him with the herd. All he had left was a big debt back home and a big hole in his chest. His new quest became the need to be able to return his neighbor's money. First he had to heal and learn some fancy shooting. 

Violence stole young Ben Brand's family from him, but blessed with uncanny speed and skill with a gun and befriended by an old mountain man, Ben sets out on a bloody quest for vengeance. As he tracks his enemies over the years and the miles, Ben battles men and the elements—and risks his own soul—to become the avenging nemesis known as Iron Heart! Long out of print and originally published under the pseudonym Walt Denver, IRON HEART is a classic Western from Jory Sherman. 

Veteran author Clay More spins a fast-paced Western adventure in STAMPEDE AT RATTLESNAKE PASS. With her father murdered and her brother crippled by bushwhackers, half her herd stolen and her crew massacred by vicious rustlers, beautiful blond Elly Horrocks is going to have her hands full keeping the family ranch going. Luckily for Elly, drifting cowpoke Jake Scudder has a nose for trouble. It'll take all of Scudder's skill with guns and fists to save himself and keep Elly from being wiped out. Diamondbacks aren't the deadliest varmints in Rattlesnake Pass anymore! 

Some men deserved to die like rabid animals. In FAST HAND the Thornberrys and their worthless cousin counted among those the world would be better off without. Judge Sebastian Hand sentences the Thornberry gang to the gallows for rape and murder. But when they escape, the judge trades in his gavel for a gun, and suddenly he's judge, jury, and executioner all in one. Karl Lassiter is the pen name of a prolific author who also writes under the pen name Jackson Lowry. 

James J. Griffin's famous character Texas Ranger Jim Blawcyzk isn’t really working for the Rangers this time. In fact, he winds up on the wrong side of the law with the Rangers after him, because he takes off his badge and goes after the gang that attacked and possibly murdered his wife and son. As a result, RANGER’S REVENGE is a little grittier than Griffin’s earlier books, but it has the same fine action scenes, interesting settings, and welcome touches of humor.

Now Available: To Avenge a Ranger - James J. Griffin

A legendary lawman lies dead, cut down by a bushwhacker's bullet, and it's up to Texas Ranger Sean Kennedy to track down the killer and bring him to justice. But at every step in his search, Kennedy finds that the trail to the truth leads farther and farther into the past... 

TO AVENGE A RANGER is bestselling author James J. Griffin's most dramatic and shocking novel to date. Filled with action and the gritty historical authenticity for which he is known, TO AVENGE A RANGER is compelling reading, sure to please Griffin's legion of fans!

(And if I might add, without giving away too much, if you've ever read one of Jim Griffin's Texas Ranger novels, you really need to read this one!)

Now Available: The Mad Man of the Mountains - James J. Griffin

Again and again, bodies are discovered near the summits of some of New Hampshire's most picturesque mountains, brutally murdered by an ingenious serial killer who moves around this scenic wilderness like a deadly phantom. With few if any clues to go on, state police detective Paul Talbot sets out to track down this vicious killer before more innocent people die at the hands of a lunatic! 

Acclaimed, bestselling historical novelist James J. Griffin makes a stunning debut as an author of contemporary thrillers with THE MAD MAN OF THE MOUNTAINS. Fast-paced, populated with compelling, intriguing characters, and filled with fascinating police procedure and breathtaking suspense, THE MAD MAN OF THE MOUNTAINS is great reading! 

James J. Griffin has had four passions for most of his life: Horses, the United States West, the Texas Rangers, and New Hampshire. He has penned several series of Texas Ranger novels and stories. THE MAD MAN OF THE MOUNTAINS is his first Detective Paul Talbot novel. 

Griffin has spent many happy hours riding his horse through the forests and fields, and exploring the White Mountains. Some of his fondest memories are swimming in the Saco River at First and Second Irons in Bartlett, and trips to the summit of Mount Washington in all kinds of weather, from nice to horrendous. He has spent overnights on the summit, and made a wintertime trip to the top in the Observatory Sno-cat, in howling winds and near-blinding snow. He is a lifelong member of the Mount Washington Observatory, and contributed to the building fund for the Sherman Adams Building. 

A native New Englander, Jim is a member of Western Fictioneers and the Western Writers of America. He now makes his home in Keene, New Hampshire.

(Those of you who are fans of Jim Griffin's Western fiction need to check out this fine thriller from him, the first of what I'm sure will be many excellent suspense novels. I'm proud to publish it as part of the Rough Edges Press line. Right now it's available only as an e-book, but the print edition will be published soon.)

