Savage (1922–1958) died young, but he left behind a trove of western fiction (Shadow River, Long Gun
). The two novellas here showcase his fluency with formula westerns—good guys, bad guys, the pretty girl and lots of gun smoke. In “Trouble in Texas,” Bob Knightland, a cowboy working for a large, unscrupulous cattle syndicate, questions the syndicate boss, Victor Cordon, about a murder and is quickly framed for another killing. Bob seems trapped, but guilt and revenge are powerful motivators, resulting in a bloody showdown. “Land of the Lawless” is a clever mystery featuring frontier lawyer Lee Banner and his defense of a Navajo Indian accused of murdering a white man. Accepting this racially charged case makes Lee a pariah, but he can't believe his old friend is guilty of murder. Complicating the defense, however, is a ruthless cattle baron with big plans, a gang of killers, the two women Lee loves and the possibility that there may be an eyewitness reluctant to come forward. Reading these is like opening a time capsule of pulpy 1950s westerns. (Jan.)
