The Wild Ones

Rating:
Summary: A Western To Please Lady Lovers of the West!
Review: Knowing that most novels of the Old West, present men protagonists, fast-paced action scenes, guns, violence, shoot-outs and good vs. evil, I was pleasantly surprised to find a lady protagonist, a member of a family of traveling stage performers, and an insightful series of events that reveal Matt Braun's research into the entertainment industry of the late l800s as experienced in the West. Certainly, the plot includes all the elements of a traditional western, however, husky-voiced alto, Lilly Fontaine, "The Nightingale," dazzles and beguiles frontiersman all the way from Kansas City to Denver including such famous folks as Bill Hickock and General George Custer. There is also an unexpected twist toward the end of this exciting and interesting approach to a western novel. I am wonderfully pleased with The Wild Ones! A different and delightful read from a versatile and gifted writer. Don't miss this one!
Evelyn Horan - children's author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl Book One

Rating:
Summary: Lively picaresque Western
Review: The Wild Ones takes as its protagonists a troupe of actors and variety artists ,the Fontaines ,who are seeking to rebuild their careers by decamping from the Eastern Seaboard ,to tour in the West.Fontaine -the head of the family-is a flambouyant actor with a penchant for Shakespeare,not shared by his rowdy audiences.Son Chester is an aimiable nonentity and the real star turn is Fontaine's daughter Lillian,a beauty and ,into the bargain a talented singer .It is around the figure of Lillian that most of the action takes place.
During the course of the book she comes into contact with figures of Western myth and legend -including Wild Bill Hickok,Custer,and Cimarron Jordan.She spurns the advances of a smitten cavalry officer,is taken captive along with the rest of the troupe by horse thieves ,and becomes the unwitting cause of exacerbating a range war in Colorado
It is never less than lively and the central role being female gives it an edge over most Westerns-although in "Mattie Silks" Braun did create a memorable woman protagonist earlier in his career.

The book struck me as akin to a TV sitcom "clip show"in that figures of earlier books re-appear and it did cross my mind that ,shrewd old pro that he is Braun was keen to use up old material
Lively and enjoyable