Now Available: The Ghost Riders - James J. Griffin

Striking ruthlessly out of the night, the Ghost Riders are the most brutal band of outlaws ever to plague Texas. Leaving death and devastation behind them, they raid town after town, slaughtering, looting, and burning. Dressed in white robes that conceal their identity and seemingly unharmed by bullets, the Ghost Riders may not even be human! 

Facing the greatest challenge of his career, legendary Texas Ranger Jim Blawcyzk sets out on the trail of the Ghost Riders, accompanied by his partners Smoky McCue and Jim Huggins. Blawcyzk is confident that no owlhoot is immune to Ranger lead. What he doesn't know, however, is that before this case over, the deadly threat of the Ghost Riders will reach out and touch his own family... 

Bestselling author James J. Griffin returns with his most epic novel yet of the Texas Rangers. THE GHOST RIDERS is thrilling, authentic action from beginning to end and sure-fire entertainment for Western readers.

The Blizzard - James J. Griffin

If you're looking for a story that's both a good traditional Western and a fine Christmas yarn, I recommend James J. Griffin's THE BLIZZARD, a short novel that's part of his series A Ranger Named Rowdy.

Rowdy is, in fact, the horse belonging to Texas Ranger Tim Bannon, the actual hero of the series. In this one, Tim and young fellow Ranger Tate Slocum are sent to Sierra Blanca in West Texas to sort out a dispute over water rights between two local ranchers that threatens to break out in a range war. Christmas is closing in fast, and since Tim has had to miss the previous two holidays with his wife and son because of his work, he's determined to settle this conflict and get home in time to spend Christmas Day with his family.

Assorted gun battles and fistfights along the way complicate that effort, though, and then a deadly blizzard sweeps in to threaten not only Tim's plans but also the very existence of a small town.

Nobody writes about the Texas Rangers with more passion and enthusiasm than Griffin, and once again he tells a compelling story in THE BLIZZARD. It makes excellent Christmas week reading.

Faith and the Law #3: The Holy Roller - James J. Griffin

Father Tad, now in the guise of his Texas Ranger brother Chaz, faces a long and dangerous journey to get his prisoner to Austin. Once he arrives in the capital city, he realizes he needs to get more evidence against the criminals his brother was trying to bring to justice, before he was ambushed. His search will lead him into an exclusive gambling den, which is secretly owned by some of the most powerful men in Austin.

(This serial novel keeps getting better with each installment, and it's still early enough in the game for you to catch up easily if you haven't started it. The explosive climax of this chapter has me eager to read the next one!)

Faith and the Law #2: Ranger With a Collar - James J. Griffin

James J. Griffin's FAITH AND THE LAW series continues with the second installment, RANGER WITH A COLLAR. These stories feature two twin brothers in the Old West, Chaz and Tad Jankowski. One is a Texas Ranger and the other is a priest, and when the Ranger is ambushed while on the trail of a criminal mastermind, his priest brother takes up the badge--and the trail of the bad guys.

This tale is reminiscent of the old movie serials, although each installment doesn't end with a cliffhanger, and Griffin really carries it off well. These stories are very entertaining traditional Westerns. I don't know how many chapters we have to go before everything wraps up in what's bound to be a big showdown, but I plan to be there for all of them.

Faith and the Law #1: The Ambush/Lone Star Ranger #1: A Ranger to Ride With - James J. Griffin

Nobody writes about the Texas Rangers with more passion and enthusiasm than James J. Griffin. He's recently started two new series which feature Ranger heroes, and both are highly entertaining.

FAITH AND THE LAW, VOLUME 1: THE AMBUSH is the first episode in an ongoing serial from High Noon Press. Tad and Chaz Jankowski are twin brothers, one a priest (Tad) and the other a Ranger (Chaz) in frontier Texas. Chaz is pursuing the mastermind behind an outlaw reign of terror when he falls victim to the ambush of the title. Tad's reaction maybe isn't totally unexpected, but it's very satisfying anyway, and I'm certainly looking forward to the next installment of this story.

In A RANGER TO RIDE WITH, the first volume of the new series LONE STAR RANGER from Painted Pony Books, Griffin introduces us to Nathaniel Stewart, a young man from Delaware whose family moves to the Texas frontier. Nathaniel, or Nate as he soon comes to be called, doesn't like Texas, and he has good reason to like it even less when the rest of his family is wiped out by outlaws in a raid on the ranch. Nate falls in with a group of Texas Rangers and even becomes a probationary member of their troop as they search for the gang responsible for this tragedy.

