Ambush Range

A lot can motivate a man to murder…

Ward Merrill with his eight-year-old son, Lonnie, and Pop Lorimer own a small cow ranch close by the town of Portsville.

Merrill was once a US marshal and after ten years of service, he gave up that life to settle down with his late wife.

But trouble is brewing in Portsville.

The railway line has come to town, bringing along trail-hands of cattle outfits.

Merrill was always against the railway, having seen and dealt with first-hand the kind of trouble and violence that these rival outfits can bring to a quiet town.

Sheriff Walt Oakley is taking precautions by appointed special deputies; he figures that Merrill would a good fit.

But Merrill is staying out of it – the town voted for the railway and they can deal with the consequences themselves as far as he’s concerned.

All that matters to him in the world is his son, Lonnie.

However, when his son is attacked by a trail-handler, then Merrill makes it his business.

Unfortunately, that means getting the draw on the handler and killing in self-defence.

Which means now that every cattle outfit coming east is going to hear about Ward Merrill; and perhaps try their luck to best him.

Then to his worst fears, that night, his spread is attacked by six unknown gunmen.

It seems someone is after him but with no clue to the identity of the gunmen, it could be anyone; stranger or even more likely, a local from Portville.

Anyone in town who supported the railways could’ve seen him as a threat.

There’s Frank Maitland – a businessman who owns both of Portville’s saloons. The trail-hands will have exploded his profits.

Or maybe it was Luke Parry, owner of the general store, who also stands to make a profit. But then again, his daughter Miss Kay Parry is sweet on Merrill.

In fact, there’s talk in town of marriage between the pair…

Perhaps then it could’ve been Deputy Silas ‘Si’ Kester, who not only likes Miss Parry but also has made it obvious how jealous he is of Merrill.

With suspects on every corner, only time will tell if Merrill lives or dies…

A gun-toting Western, Ambush Range is filled with mystery and suspense on every page.

Praise for Burt Kroll

‘Captivating, authentic and full of drama – a western to remember!’ – Tom Casey, bestselling author of Trade Off

Burt Kroll (1928), is one of fifty pseudonyms for British author, Donald S. Rowland, who was born in Norfolk, England. Rowland is married with three children, and previously had a variety of jobs, including film projectionist and Senior Clerk and Local Government Officer. It was only in 1964 that he dedicated his time to writing full-time and has since written a variety of novels, from science-fiction to westerns.