Six Gun Angel

Angel Eyes #7: “Six Gun Angel” by W. B. Longley (Robert J. Randisi). Six cowboys attack Liz Archer on the trail. Attempting to outrun them, her horse stumbles and falls, knocking her unconscious. When she awakes her money and saddlebags are gone. Walking her horse until it can get its legs back under it, she comes upon a man tied to a post, severely tortured. From behind her a shot creases her scalp and she drops unconscious again. This time her horse has been shot, too. She hears wagons coming up the road, which must have run her assailant off. It a travelling Wild West Show and Liz decides to join them until her horse heals. Now another mystery surfaces. The tortured man was a member of the travelling show, and Liz discovers that banks have been robbed along their route, and someone with the show may know where the bank loot is. This was an outstanding plot for an old west yarn, only marred by the numerous sex scenes to make this an adult western. A female gunfighter faster than the men she faces. I wish the author would rewrite these some day, leaving the sex out. The stories would make a good series.

Wolf Pass

Angel Eyes #3: “Wolf Pass” by W. B. Longley (Robert J. Randisi). Liz Archer arrives in Wolf Pass, Montana Territory and is recognized by the biggest ranch owner and logger in the area. He’s having problem with a giant wolf that is killing his cattle, horses, and men. He’s already hired a wolfer, but decides he wants Angel Eyes as extra firepower against the wolf. While Liz and the wolfer, Loren Page, are out looking for the beast, gunman Frank Logan rides into town trailing Page, who he blames for the death of his kin. This was another good story, fast-paced, and well written. Being an Adult Western, it had its share of sex and profanity. But it would have been a better western without it.

Chinatown Justice

Angel Eyes #4: “Chinatown Justice” by W. B. Longley (Robert J. Randisi). Liz Archer is in San Francisco enjoying a bit of gambling. When she returns to her hotel room she is knocked unconscious. When Liz awakens, she’s lying next to a dead man, and before she can leave the police arrive. She is arrested for the murder, but no one believes she’s the killer. They find her gun, but the man was killed with a knife, and it isn’t there. Inspector Granger lets her escape, hoping she will become the bait to capture the real murderer. This was another pretty good story, with a nice mystery for a change, but being an adult western, it is filled with lots of sex. Thankfully, the writing is smooth and the pace is fast, and you can read the book in an afternoon, just skip all the repeat sex scenes.

Death's Angel

Angel Eyes #2: “Death’s Angel” by W. B. Longley (Robert J. Randisi). Liz Archer is riding towards Paragon, Wyoming, when she sees two hardcase cowboys chasing a young girl on a horse. She intervenes and disarms the men then rides with the girl to her ranch to meet her father, where she learns the local banker is trying to squeeze them off their property. The cowboys that were after his daughter works for the banker. They had recognized her as Angel Eyes and were afraid to draw on her because of her reputation as a gunfighter. Now the banker wants her dead, knowing she will put backbone into the rancher and he won’t be able to get the property, so he sends for a gunfighter to take care of Angel Eyes. This was another well-written and fast paced story that would have been much better without all the sex, but it is an adult western, and the publisher wanted lots of sex, and that’s what we get, even if it is a distraction and has nothing to do with the plot.

Angel, For Hire

Angel Eyes #9: “Angel, For Hire” by W. B. Longley (Robert J. Randisi). The final novel in the Angel Eyes series has Liz Archer and Tate signing up with Chris Tanner and a few hired guns to protect a little Mexican village at the mercy of bandits. Yes, a very similar plot to The Magnificent 7, but this time there’s only six professional guns, not 7. Plus, the town is all women, so there is plenty of sex distraction instead of working the plot, which was a shame. Also, there is lots of beer for the gunfighters. However, this is an adult western, so we have to expect all the sex. Spoiler alert so read no further if you don’t want to know the ending. This is the final novel, and Angel Eyes and Tate meet their end standing up to a small Mexican army. I don’t know if the author got tired of the series, or the publisher just didn’t want any more. Over all, it was a good series. It would have been even better as an old fashioned western featuring a female gunfighter and the sex left out.

Logan's Army

Angel Eyes #5: “Logan’s Army” by W. B. Longley (Robert J. Randisi). Elizabeth “Liz” Archer rides into Loganville, Wyoming, and stops for a rest. She spots a saloon as she rides into town, and after checking into a hotel decides to stop in at Honey O’Day’s for a drink. While at the bar with a cold beer she hears a commotion and sees two men threatening one of the women with a knife. The female bartender is going after the men with a wooden mallet when the other man draws a gun. A lightning move and Liz shoots the gun out of his hand. Honey O’Day sees the lightning draw and recognizes Angel Eyes, the West’s fastest female gunslinger. She tries to hire Liz to help her fight against Ed Logan, the man that runs Loganville. She declines, but that night several of Logan’s men rape and beat one of Honey’s girls, and when Liz finds out she changes her mind. This was actually a fun little story, as only Robert Randisi can write them. However, it is an adult western, so there is profanity and sex. There is not a lot of tension, and a only a couple of scenes of gun action; even the big drawn-down between Angel Eyes and the hired gunfighter at the end is quick and without much fanfare. But then we knew the gunfighter would be no match for Angel Eyes. A lot of fun!