what is a good novel to read The Texas Badge (The Brandiron)
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. " The Texas Badge" is a Good, if Imperfect, Tale of the Old West. I Liked it Very MuchBy Andy Anderson aka Travis C.*** LANGUAGE ALERT ***Although, in general, the rough language in this story is no harsher than one might expect to be spoken by the characters depicted, there is one f-bomb. I mention this fact only for the benefit of those who might be offended. As for myself, this is not an issue, particularly because it fits with the character and the setting.Quick Dirty HighlightsThis is a pretty good western. Not on the caliber of Louis Lamour, but a good read just the same. Another reviewer posted his thoughts and compared this writing to other Dusty Richards novels, expressing his concern that it does not compare favorably to the other works.I can neither confirm, nor refute that, since this is the only book I've read by Richards.Length: Print, 242 pages.Target Audience/Genre: Western.Q - How was this book obtained?A - Bought on .Q - Is this a book that I can read without having to read others first?A This is a stand-alone novel with no cliffhanger ending.Q - Are there a lot of typos/misspellings, grammatical errors or other editing failures?A No.Q - Is this a fast, easy read or is it more of a leisure read?A A leisure read.Q - What age group is this suitable for?A - Young Adult and older.Q - My biggest pleasure or disappointment?A - Although there is a great deal of dialogue, the writer does intersperse scene descriptions and makes good changes of pace so that one does not get the feeling that it is just a couple of guys trading information and insults. I think the excerpt below probably displays my thoughts better than I can articulate.Ive included a small excerpt below, so readers can peruse the style of presentation utilized by the author.EXCERPT'...Thats heard often on the wind down here, but so far we havent caught them with girls in their possession. Now we have names we can check out."If we can get one guy and twist his ear, we might tie more into it. Dell agreed."Who paid your expenses to come down here?"I paid my own."Da@. Brooks looked shocked at the answer. Youre determined."I take my job seriously, Captain. They killed a family. I discovered their bodies. Bloodiest murder scene I ever saw or heard about. Ira Cody testified they considered taking Thompsons teenage daughter to Mexico to sell her, but Rollo said shed be too hard to conceal over that distance.So they raped and murdered her instead."Thats about the size of it."I understand now why you made the trip. Brooks beat a lead a pencil on the desk like drum stick. Damn, that bastard must be slick."Magnus? He must be. He planned the thing down to the second, and then they were gone. Dell blew in his open hand. Like smoke."Where do you think we should start?"The weak link. This Snyder feller sounds like he has the most to lose.The Ranger smiled. I like the way you think.That evening Dell, Curley Thomas, and Captain Brooks had a fine private meal with a Mexican woman named Juanita. During the meal, she told Dell to bring his horses to her, that she would charge him half the price the livery charged. Brooks and Thomas assured him she was honest and on the level, and a trusted...'Bottom Line:It would be unfair to compare this novel to a Louis Lamour Western, because the style is so very different. But comparing it to an Elmore Leonard Western might be better. Of course, Leonard gets my support first.Still, this is good. Four stars out of five.Comments regarding your opinion of this book or of my review, whether favorable or unfavorable, are always welcome. If you buy the book based on my review and become disappointed, especially, I do want to know that and I want to understand how I can improve as a book reviewer. Just please be polite.Thank you.8 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Did Dusty Richards really write this story?By JC PCI have read many Dusty Richards novels, but from the beginning the writing was strained and doesn't feel like his others. The story was enjoyable and easy to read, but seemed rushed. Too many editing errors that should not be found in an experienced novel. One thing I hate seeing is something happening early in a story later changing for convenience (or forgetfulness) later. In this story, the sheriff received a telegram that a criminal had been captured and would be taken to El Paso. Several chapters later the crook is threatening the sheriff's wife in the sheriff's house. Of course, he is captured; however, he said he was never located in Las Vegas as that was just a ruse and he had actually gone to an area close to where the sheriff lived and made his move. Mistakes like this are sloppy and take credibility from the story and author. An escape during transport that allowed the outlaw to return to the sheriff's home would have coincided with the original statement, been believable and kept the continuity of the story. All that said, the story line is good. Characters e rd are fairly well developed and still a fun, quick read. I'm just disappointed in this not seeming like the Dusty Richards stories I have read in the past. If incongruity doesn't bother you, then this could be a good story for you.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Hard to FinishBy Steven W. NeighborsThe story pretty much drags along. There is too much repetition of irrelevant information about the hero and his mistress. There is also page upon page describing how the hero tracks down culprits responsible for bank robbery, multiple murders and the escape of numerous prisoners from the local jail. However, the fate of the final two escapees who were the reason behind the whole affair is described in a couple of paragraphs. Go figure.