Ghost of the Chinook

Jonathan Glidden (aka Peter Dawson) authored over 120 Western short stories and 16 novels during his lengthy writing career. This 'five-pack' brings together stories he produced in the late 1930s and 1940s for 'Western Story Magazine,' 'Star Western,' etc. GHOST OF THE CHINOOK is a pretty fair sampling of Dawson's work. Dawson tended to over-use basic plots so CHINOOK's stories deal with crooked sheriffs, crooked lawyers and crooked cattle baron's trying to screw honest but fast-on-the-draw westerners out of their land, their business and their girl! In the end the good guys win out in a blaze of action and get the girl to boot! Two stories in CHINOOK however resulted in the 4-star rating. 'Spawn of Yuma,' the opening story, is an especially well-done tale of a wronged man seeking justice. 'Colt Cure for Woolly Fever' is a humorous tale that could have run on the old 'Maverick' series. It deals with a smooth-talking, fast-on-the-draw (naturally!) con-man who flim-flams an entire town at the same time he's eliminating a competitor for the hand of a lovely cantina owner. If you like western short stories, pick up GHOST OF THE CHINOOK. It showcases the talents of 'A Master of the Short Story.'