The Shopkeeper (Center Point Premier Western (Large Print)) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

James D. Best (Author)

Book Description

Series: Center Point Premier Western (Large Print) | Publication Date: November 1, 2009

In 1879, Steve Dancy sells his New York shop and ventures west to explore and write a journal about his adventures. Though he's not looking for trouble, Dancy's infatuation with another man's wife soon embroils him in a deadly feud with Sean Washburn, a Nevada silver baron.

Infuriated by the outrages of two hired thugs, the shopkeeper kills both men in an impulsive street fight. Dancy believes this barbarian act has closed the episode. He is wrong. He has interfered with Washburn's ambitions, and this is something the mining tycoon will not allow.

Pinkertons, hired assassins, and aggrieved bystanders escalate the feud until it pulls in all the moneyed interests and power brokers in Nevada. Can the former city slicker settle accounts without losing his life in the process?

Editorial Reviews

Review

I have to say its one of the best western books I've read in a long time. You'll find yourself lost in the book--the fast pace keeps it interesting. --Woman'sDay, Maritza Barone

The Shopkeeper is an entertaining story about a New York shopkeeper who has relocated to the wild west. The Shopkeeper is a smart gunslinger and star of a new western series.  --Nashville Examiner, Diane Scearce

A great book, I do hope that The Shopkeeper gets the readership it richly deserves.  --Blogger News Network, Simon Barrett

Steve Dancy is set on experiencing the West. At first glance, he is nothing more than a dilettante Easterner intent on writing a journal about his adventures on the frontier. He's not running away from a hopeless life. To the contrary, he's educated and seems to have enough money for his simple needs. Although anxious to avoid trouble, he can be pushed only so far, and when he chances upon some bad men doing unspeakable things to a woman, he feels he must take a hand. It isn't long before he's caught up in gunplay, which leads him into taking desperate measures, including buying a bank and a hotel, and influencing the upcoming gubernatorial elections. Dancy is a far different man than these Westerners think he is. Wealthy after selling off his Eastern businesses, maybe he should have told them what kind of goods he sold, because he's sure not like any other shopkeepers they know.

This is a fast paced tale with an interesting hero. In structure, with short chapters, crisp dialogue, and lots of movement, it's reminiscent of a thriller. Sadly, neither of the women in this story were enduring, the older too evil and crass to believe, and the younger far from worthy of the infatuation the hero apparently feels toward her. The motivation seems weak for all the mayhem that ensues. Still, you'll certainly find enough twists and turns to provide an entertaining and exciting story. --Western Writers of America Roundup Magazine, August, 2008

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

James D. Best is the author of The Shopkeeper, Leadville, and Murder at Thumb Butte in the Steve Dancy Western series. His other books include Tempest at Dawn, The Shut Mouth Society, andThe Digital Organization. Tempest at Dawn is a dramatization of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. James has written monthly columns for two magazine and numerous journal articles. He lives with his wife, Diane, in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
You can learn more about James and his books at jamesdbest.blogspot.com

Product Details

• Hardcover: 337 pages
• Publisher: Center Point Pub; Lrg edition (November 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602855730
• ISBN-13: 978-1602855731
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,451,215 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James D. Best is the author of The Shopkeeper, Leadville, and Murder at Thumb Butte in the Steve Dancy Western series. His other books include Tempest at Dawn, The Shut Mouth Society, and The Digital Organization. Tempest at Dawn is a dramatization of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. James has written monthly columns for two magazine and numerous journal articles. He lives with his wife, Diane, in Paradise Valley, Arizona.

You can learn more about James and his books at jamesdbest.blogspot.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Old West - Come Alive, January 30, 2008

By 

Sandy Castle (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Shopkeeper (Paperback)

What a fun read this book was. The Steve Dancy character is likeable and down-to-earth, but has some surprising talents that are uncovered as the story unfolds. I liked the link between the rough and ready spirit of the West and the complexity of the accompanying politics. The details of day-to-day living in a mining town, on the trail, at a cattle ranch, and in the political arena made this story really come alive. The other characters were well developed and you just have to love the elder Mrs. Bolton. I look forward to reading `Leadville' to find out what Steve Dancy learns about the West in next chapter of his adventures

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Gift!, April 5, 2008

By 

Heather LaRee Carter (Central Coast, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Shopkeeper (Paperback)

I chose this book because of the reviews as a gift for an avid Western reader who doesn't troll online or frequent bookstores because of an illness. He received this wonderful gift last Wednesday and finished it on his second day LOVING IT and wanting another "Steve Dancy" book NOW. He'll have to wait for Christmas it appears but thank you James D. Best for a fabulous new character and wonderfully written book from someone who loves his (quality) Westerns. You have brightened someone's days who needed some brightening! His daughter is jealous that SHE didn't give it to him. So, well done Mr. Best... Keep writing!!

73 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Shopkeeper, January 23, 2008

By 

Gina Webster "Gina Webster" (Valencia, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Shopkeeper (Paperback)

I just finished reading "The Shopkeeper", and I keep thinking to myself - Wow - that was a really good book. One of the best things about the story is that is not predictable (I'm really tired of many authors "formula" stories where you have it figured out after a couple chapters) And, the author has a descriptive way with words that makes you feel like you're right there witnessing the story. I found myself staying up at night to read "just one more chapter" before I had to force myself to put it down. I'm really looking forward to the next Steve Dancy tale.