AUTHOR FAVOURITES: TRACKDOWN by NEIL HUNTER

Mike Linaker is, like me, a Brit who writes westerns. He’s written under various names, producing traditional Westerns under the name RICHARD WYLER, creating and writing a pair of successful Western series, Bodie the Stalker and Brand, under the name NEIL HUNTER, and continuing the Frank Angel series as FREDERICK H. CHRISTIAN. In addition, he's written a number of Mack Bolan novels, as well as contributing entries to some of the Bolan spin-off series, and authoring the science fiction/police procedural series Cade.

Mike, writing as NEIL HUNTER, began his series featuring bounty hunter Bodie ‘The Stalker’ with TRACKDOWN. Bodie is hired by tycoon and aspiring politician Lyle Trask to hunt down the notorious Reefer gang, who terrorise the lawless U.S./ Mexico border country.

Historical evidence for old west bounty-hunters (at least those not after Native American scalps) seems to be sketchy. I have blogged about some of these men – from Charles Siringo to scalp-hunters like James Kirker – before.

Scalp-hunter James Kirker

The most famous was probably Tom Horn, (1860 – 1903) but even he never called himself a bounty hunter. He referred to himself as a ‘cattle detective’ or a ‘range detective.’ Horn started off as an army scout pursuing Apaches in Arizona, and was present at Geronimo’s final surrender in 1886.

A young Tom Horn with Apache scouts

He later served as a deputy sheriff in Colorado, went on to work for the Pinkerton Detective Agency and hired out to various Wyoming cattle outfits. A rancher said of him: ‘He classed cattle thieves with wolves and coyotes, and looked upon himself as a benefactor of society in destroying them.’ He was reported to have said: ‘Killing men is my speciality. I look at it as a business proposition, and I think I have a corner on the market.’  His controversial life ended after he was accused of shooting a 14-year old boy from ambush. Found guilty of murder, he climbed the Cheyenne, Wyoming gallows on November 20^th 1903.

Tom Horn in gaol awaiting execution

Whatever the reality, bounty hunters are certainly popular with western writers. As well as featuring often in western novels, they were common on screen during the heyday of the TV Western. Steve McQueen made an appearance as bounty hunter Josh Randall in the 50s TV western series also called ‘Trackdown.’ This made such an impact it got him his own spin off TV series ‘Wanted Dead or Alive.’

Steve McQueen and Robert Culp in ‘Trackdown’

In the movies bounty hunters have been played by everyone from Henry Fonda to Randolph Scott. After ‘Rawhide’ Clint Eastwood re-launched his career spectacularly playing ‘the man with no name’ in the so-called ‘Dollar Trilogy’ of ‘Spaghetti Westerns.’

Reviews of TRACKDOWN:

‘This is an action-packed story and I didn't put it down until I finished it.’

‘This book starts with a bang and just rockets along, propelled by Hunters lean prose.’

‘Top notch western.’

https://www.amazon.com/Trackdown-Bodie-Stalker-Western-Book-ebook/dp/B008218EXE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1485851824&sr=1-1&keywords=neil+hunter

AUTHOR FAVOURITES: GUN FOR HIRE by NEIL HUNTER

Mike Linaker is, like me, a Brit who writes westerns. He’s written under various names, producing traditional Westerns as RICHARD WYLER, creating and writing a pair of successful Western series, Bodie the Stalker and Brand, under the name NEIL HUNTER, and continuing the Frank Angel series as FREDERICK H. CHRISTIAN. In addition, he's written a number of Mack Bolan novels, as well as contributing entries to some of the Bolan spin-off series, and authoring the science fiction/police procedural series Cade.

Mike, writing as NEIL HUNTER, began his series featuring Jason Brand, former army scout and deputy U.S. marshal, with GUN FOR HIRE. Brand has lost his deputy marshal’s badge due to perceived brutality and is now a bounty hunter. A wealthy rancher in New Mexico hires Brand to rescue his daughter from kidnappers. The pursuit leads Brand into Mexico and ultimately into a Rurales prison – ‘El Casa Muerte’ - the House of Death.

Rurales is Spanish for ‘rurals.’ This mounted rural police force was founded by BENITO JUAREZ in 1861. Four corps, each with 20 officers and 255 other ranks, were established. They were too few and poorly organised to effectively control the banditry widespread in Mexico during the 1860s and 1870s. Following his accession to power in 1877, President PORFIRIO DÍAZ expanded the Rurales to nearly 2,000 by 1889. Initially some captured bandits were forcibly inducted into the Rurales. Officers were usually seconded from the Federal Army.

Rurales officer

The Rurales were heavily armed; carrying cavalry sabres, Remington carbines, lassos and pistols. They wore a distinctive grey uniform braided in silver, which was modelled on the national charro dress and included wide felt sombreros, bolero jackets, tight fitting trousers with silver buttons down the seams, and red or black neckties. They were variously described as ‘the world's most picturesque policemen’ and ‘mostly bandits.’ 

Under Diaz, the Rurales became increasingly politicised, as much an arm of repressive government as a law-enforcement force. They acquired an image as a ruthless organization which – under the notorious ‘ley fuga’ - ‘law of flight’ – seldom took prisoners, shot captives without trial or arranged to have them killed ‘trying to escape.’ However, research by Professor Paul J. Vanderwood during the 1970s indicated that the Rurales were neither as effective nor as brutal as regime publicists had suggested.

Rurales execute prisoners

In the later years of the regime they were increasingly used to control industrial unrest, in addition to the traditional task of patrolling country areas.

The remains of the Guardia Rural were finally disarmed and disbanded during July–August 1914, during the Mexican Revolution.

Historical evidence for bounty hunters in the Old West is scant but they’re certainly popular in western fiction. They’ve been portrayed by everyone from Randolph Scott in ‘Ride Lonesome’

to Clint Eastwood as the mysterious ‘Man with No Name’ in the so-called ‘Dollar Trilogy.’

Steve McQueen came to fame as the bounty hunter hero of the TV series ‘Wanted Dead or Alive.’

A mission to rescue a woman held captive in Mexico made me think of the 1966 movie ‘The Professionals.’

Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale and Lee Marvin in 'The Professionals'

Reviews of GUN FOR HIRE:

‘Linaker spins a fine yarn here. Brand is a good, well-developed character, not wholly sympathetic but enough so that the reader has no trouble rooting for him… The prose is suitably gritty, dusty, and hardboiled, and the action scenes, of which there are plenty, are excellent… It's a fast, very entertaining Western novel.’

‘Very exciting situations… a good sense of humour.’

‘This is a fast action western with twist and turns. Well written… with a great ending. I loved it.’

‘Great shoot-em-up reading!’

https://www.amazon.com/Hire-Jason-Brand-Western-Book-ebook/dp/B008823IP6/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=14