The Rattlesnake Season (Thorndike Western I) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Larry D. Sweazy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 2010 | Series: Thorndike Western I

From the blood he spilled during the Civil War to his beloved wife, who died in childbirth, and his daughters, who were taken by the flu, ex-Texas Ranger Josiah Wolfe thought he had seen enough death for a lifetime. With an infant son and a heart full of pain, Wolfe is rejoining the Rangers as part of the Frontier Battalion. But first, his captain needs him to escort Charlie Langdon to trial. The two shared history as both lawmen soldiers, and the ride won't be easy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"On the strength of this book it seems that Larry D. Sweazy could well be a new star in the world of western fiction." --Western Fiction Review -- westernfictionreview.blogspot.com

"What sets Sweazy apart are his interior insights rounding each character with layered motivations for choices made at any particular moment." --NUVO -- nuvo.net -- Rita Kohn

"Excellent historical details and rich characterization of [Josiah] Wolfe's struggle to fulfill his duty make The Rattlesnake Season an excellent start to a new Western series." --Best Books of Indiana --judge's comments --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

From the Back Cover

"Combines the slam-bang action of a good Western with the sensitivity of style and depth of character that used to be the hallmark of literary fiction."
        
      -- Loren D. Estleman, five-time Spur Award-winning author

From the blood he spilled during the Civil War to his beloved wife, who died in childbirth, and his daughters, who were taken by the flu, ex-Texas Ranger Josiah Wolfe thought he had seen enough death for a lifetime. Now, with an infant son and a heart full of pain, he's rejoining the Rangers as part of the Frontier Battalion.  But first, his captain needs him to escort Charlie Langdon to trial.

Wolfe and Langdon had a long history together as both lawmen and soldiers -- until Langdon's lust for blood and money made him an outlaw. Wolfe knows his old friend has to pay.  But the ride to the hangman's noose isn't going to be easy.  Langdon's friends aren't going to give him up without a fight.  And Wolfe's killer instinct may be his only chance to see his son again....

"Raw, wild, and all too human...a thundering testament to just how good the Western novel can be."
       --Johnny D. Boggs, Spur-Award-winning author

"A character-rich story about a Texas Ranger haunted by dark memories, on the hunt for a former comrade-in-arms turned killer."

       --Elmer Kelton, seven-time Spur Award-winning author --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 367 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press; Lrg edition (March 17, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1410424332
• ISBN-13: 978-1410424334
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,484,610 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Larry D. Sweazy was born in Anderson, Indiana, and has spent most his life in the Hoosier state, with a four year stint spent in the state of Texas. He currently lives in Noblesville, Indiana, with his wife Rose, two dogs and a cat. He is a full-time writer and freelance indexer.

Larry D. Sweazy is the author of the Josiah Wolfe, Texas Ranger (Berkley) series, starting with THE RATTLESNAKE SEASON (#1, pub date: 10/2009), THE SCORPION TRAIL (#2, pub date 04/2010), THE BADGER's REVENGE (#3, pub date 04/2011), THE COUGAR'S PREY (#4, pub date 10/07/2001), THE COYOTE TRACKER (#5, pub date 08/07/2012), and a standalone (modern-day) thriller, THE DEVIL'S BONES (pub date 03/07/2012). Larry has also written more than 50 short stories, non-fiction articles, and poems. His first professionally published short story, "The Promotion", won the 2005 Spur award for Best Short Fiction, and appeared in The Best Short Mysteries of 2005 anthology (THE ADVENTURE OF THE MISSING DETECTIVE: AND 25 OF THE YEAR'S BEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES (Carroll & Graf), edited by Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg. His other short stories have appeared in, or will appear in, Boy's Life, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Amazon Shorts, Hardboiled, Terminal Fright, and other anthologies and magazines.

His first novel, THE RATTLESNAKE SEASON, was a finalist in the Best Books of 2010 Indiana literary competition. His second novel, THE SCORPION TRAIL won the 2011 Will Rogers Medallion Award for Western Fiction and the 2011 Best Books of Indiana literary competition in the fiction category. THE SCORPION TRAIL is the first western to ever win the Best Books of Indiana.

Larry's non-fiction articles have appeared in The Drood Review, Mystery Muses, Roundup magazine, and in the upcoming release from M.E. Sharpe, The Encyclopedia of the Western Expansion. As a freelance indexer, he has written 600 back-of-the-book indexes for publishers such as Cisco Press, Addison Wesley, Prentice Hall, and Cengage.

For more information about Larry's writing and publishing career as a writer, poet, freelance indexer, and owner of WordWise Publishing Services, please visit www.larrydsweazy.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Series in the Works, February 11, 2010

By 

Matthew P. Mayo - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rattlesnake Season (Josiah Wolfe, Texas Ranger) (Mass Market Paperback)

The Rattlesnake Season is a top-shelf novel from first to last. That it is classified as a Western is a bonus to fans of that genre--but this is a book for anyone who appreciates fine writing and tight storytelling.

Sweazy's rich, engrossing tale involves the reemergence of a man pummeled by adversity, but who rises again and again, squaring his shoulders and doing what needs to be done. In lesser hands such a protagonist could slip into heroic parody, but here these admirable character traits are rendered with care and realism.

There are very few new novels that offer the bold sense of an epic while keeping readers turning the pages, but this one does. This is a book to give to a friend who says, "I haven't read a Western in a while. What do you recommend?" You'll be handing them the first book in a series that has all the earmarks of a classic.

I look forward to the coming books in this series about Josiah Wolfe, Texas Ranger, by this seasoned writer who, if The Rattlesnake Season is any indication, will give us years of reading pleasure.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best!, November 27, 2009

By 

Skip Jack (portland, oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rattlesnake Season (Josiah Wolfe, Texas Ranger) (Mass Market Paperback)

I picked The Rattlesnake Season up on a whim. But boy this book is no whim. It's right up there with Elmer Kelton. Very, very good stuff for those who love well-written westerns. Thank you Larry Sweazy! Keep going!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and Well-Written, May 15, 2010

By 

W. S. Jones "bibliophile" (Noblesville, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rattlesnake Season (Josiah Wolfe, Texas Ranger) (Mass Market Paperback)

I was out our local bookstore in Noblesville with my daughter when the author was at a book signing. I just happened to stop at his table and chat a moment and I went ahead and bought this and his newest books. I am not one to read novels, concentrating more on non-fiction, but this was a first-rate work. I read it over the last week or so and I was very impressed. The author researched his topic thoroughly and more importantly, he sucks you right into the world of the protagonist, Josiah Wolfe. I will be starting on the second novel soon, as I cannot wait to see what adventures are in store for Josiah & company!