Thunder on the Dos Gatos

by Paul Bagdon

Fleming H Revell Co; (October 2003)
ISBN: 080075834X

Click on image to buy from Amazon.com

Click here to buy from Amazon.ca

Author Page: Paul Bagdon

In 1880's Texas, the spirited Lee Morgan is on the verge of developing the finest ranch horses the West has ever seen. When her prized mares are nearly destroyed by a band of wild, trigger-happy cowhands, Lee is infuriated and ready to spring into action to protect her horse farm. Her long time friend, Marshall Ben Flood, is quick to come to her aid, but tensions are rising all around. The fallen bridge over the Dos Gatos River blocks the cattle trail, and it could be months before the massive herds can be moved on to market. Meanwhile, wranglers are growing more restless by the minute, and it's only a matter of time before more chaos breaks out. When the marshall orders a surly ramrod to move his herd, the strategy backfires. The riled trail boss isn't leaving without a fight, and soon the entire community is on the brink of an all-out range war. In a thrilling twist, Lee and Ben race against the clock to avert the calamity about to descend on the town. (c) back cover, Thunder on the Dos Gatos, Paul Badon, 2003

This is the first novel I have read by Paul Bagdon and it fits right into the western genre perfectly. It's full of adventure, it has plucky female characters, it has lots of wild west details, and it is entertaining with a wholesomeness that only westerns and the allure of the roughn'tough west can provide. It is typical in that it has the requisite violence and gunfights of a western. It also contains the typical western theme of townsfolk coming together to save their town.

I thought there was a reasonably realistic portrayal of a man's relationship with a horse. The author clearly has knowledge of such a relationship or has the ability to make it very natural. The female character, Lee, is a strong woman and quite capable with a gun. I found it peculiar that she has such a strong dislike of guns (perhaps the author's attempt at relating to a female reader) and yet is able to kill two wild outlaws with a single gunshot each. How is it that someone who so detests guns, and doesn't regularly use them, is so capable? It requires a suspension of disbelief that I was unwilling to give.

There is a spattering of "religion" thrown in , but no genuine example of a relationship with Christ in any of the characters. I'd say it barely gets by as a book categorized in the Christian fiction genre.

Even I love a great western once in a while and this book satisfies that yearning. This is apparently book 4 in a series, West Texas Sunrise, and I'd enjoy reading the preceding three. If you love a good western, check out this book!