Legendary crime writer Mickey Spillane's celebrated tin-star hero Caleb York returns in the explosive Western saga by New York Times bestselling author Max Allan Collins. This time, Sheriff York will have to keep his wits about him as he goes toe-to-toe with a powerful cattle baroness who is manipulative, clever, and out for revenge... Sheriff Caleb York doesn't regret taking out a drunken scoundrel with his blazing .44. But to York's surprise, the dead man's powerful mother, cattle baroness Victoria Drummond, barely bats an eye at the news. Instead, she asks York for a favor- help her convince Willa Cullen-the love of Caleb's life-to sell the vast spread that Willa's late father had carved out of the wilderness. Willa, every bit as strong-willed as her rival, refuses to give up her land without a fight. York expects an ugly showdown, but before he can stop matters from escalating, the cattle queen sends an army of hired guns to Sugar Creek, the sole source of water available for Willa's herd. Caught in the crossfire of a savage shoot-out between Willa's cowboys and Victoria's gunfighters, York will have to lay down the law-one bullet at a time-to stop an all-out war . . .
[BookStrand Romantic Suspense, HEA] Rural farm girl Zane Larson finds out that not all strange things happen in large cities when she discovers a body planted in a suitcase on her farm. She falls in love with FBI Agent Tim Casey, the investigator of the crime. At first, she thinks he is a rotten apple, but as time goes on, she comes to realize that he is worth saving. Determination and courage are among the things that Tim sees in Zane that make her uniquely different. When she refuses to give in to threats and scare tactics, and sticks by her principles, Tim knows she is the gal for him. He has some determination of his own, and knows he is in love the first moment he sees her. Will Tim take a bride before he can solve the case? ** A BookStrand Mainstream Romance
This set includes books 19-24 in the Sugar Creek Gang Series: The Green Tent Mystery, The Bull Fighter, The Timber Wolf, Western Adventure, The Killer Cat, and The Colorado Kidnapping. The Sugar Creek Gang series chronicles the faith-building adventures of a group of fun-loving, courageous Christian boys. These classic stories have been inspiring children to grow in their faith for more than five decades. More than three million copies later, children continue to grow up relating to members of the gang as they struggle with the application of their Christian faith to the adventure of life. Now that these stories have been updated for a new generation, you and your child can join in the Sugar Creek excitement. Paul Hutchen's memories of childhood adventures around the fishing hole, the swimming hole, the island, and the woods that surround Indiana's Sugar Creek inspired these beloved tales. In The Green Tent Mystery, the Sugar Creek Gang stumbles across a woman digging a hole in an abandoned cemetery on a dark summer night. Investigate with the gang as they get to the bottom of the mysterious holes that keep appearing in the fields. Discover the important role that Bill Collins' little sister, Charlotte Ann, plays in solving the mystery. In the end, you'll discover with the gang that "all things work together for good to them that love God". In The Bull Fighter, 10,080 minutes fly fast when Bill's cousin, Wally, and his copper-colored dog, Alexander, come for a visit. Alexander manages to tangle with all kinds of wildlife from skunks and snapping turtles to a giant red bull. A late night visit from some mysterious strangers leads to a priceless gift for Wally. Come along with the Sugar Creek Gang and you'll learn that following Jesus is just as important for city boys as it is for country boys. In The Timber Wolf, a winter vacation for the Sugar Creek Gang at the Snow Goose Lodge is full of surprises. Old Man Paddler's nephew, Barry Boyland, introduces his fianc Jeanne, and she ends up in the middle of a blizzard before the story is over. Along the way, the gang goes ice fishing, checks traps, encounters a wolf, and chases a bear. This Sugar Creek Gang adventure will deepen your appreciation for nature as well as for the importance of a relationship with Jesus. In Western Adventure, hanging the imaginary horse thief, Snaterpazooka, in the Sugar Creek Hills leads to a real-life shoot-out. The adventure includes an out-of-control campfire, a horse-killing thunderstorm, and a runaway boat. As Bill Collins faces trouble with Tom Till, he remembers the sermon about ruling your spirit and being slow to anger. Learn with Bill the importance of choosing the proper boss. In The Killer Cat, a savage-tempered wildcat enters Sugar Creek territory and stirs up lots of trouble. Before the adventure ends, the wildcat kills many prized animals. Bill Collins spends part of the time home alone with only God and his Savage .22 rifle to protect him. In the end, an unlikely hero saves Little Jim from certain tragedy. Follow the Sugar Creek Gang as they walk Jesus' narrow trail and try to avoid the "rabbit trails" that tempt them away. In The Colorado Kidnapping, the Sugar Creek Gang heads west for the Aspen Music Festival in the beautiful Colorado Rockies. They enjoy a world class rodeo, and they even get to meet the famous rodeo cowboy, Cranberry Jones. A scenic, chair-lift ride leads to the solution of a missing woman mystery. Witness with the Sugar Creek Gang God's ability to turn tragedy into triumph when people surrender their lives to Him.
