The Death Of Desert Belle [Hardcover]

Phil Dunlap (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 2004

In the dusty Arizona hamlet of Desert Belle, a mysterious explosion levels half of the adobe jail. It appears the notorious Bishop brothers have made good on their threat to escape before they could be brought to trial. At least it had looked that way until two bodies were found crushed beyond recognition beneath the thick slabs of adobe wall. While the sheriff says good riddance, others aren't so sure the Bishops are really gone for good.

Concerned by the details of the blast and for the safety of the townsfolk if the brothers did get out alive, Marshal Piedmont Kelly---the man who put the Bishops away in the first place---rides for Desert Belle, quickly finding himself the target of those who don't want the mystery solved.

Meanwhile, not far away, two teenage boys inadvertently come face-to-face with a gunslinger who demands they leave town or get shot. The misadventures of the two boys eventually cause them to cross paths with the marshal. The boys and Kelly will have to trust each other and work together in order to save themselves and the town of Desert Belle.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a worthwhile read for those who can't get enough of saloons, gunfights, and dancehall girls." - Julie Young -- From the Indianapolis Star, June 19, 2005

"Dunlap turns in a fine first novel. He appears to be poised to become a new star in the Western writing firmament." -- From Roundup Magazine, June 2005

About the Author

Phil Dunlap has had a lifelong affair with the history and characters of the old west, and he also can't pass up a good mystery; thus a novel emerged where the two paths cross. Often drawn to that haunted land where ghosts of gunfighters, scalawags, dandies, dance hall girls, and victims of gold fever still float among the cacti, he is driven to relive that distant era as a novelist, the next best thing to being there.

Phil lives near Indianapolis with his wife, Judy.

The Death of Desert Belleis Phil's first book for AVALON.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 186 pages
• Publisher: Avalon (October 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803496818
• ISBN-13: 978-0803496811
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #289,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Phil Dunlap has had a lifelong affair with the characters and events of the Old West. Driven to explore the haunts of old gunfighters, scalawags, and dance hall girls, his interest in revisiting that bygone era has been fulfilled by writing novels that bring the 19th Century alive to readers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice surprise., May 5, 2011

By 

Beachball - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Death Of Desert Belle (Hardcover)

I'm not really much of a fiction reader and even then I've never been into Westerns. I gave this book a try and was very surprised. The old style Western's was before my time so the first chapter was a bit of a struggle but once I got into the story I found I couldn't put the book down. As others have said, its more of a mystery set in the old west. The charectors are well developed and the plot keeps a good and steady pace.

I'm looking forward to the new series the author has coming out in June of 2011.

4.0 out of 5 stars "Hot Summer Days in the Old West", August 3, 2005

By 

Jaci Muzamel (Carmel, IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Death Of Desert Belle (Hardcover)

While I enjoy living in lush green of Indiana, I have to admit that

there are times that I miss Texas and the dusty dry warmth

of it's climate. When I opened The Death of Desert Belle, a

western police procedural written by Phil Dunlap, and read the first paragraph, I was instantly transported to

the hot summer days of the west.

The book opens with Desert Belle's Sheriff Rufus Potter

trying to figure out who blew up his jail and killed the Bishop brothers, two of the most wanted criminals

in the territory. The sheriff seems content not to have a trail since they are dead, but others, including Deputy Ben Satterfield, aren't so sure that what seems like an "open and shut" case, is just that. Satterfield gets word to

Marshal Piedmont Kelly, the man responsible for arresting the Bishops in the first place,

that it appears that the criminals are dead. Or are they? Kelly returns to Desert Belle to

investigate matters for himself. All too soon he realizes that not only has he stumbled onto

a mystery and a town that seems to be holding on by a thread, but that the closer he gets to

the truth the closer he might be getting to his own death.

Phil Dunlap mixes several different life backgrounds together

into an enjoyable fast paced read. His secondary characters are

well rounded and give balance to the storyline. Interesting that it

seems levity comes from his female characters, who are more earthy

then their male counterparts. Phil's book makes you want to put on

your cowboy boots and hat and saddle up a horse for a ride.

4.0 out of 5 stars Review by Allen P. Bristow, author of Playing God., August 1, 2005

By 

Allen P. Bristow (Gleneden Beach, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Death Of Desert Belle (Hardcover)

This book is every bit as much a mystery story as a western. Dunlap presents an exciting tale that centers around the identity of corpses found in the ruins of a jail that was leveled by an explosion. Nothing as modern as DNA or dental records existed in that era and Marshal Kelly must solve the mystery by the time-honored technique of finding and talking to those who may have helpful information. Kelly encounters the same frustrations as does Sheriff Scott in my book, Playing God, and both officers identify unrecognizable bodies with unexpected results. Dunlap's story rivets the reader's attention from cover to cover with the twists and turns of Kelly's investigation.