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Charley Sunday's Texas Outfit!

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Tough, old former Texas Ranger Charley Sunday faces two problems: he's bored, living with his long-time chum Roscoe on his broken down ranch near tiny, dusty Juanita, Texas, west of San Antonio; and far more seriously, he's nearly broke, and is facing the foreclosure of his land. His beloved grandson Henry-Ellis comes to stay with Charley while his parents are on vacation. Charley and his grandson have always had a special bond, and Charley dearly wants to pass on his rugged-and rapidly vanishing--frontier values to the boy, who is growing up in our high-tech urbanized, confusing world. While watching the classic John Wayne film Red River, they see a commercial about a herd of 300 genuine Texas longhorns that is being auctioned in Golden, Colorado. This becomes an itch that Charley has to scratch, and he heads to his favorite pool hall to do some "serious thinking." The bar is owned by his sometime sweetheart, the wealthy Flora-Mae. It turns out Charlie and Flora-Mae were thinking along the same lines, and they form a partnership, financed by Flora-Mae, to bring the herd back to her ranch so she can get back into the cattle business.

Charlie, Roscoe, Henry-Ellis and their old dog Buster head to Colorado to the auction. They run into their first of many obstacles from a very evil, abusive meatpacker named Pike who intends to buy the herd and turn it into fast-food hamburger. Pike sends his attorney, a young Indian named Rod to the auction to make a pre-emptive bid. But it turns out Charlie and his gang win the bidding. Their celebration is short-lived and is replaced by despair when they find Pike has convinced the trucking companies to not do business with Charley: he can't get the longhorns back to Texas.

Or can he...how about an old fashioned cattle drive across the West? Charlie is just desperate enough, and perhaps crazy enough, to attempt it. So off they go, accompanied by beautiful TV reporter Kelly King who thinks the cattle drive makes a unique human interest story-and also Rod, who has had enough of his boss Mr. Pike and switches sides.

Charley Sunday's Texas outfit faces the usual hardships all cattle drovers did, the weather, potential rustlers, the rough terrain and brutally long work days. But this cattle drive also faces unique challenges: how do you get cattle across an oil company's fields? Through an Air Force Base? It is then we enjoy the central theme of Stephen Lodge's simple, elegant and pleasantly sentimental story; Charley Sunday's indomitable will, the same pioneer spirit that conquered the West, will not allow him to quit, will not permit him to fail-especially not in front of his grandson. This may be the last chance the old man has to show Henry-Ellis what kind of young man Charley was in his glory days as a Texas Ranger. And for Henry-Ellis' part, it is a wonderful opportunity for adventure across the great, glorious West-much more fun than surfing the Internet or going on a fancy vacation in Hawaii with his mom and dad. "Take them to Texas, gentlemen," Charley tells his men at the start of the drive, echoing John Wayne in Red River. And over the course of the cattle drive, Henry-Ellis sees that his grandpa can ride, shoot, brawl-and fight for what he believes in--just like Duke himself.

Through Kelly's TV reports, the whole U.S. gets caught up in the cattle drive saga-reality TV at its very best. Pike turns out to be a particularly vengeful foe, who uses all his resources and contacts to keep Charlie from succeeding. Charley's outfit gets the cattle back to Juanita, Texas-but not without some unusual allies including a biker gang and the President of the United States.

Author Stephen Lodge is a veteran Hollywood screenwriter and actor, and it shows in the wonderfully visual style of this novel. Mr. Lodge takes you right into the middle of the action. The scenes move along at the clip of wild horses galloping across the prairie. In fact you wish he would slow down a little and spend more time describing the wonderful scenery and vistas they are traveling through. I would also have enjoyed learning more backstory about Charley's undoubtedly fascinating life and times.

If you loved the old West cattle drive novel (and TV movie) Lonesome Dove, you will love the vivid characters, warm relationships and fast-paced action of Steven Lodge's novel of the New West, Charley Sunday's Texas Outfit.

Reviewed by Brian Hill, co-author of "The Making of a Bestseller."

A cross-country cattle drive complete with cowboys on horseback would seem an unlikely occurrence in today's west. Using this idea as the premise for a modern novel would seem equally unlikely, yet author Stephen Lodge crafts a convincing tale in Charley Sunday's Texas Outfit!

When a rich villain prevents Charlie Sunday from transporting his recently acquired 300 head of Texas Longhorn cattle by truck or rail, Charlie organizes an outfit of colorful characters to drive them home - the old-fashioned way. The trip also presents him with an opportunity to provide his 10-year-old grandson, Henry-Ellis, with a character building adventure. Existing "livestock right-away statutes" supply plausibility for what would otherwise seem an unrealistic plot, but the drovers still encounter plenty of other natural and man-made obstacles along the way.

Action packed scenes devoid of gratuitous language and violence create an enjoyable read for the entire family, but this doesn't mean that the story is bland. The author's flair for witty dialog keeps the reader engaged: "Used to be in Texas a man settled his own problems," Charley said. "But that was when due process was a bullet."

Reminiscent of a quality western in the style of Louis L'Amour, Charley Sunday's Texas Outfit! draws a clear distinction between the good guys and bad guys. Readers longing for a family tale where justice prevails will be thrilled with this modern day saga.

Charley Sunday's Texas Outfit! is a most unusual American western, for it is set in the modern twenty-first century! Following the journey of a longhorn cattle driver as he herds his animals on a 1,000 mile journey across 21st Century America, it is a parable of faith, courage, and hard work pitted against forces of greed and corruption, and hearkens to the notion that honor is just as important now as it was one hundred and fifty years ago. An upbeat, enthusiastically gung-ho western read.

Steve Lodge has created a superb story with an unusual plot and unforgetable characters.This is a moving story with plenty of laughs mixed in to the drama. A fine job by an excellent story-teller.