Owen Burke just wanted a little extra money. He had no idea he'd also be getting a heap of trouble when he signed on to guide a horse drive from Mexico to California. First he was bushwhacked by a bunch of banditos who stole his mount. Worse, they then drove off the rest of the herd, and because they had Owen's horse, the ramrod thinks Owen purposely led his group into a trap. Alone and on foot, he has no choice but to go after the thieves and prove his innocence--if the ramrod and his gang don't kill him first.
"When the old prospector who raised Red is gunned down in Baker's Gap and the sheriff is wounded, fourteen-year-old Red tracks down the shooters and kills them. Sheriff Tom Harrison takes Red under his wing and teaches him all he knows about law enforcement until Red finishes school and joins the Texas Rangers"--
Badger Kershaw was becoming a familiar figure on the frontier after the War between the States. Riding an Appaloosa with Lobo, his dog-wolf hybrid, often by his side, he was feared by most outlaws on the dodge on whom there was a bounty. It was not a savory profession, perhaps, but Kershaw was honest about what he did. Frontier lawmen for the most part were accustomed to dealing with Kershaw. When the fugitive was willing to surrender-which was less frequent than it might be thought-Kershaw would bring in an outlaw alive, but it was not an option he encountered very often. Generally it was one man against another, but in what would possibly be Badger Kershaw's greatest feat, the odds were quite different. Colonel Benjamin Grierson had been Kershaw's commanding officer during the War between the States. When, years after the war's end, Grierson's daughter was one of the four women seized in a train hold-up and taken prisoner, Grierson appealed again to the man who had once served under him to rescue the women from the outlaw gang. Kershaw surprised the army when he chose to do the job entirely alone, despite the incredible odds against him.
The grandson of a U.S. senator has been brazenly kidnapped out of a hotel room in St. Louis. His life has been threatened if the senator cannot raise the ransom money, an exorbitant amount that even he can't scrape together. Ultimately, the boy's fate falls into the hands of a select group of undercover agents known for their discretion, cleverness, and bravery--the Pinkertons. When Allan Pinkerton realizes the confidential nature of the kidnapping, he calls in his best field agents, a group of five professionals with specialized skills and unconventional backgrounds. The team is headed up by ex-Marine Captain John McKenzie. He is to be joined by beautiful and alluring actress and former spy during the Civil War, Alicia Faye; a clever magician and con artist, Harry Howser; a young but brilliant scientist, Jimmy Piper; and McKenzie's Marine friend and expert hand-to-hand combat fighter, Patrick Nelson. With no clue as to whether or not the boy is still in Missouri or who the perpetrators might be, the detective team must comb the city of St. Louis in their quest for answers, including through the extensive dockyards of the shipping industry along the Mississippi River. -back cover
Retired US Army sergeant Thaddeus McCallum joins the Pinkerton Detective Agency, where he makes enough money to purchase the ranch he's always wanted. But just as McCallum begins to settle in to his new life, he receives an urgent letter from a former comrade in arms, whose son Jeff has gone missing. Despite his age and the aches and pains that go with it, Thad decides that he owes it to the man to help. Pedro Peralta, who ordinarily would be left behind to manage the ranch, insists on accompanying Thad on his journey. The men soon learn that Columbus, New Mexico, was the site of an attack by Pancho Villa and his army of revolutionaries, and young Jeff has been taken prisoner. As they pursue Jeff into the wastelands of northern Mexico, Thad and Pedro must overcome an entire army to save him.
"Lucas Donovan, Canadian North-West Mounted Police constable, is on a mission to bring a ruthless serial killer to justice. Jack Emerson has eluded capture for years in the Canadian wilderness, but Donovan vows that nothing will stop him from seeing the man caught and punished. The oath is personal and professional--because one of them en Emerson killed was Lucas' twin brother. Donovan, believing he knows Emerson better than anyone but restricted by policies of the force, decides to take administrative leave to carry out his quest for revenge. Accompanied by Red, his enormous Malamute sled dog, Donovan sets out to cross the border into the United States. Besides the dangers of chasing a murderer, man and dog must also survive in unfamiliar territory where nature takes a toll on all. Before the men meet, Lucas Donovan must choose between personal and professional honor. Will he follow his oath as a Canadian Mounted Police Constable to enforce and obey the law? Or will he satisfy his burning desire for revenge? The decision could result in disgrace--or death. But Donovan is also led by the creed of the force: that a Mountie always gets his man."--Page 4 of cover
Lt. Ed Preston is returning to his cavalry fort after being on leave when he is mistaken for a bank robber. He is arrested, placed on trial and sent to prison to serve years of hard labor for a crime he did not commit. Forced to endure horrible conditions and brutal treatment he is left with no choice but to plan his escape and then to search the west for the man who is truly guilty of the crime in an attempt to clear his name and regain his life.