This set includes the entire collection of the Sugar Creek Gang Series, books 1-36. The Sugar Creek Gang series chronicles the faith-building adventures of a group of fun-loving, courageous Christian boys. These classic stories have been inspiring children to grow in their faith for more than five decades. More than three million copies later, children continue to grow up relating to members of the gang as they struggle with the application of their Christian faith to the adventure of life. Now that these stories have been updated for a new generation, you and your child can join in the Sugar Creek excitement. Paul Hutchens' memories of childhood adventures around the fishing hole, the swimming hole, the island, and the woods that surround Indiana's Sugar Creek inspired these beloved tales.
When a corrupt sheriff tries to take his daughter as his bride and force him to sell his ranch, George Cullen, refusing to go down without a fight, hires the west's toughest gunslinger to destroy his enemy.
Legendary crime writer Mickey Spillane's celebrated tin-star hero Caleb York returns in the explosive Western saga by New York Times bestselling author Max Allan Collins. When Sheriff Caleb York's deputy is shot down in cold blood, York has no doubt the bullets were meant for him. It's the first nasty step in a plan rustled up by Luke Burn 'Em Burnham--eliminate the law, corral a team to rob a bank in booming Las Vegas, New Mexico, then lay low. With a treacherous local merchant for cover, and York out of the picture, all they'll have to do is wait for the calm. Then they get wind of one little hitch: not only is York still alive, but he's gunning for justice--and revenge. As the winter weather bears down, a chilling cat-and-mouse begins. York isn't about to let Burnham and his gang of miscreants get away. It'd be a cold day in hell if he did.
This set includes books 25-30 in the Sugar Creek Gang Series: The Ghost Dog, The White Boat Rescue, The Brown Box Mystery, The Watermelon Mystery, The Trapline Thief, and The Blue Cow. In The Ghost Dog, a fine pet funeral for the finest dog that ever lived in the Sugar Creek Gang territory kicks off this exciting adventure. But when Bill hears a mysterious dog howling in the middle of the night, he wonders if a ghost dog is roaming the woods. And later, in those same woods, strange lights in the sky cause the Gang to wonder if a UFO has come to visit. Solve these nighttime mysteries with the Sugar Creek Gang and discover the answer to this burning question: Will my pet be in heaven? In The White Boat Rescue, the Vida Eterna fishing boat is racing up and down Sugar Creek and leaving excitement in its wake. John Fenwick, a missionary to Costa Rica, and his wife are spending a month in the new Sugar Creek missionary cabin. New rifles and fishing tackle boxes lead to some life-or-death adventures for Gang. Come along with the Sugar Creek Gang and learn the importance of swimming upstream with your life, rather than floating downstream like an old, dead fish. In The Brown Box Mystery, two leather-jacketed motorcycle gang members ride into town and steer the Sugar Creek Gang into a dangerous adventure. Two mysterious boxes, one from Palm Tree Island and the other offering an anonymous reward, are at the heart of the mystery. Before it's solved, the Gang find themselves held hostage in Old Man Paddler's cabin. Join the Sugar Creek Gang as they see the love of a father in action, the kind that will track down a son who has gone astray. In The Watermelon Mystery, a grocery store robbery occurs. Then, somebody steals Bill Collins's prize watermelon. There's thievery going on near Sugar Creek! And Bill is sure that the Till boys have something to do with it! Poetry and Bill start collecting clues. They find a map of Sugar Creek territory hidden in a floating watermelon and encounter strange happenings in the middle of the night. Join the Sugar Creek Gang as they learn not to jump to conclusions, for some things are not as they appear. In The Trapline Thief, someone is stealing muskrats from Circus's traps. When the Sugar Creek Gang follows Circus's hunting dog, Old Jay, they discover much more than a raccoon trapped in a tree. This Indian Summer adventure includes Halloween pranks, a wild truck ride through an apple orchard, and some genuine fistfights. Everything isn't always as it appears to be on the surface as the Sugar Creek Gang learns that honesty is more than just the best policy... it's the way God commands us to live. In The Blue Cow, Bill and Poetry catch the biggest fish ever to swim in Sugar Creek and then are nearly run over by a stampeding blue cow. Shorty Long's fence-crossing cow brings all kinds of adventures to the Sugar Creek Gang. Bill and Shorty mix it up several times, but a crisis with Shorty's blue cow brings the two boys together. Experience the power of prayer as Bill and his mother fight to save the life of Shorty's blue cow.
