Customer Reviews

Blizzard Range (Gunsmoke Series)

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This is one of several sturdy Westerns written by Todhunter Ballard under a variety of pseudonyms and is an especially fine example of his craftsmanship in the genre.

Joe John Martell ,the patriarch of his territory and a prominent rancher, has recently died and left the ranch to his daughter,Martha, and his "ramrod" ,Owen Tolliver,the two having recently become .A crisis descends on the valley during an especially bone freezing winter ,when the actions of the well meaning but wholly incompetent Indian agent result in the local tribes facing starvation .The tribes despatch a messenger to Tolliver ,reminding him of Martell's pledge never to let them starve and to supply them with beef in just such a situation.He tries to persuade other ranchers to supply him with beeves in exchange for gold that the Indian agent will use for payment ,but only the usually intractable ,hardscrabble ranchers the Cantwines agree but their motives turn out to be less humanitarian than personal and rooted in greed .Tolliver resolves to press ahead with the rescue mission using his own ranch stock ,despite fierce opposition from Martha and the local banker ,Bryan Hall ,an implacable and jealous foe of Owen since boyhood .The journey ,through severe blizzards and biting ice storms ,is vividly and powerfully rendered by Ballard ,and the return journey is marked by robbery and murder .Conditions also result in many deaths among the local cattle and the region is plunged into an economic crisis of great severity .

The power of this book resides substantially in its vivid evocation of winter and the rigours of a trail drive in adverse conditions .The action is frequent and vividly described ;the female characters are stronger than usual for Westerns of the era and the treatment of those opposing Owen's plans is generally even handed and balanced .

This is a superior formula Western and deserves to breaak out of the genre prison and be read by a wider range of readers than usual for such books