The Border Empire

This continues the saga of Wes Stone, who had found his father, Nathan, in time to see him gunned down by the Sandlin Gang from Mexico. He takes his dad's guns, and the special Texas Ranger shield given to his father, which had belonged to a Ranger friend who was killed. He also has Nathan's watch, which has a secret compartment. Ranger Bodie West is a prominent figure in the beginning and end of this story, who was Nathan Stone's friend. He begins by filling in some details of Nathan's life for Wes, aided by Byron Silver, of the U. S. Attorney General's office in Washington, who was in Austin by coincidence. Bodie and Byron spend some time with young Wes, who is 18, and who has taken his father's name. They tell him of Nathan's remarkable life and service to the nation. Nathan had not known a child resulted from a brief affair with his son's mother, who had wanted a child but not a long-term arrangement, much less marriage. Nathan's dog, "Empty", is now with Wes, and together they search for Nathan's killers in Mexico, entry to which is against U. S. Government policy for lawmen. Wes encounters some friends along the way, and three, Renita, Tamara and El Lobo, return with him to Austin when the gang has been wiped out. They meet West and Silver, are welcomed as U. S. citizens now, and accept a new job, this time with government backing. The Sandlin Gang was only a branch of a major conspiracy to disrupt the U. S. currency supply.

After "Autumn of The Gun", "Border Empire" was a welcome return to the style of writing that makes Ralph Compton a good western writer.Actually, this book is equal to the first two Nathan Stone novels. The only drawback of the book is the small part of Wes Stone's dog; a storyline that I enjoyed in the Nathan Stone books, which showcased a larger part for the two dogs.I also recognized James Drury's review of the book though he chose not to identify himself. His stamp of approval is always good enough for me. For the one or two people who might not recognize his name, he played "The Virginian" on Television from 1962 to 1971 and made it impossible for me to watch anyone else play that part, including Gary Cooper.

A great book, typical of Compton! My only complaint is that he wasn't up on his clothing details to fit the historic old west, but that doesn't take away from the story. If you want the same type of story as Compton, but more accurate in details, read Kirby Jonas, whom critics call the New Louis L'Amour. He is neck and neck with L'Amour and Compton in every way!

The Border Empire was very thrilling to read.This story kept me in suspence from cover to cover.I look forward to reading the rest of the GUNFIGHTER series.

Its great how all the books just blend together in this seris. I hope Ralph Compton continues with this seris for a long time. I look foward to all his books in the future.