In my days of the American Westerns I continue with a Louis L'amour classic. I have to say, while writing this review, I have already finished two other Westerns. It seems that Western novels are pretty much Harlequin Romances for the manly-man. That being said, this particular novel is actually different. Oh sure, you still have the beautiful woman rancher and her silent, but deadly and handsome, rider who is in love with her, but is well..silent about it. This book, however, is pretty much action through-out with every page a turner.

She, the rancher, has a brother who is killed by some New England type bankers who have taken over a cattle town in Texas. She wants revenge and her rider is more than happy to oblige. There is some silly background story about the rider's mysterious past, but that is the author just trying to make what appears to be a very shallow genre deeper where in is not necessary...sometimes life does not have to be deep and we just have to get down to business.

I read it so fast I was amazed that it passed so quickly.

This takes place in West Texas in the 1870s. Carpetbaggers have moved in and Texans aren't allowed on the north side of the street. A kid takes a shine to a girl and is murdered because he crossed the line. His sister is going to kill the town. This is a bit different than most of his books. A first person narrative.

This is the first western I think I've ever read in my life. Thought I'd see what a few of my relatives like in this genre.
So far it's not really drawing me in. It's pretty much the cowboys&Indians cliched storyline. I expect it's just bar brawls, dirty cowboys coming into town causing trouble, looking for prostitutes, threats, challenges, and I'm sure the fistfights and hangings will be soon in the story. I'm only 2 chapters in and ......... ugh
Now that I've finished, it was an interesting enough story but just as I suspected, it was just constant threatening, attacking, lots of gunfire and violence. Not graphically described, but it was there.
Stayed clean and the language was ok.
I don't know if I'll read another western. I don't enjoy all the tough talking and shoot outs.

3.5 stars

"We came up the trail from Texas in the spring of '74, and bedded our herd on the short grass beyond the railroad. We cleaned our guns and washed our necks and dusted our hats for town, riding fifteen strong . . . We were the Tumbling B from the rough country of the Big Bend." -- on page 1

A very good L'Amour western story that was marred only by the anti-climatic, muted and predictable final chapters, Kiowa Trail also seemed to share a few basic similarities (not that those are necessarily a bad thing) to the Kevin Costner / Robert Duvall movie Open Range that came about forty years later. Lead character Conn Dury was a great if typically uber-skilled L'Amour protagonist - raised by Apaches (they had murdered his parents) in early childhood, he is rescued by a British soldier who is visiting the U.S. and then shipped to England for schooling. On returning to America as a young man Dury is then briefly a Texas Ranger before serving during the Civil War as a Union cavalry lieutenant. (Phew! Was he an Amway distributor too?) Of course all of this varied experience makes him the perfect man to be the lead 'hand' for the Tumbling B cattle drivers, owned by the stout Kate Lundy. The horse opera plot involves unrequited lovebirds Dury and Lundy going to war with a small town's malevolent power-broker who had one of their cowboys - and he happened to be Kate's younger, cherubic brother - killed in cold blood for the 'offense' of attempting to court the man's daughter.

Louis L’Amour always delivers!

A western town in Kansas with strict rules about where cattlemen and riders could congregate. The trail drive from Texas had been a long one and when they arrived everyone was told the rules. The son of the ranch owner crossed the line because of a young woman who had flirted with him. That evening the young man is murdered. When his Mother, the ranch owner, finds out she has her foreman go the railroad and buy the property around the town. Then she has them build a fence and closes the town. She is going to kill the town. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS

Too bad westerns are not often used as examples of short stories. Some in this collection are truly well written.

A good old fashioned western, reminded me of John Wayne movies somewhat. The good guy, Conn Drury, has some gray areas in his past but is still your basic western hero. There's the good woman, the heroic and handsome Kate Drury and the bad guy from the east - Aaron McDonald and his wicked daughteer Linda.
L"Amour keeps the tension going well and tells a good story.

Louis L'Amour is a great storyteller. I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy a western, but his writing kept me turning pages. This is a fast read, lots of action (gunfighting) and anticipation of what will happen next. I enjoyed the flashbacks to the main character's past.

Kiowa Trail is the perfect length for the story. The main character is well developed, smart and brave. Kate Lundy is an independant, strong woman, and I only wish L'Amour had revealed more about her, too. Great book!

Kate Lundy was a beautiful, business oriented cattle woman.
All she had in the world, her ranch, and younger brother.

When he is shot in the back, killed in town.
Kate decides to take her revenge, by destroying the town.
Not by open attack, and shooting.
With her hands, she fences the town off, from the outside world.

Conn is her foreman and closest hand.
Some of the people in town, deserving of this fate.
Others encouraged to leave.
As Conn and the cow hands, turn away business and revenue from the town.

Wealthy men in town wiring for hired killers.
It was going to be a war.
With someone dangerous from Conn's past.
Also working against them.

Over all a good solid story.
Main thing against it, is the pacing.
During the story 4 or 5 times. It stops, to have a flashback chapter.
Yes it does explain things, that relate to current events.
Just to much stop and start for my liking.
You get caught up in the story.
Then a pause, as something else is introduced from the past.

Something major about to happen.
Then you have to wait, until after you read chapter. Different time and place.

It does have a decent wrap up, and finish though.

couldn't put it down. Best yet that I've read.