A RANGER TO RIDE WITH is one of Griffin's best books so far, reminiscent of the Texas Ranger novels Elmer Kelton wrote late in his career. Nate Stewart is an excellent character, and I'll definitely be reading as he continues his quest for vengeance on the killers of his family.

Now Available: A Ranger Named Rowdy - James J. Griffin

< "A Ranger Named Rowdy", the first of a new series of Western short stories by James J. Griffin featuring Texas Ranger Tim Bannon, is now available on Amazon. Those of you who have read and enjoyed Jim's earlier stories and novels about the Texas Rangers will definitely want to pick up this one. It's another action-packed yarn and makes excellent use of the Texas setting.

New From the Western Fictioneers

The Western Fictioneers publishing program is really expanding these days. There are three new releases from the Western Fictioneers Library, WF's reprint imprint: LEAVING KANSAS, a Spur Award winner for Best Western Novel from the legendary Frank Roderus; JUDGE ON THE RUN, another fine action-packed traditional Western from Clay More (Keith Souter); and RANGER'S REVENGE by James J. Griffin, one of the best chroniclers of Texas Ranger yarns in the business. I've read all three of these, and they're well worth your time. Also available are THE PEACEMAKERS VOLUME 2 and VOLUME 3, excellent collections of more stories that either won or were finalists for the Peacemaker Award for Best Short Story. You can't go wrong with any of these. 

Bullet for a Ranger - James J. Griffin

BULLET FOR A RANGER is James J. Griffin’s latest novel featuring Texas Ranger Jim Blawcyzk, and as always, it’s an excellent traditional Western novel with plenty of action and a very likable protagonist.


This one opens with Blawcyzk in the same sort of predicament that the protagonists of numerous classic hardboiled crime novels find themselves in: he wakes up naked and hungover in a strange bed, with a beautiful woman beside him who happens to be dead. The similarities to those “man on the run” novels continue as Jim is arrested for murder by the corrupt local authorities and eventually has to escape and try to prove his innocence while eluding capture.


Of course, it’s a foregone conclusion that he’ll be successful, but Griffin throws in a nice twist or two along the way. You probably won’t be surprised by any of them, but in this case the fact that you know what’s coming while the characters don’t actually added to my enjoyment of the book.


Jim Griffin always brings a lot of passion and enthusiasm to his work, and he’s a gifted yarn-spinner. I had a fine time reading BULLET FOR A RANGER, and if you like traditional action Westerns, I think you will, too.

Ranger Jim Rides Again

I drove up to Jacksboro, Texas, today to meet Western author James J. Griffin, who’s been an Internet friend for years, but who I’d never met in person until today. Jim’s on a book tour through Texas and New Mexico, and he’s also stopping at a few libraries along the way and doing presentations about the Texas Rangers, his area of expertise. Today in Jacksboro, he put on a program for 90 fourth-graders, and I’m not sure who had more fun, Jim or the kids. He talked a little about the history of the Rangers, but he managed to work even more info into a series of demonstrations and games that had the kids taking part and learning stuff without even realizing it. It was a masterful performance all around.

I was able to visit with Jim for a while before the program began and it was great to be able to talk with someone I’ve known on-line for years. I also met Jim’s dad Willis and his dog Dougie (hope I’m spelling that correctly). Dougie was a big hit with the kids, too, as you might expect. All in all, it was a very enjoyable little road trip for me.

And now I’m an official Junior Texas Ranger, too. I have the badge to prove it.

Ranger's Revenge - James J. Griffin

RANGER’S REVENGE is my buddy Jim Griffin’s latest Texas Ranger novel, and it’s a top-notch traditional Western. After creating a new character in his last novel, the also very good BIG BEND DEATH TRAP, Griffin brings back Jim Blawcyzk in this book. Blawcyzk isn’t really working for the Texas Rangers this time, though. In fact, he winds up on the wrong side of the law with the Rangers after him for part of the book, because he takes off his badge and goes off on his own after the gang that attacked and possibly murdered his wife and son. (No spoilers there; it happens early on.) As a result, RANGER’S REVENGE is a little grittier than Griffin’s earlier books, but it has the same fine action scenes, interesting settings, and welcome touches of humor. I’ve read all of Jim’s books, and he really is getting better with each one. This one has a heck of a good cover, too. It's available from Amazon, from the publisher, or from Jim's website.