A Cold Hard Trail (Kid Parmlee Novels) [Mass Market Paperback]

Robert J. Conley (Author)

Book Description

Series: Kid Parmlee Novels | Publication Date: April 15, 2001

"The devil's on my tail, and he's wearing a badge. Arrested for a robbery I didn't commit, I broke out of jail and took it on the 1 a.m. I had no choice. No sheriff's going to believe I have a double-unless I find the outlaw myself. If I live that long."

The Fosterville sheriff's bagged a few outlaws. The trouble is, Kid Parmlee, his buddy Zeb, and his Pa are dead ringers for bandits who took a stagecoach and made off with a fortune in gold. First step for the Kid and his partners is to make a fast getaway before they get hanged. On the run, and trapped between a trigger-happy lawman and a trio of hard-core desperadoes, the Kid finds himself outnumbered and outgunned. All he has now is raw nerve and blind rage to clear his name and escape the cruel plains alive.

In Kid Parmlee, Spur Award-winning author Robert Conley has crafted a fearless flesh-and-blood adventurer who lives and breathes the West as it really was.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Robert Conley spins a fast-action tall tale salted with Western humor."--Elmer Kelton

"Robert Conley is one of the most underrated and overlooked writers of our time, as well as the most skilled."--Don Coldsmith

"Robert Conley is one of the most inventive writers America has ever had. Kid Parmlee...will charm your damned ears off."--Max Evan, author of The Hi-Lo Country

About the Author

Robert J. Conley, a member of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokees, is the author of over forty books and the recipient of three Spur Awards. He lives in Oklahoma with his wife, Evelyn, also a Cherokee. Mr. Conley writes full time and is currently at work on the third book in the ongoing adventures of Kid Parmlee.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (April 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312978634
• ISBN-13: 978-0312978631
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,815,386 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Western Tale Even if You Don't Like Westerns, January 21, 2004

By 

iqhope "Dawn Boyer" (Virginia Beach, VA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Cold Hard Trail (Kid Parmlee Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

I can't remember how I stumbled across this book -- perhaps via a writing group online where I talked to the author. Let me say, I am not a fan of western literature, but was curious about the author and what he wrote.

What a delightful tale! The story was written in a first person viewpoint, with the narrator telling a tale about how he got into trouble while trying to stay an honest man, just for being good with a gun.

The story is told in a "Western Dialect" you would expect from a "Good Old Boy" who didn't have but a few years of education, and while writer's schools proclaim this is just a terrible writing style, in this story, it works!

Kid Parmlee, often compared to "Billy The Kid," is trying to live quietly, avoiding all the relatives of some folks back home (Hatfield versus McCoy) bent on revenge, while simultaneously getting caught up when accused of robbing a bank, then later killing a few folks. It's a case of mistaken identity. It's not long before he gets into more trouble.

What is delightful are several of the sections of the book where humor is brought in, and you find yourself cackling and grinning with some of the solutions Kid Parmlee comes up with to get as far away from trouble as possible.

The story/book is loaded with colorful characters, the very few sex (scenes) are gracefully/subtley inserted in just the right places without any graphic details.

The story was just a delight to read and the back cover of the book noted that author, Robert J. Conley is a member of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokees. He is author of over 40 books, so I definitely want to explore some more of his stories -- especially about Kid Parmlee!

Definitely a treat -- try it, you'll like it whether you are a Western Novel fan or not.