This set includes books 7-12 in the Sugar Creek Gang Series: The Mystery Cave, Palm Tree Manhunt, One Stormy Day, The Mystery Thief, Teacher Trouble,and Screams in the Night. The tales and travels of the Sugar Creek Gang have passed the test of time, delighting young readers for more than fifty years. Great mysteries with a message, The Sugar Creek Gang series chronicles the faith-building adventures of a group of fun-loving, courageous Christian boys. Your kids will be thrilled, chilled, and inspired to grow as they follow the legendary escapades of Bill Collins, Dragonfly, and the rest of the gang and see how they struggle with the application of their Christian faith to the adventure of life. In The Mystery Cave, a late night hunting trip for the Sugar Creek Gang leads to a surprise discovery. Later, Old Man Paddler invites them to his cabin for a sassafras tea party. An urgent knock on the door interrupts the party. Soon they find themselves knee-deep in a quicksand rescue. Explore with the gang the effects of sin in one's life and the benefits of following Jesus. In Palm Tree Manhunt, Old Man Paddler sends the Sugar Creek Gang to a beautiful Caribbean island to find his missing twin brother. Circus and Bill find an old man who bears an uncanny resemblance to Old Man Paddler, but then they get separated from the rest of the group. A goat and a lottery ticket become the key to restoring Mr. Paddler. Join the gang as they discover the difference between fate and God's control of the events in our lives. In One Stormy Day, the Sugar Creek Gang's school gets a new teacher- a man. And that spells trouble. When their old teacher shows up to surprise them with a midday sleigh ride, things start looking up for the boys- until Bill Collins throws a snowball that accidentally hits Mr. Black, the new teacher. Learn the importance of self-sacrifice as Little Jim offers to take Bill's punishment, even though he doesn't deserve it. In The Mystery Thief, someone knocks Bill Collins into a snowdrift and steals his suitcase when he goes to spend the night with Poetry. When the boys track the footprints in the snow, they make an amazing discovery. A penmanship test helps to solve the mystery about the mean notes received by Bill and Mr. Black. Find out with the gang how important it is to love and befriend those who hurt us. In Teacher Trouble, the Sugar Creek Gang continues to struggle with their new teacher, Mr. Black. They cause some of the trouble themselves when they build a snowman that looks a lot like him and he stumbles across it. Someone outside the gang tries to frame the Sugar Creek Gang by putting a board over the chimney at school. Learn important lessons about honesty and respect with the Sugar Creek Gang. In Screams in the Night, travel to Pass Lake, Minnesota, with the Sugar Creek Gang. When the gang arrives, they find themselves in the middle of a mystery. Newspaper reports tell of a kidnapped girl who has not been returned even though the ransom was paid. Will they find the girl and help catch the kidnapper? Join the Sugar Creek Gang on their action-packed trip to Minnesota's lake country and learn about becoming fishers of men.
An Edgar and Macavity Award Nominee The first-ever biography of the most popular and most influential pulp writer of all time, written by the collaborator who knew him best There has never been a full-length biography of Mickey Spillane, the most popular and influential mystery writer of his era—until now. Beginning in 1947 with I, the Jury, and continuing with his next six novels, Spillane quickly amassed a readership in the tens of millions, becoming the bestselling novelist in the history of American publishing. Surrounded by controversy for the overt violence and suggestive sexual content of his iconic Mike Hammer private eye novels, Spillane was loathed by critics but beloved by his readers. There is, however, more to Spillane’s life than the books. He also starred as Hammer in a movie, was a circus performer, worked with the FBI in capturing a notorious criminal, and starred in Miller Light beer commercials that were so popular they ran for a quarter of a century. Max Allan Collins became Spillane’s friend and collaborator, continuing the Mike Hammer series for years after the author's death, building upon unfinished manuscripts the writer left behind. Now, with co-author James Traylor, Collins has produced the first comprehensive and authoritative profile of the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master. It is a must-read for any fan of the author—or of the generations of crime writers that were influenced by his work.
WELCOME TO TYLER. CHANGES ARE AFOOT… Tyler's got a new female police captain—and everybody's talking!Come on down to Marge's and share the speculations of America's favorite hometown. SHE SEEMS TOUGH AS NAILS When Tyler's favorite son Brick Bauer loses a promotion to outsider Karen Keppler, no one is pleased—least of all Brick. BUT THEY CALL HER "CAPTAIN CURVACEOUS" Thoughts of his beautiful new boss, however, are soon keeping Brick awake nights.Unfortunately, no-nonsense Captain Keppler has this rule about not dating subordinates…. Previously Published