"The Shopkeeper - A Steve Dancy Tale" ( 1st in Series) by James D. Best! Autographed!
Item Number: 286
Time Left: CLOSED
Description
James D. Best will personally autograph to you!
About "The Shopkeeper":
"In 1879, Steve Dancy sells his New York shop and ventures west to explore and write a journal about his adventures. Though he's not looking for trouble, Dancy's infatuation with another man's wife soon embroils him in a deadly feud with Sean Washburn, a Nevada silver baron.
Infuriated by the outrages of two hired thugs, the shopkeeper kills both men in an impulsive street fight. Dancy believes this barbarian act has closed the episode. He is wrong. He has interfered with Washburn's ambitions, and this is something the mining tycoon will not allow.
Pinkertons, hired assassins, and aggrieved bystanders escalate the feud until it pulls in all the moneyed interests and power brokers in Nevada. Can the former city slicker settle accounts without losing his life in the process?"
James D. Best: His blog address and contact information can be found at http://jamesdbest.blogspot.com/
"James Best is the author of the bestselling Steve Dancy Tales: The Shopkeeper, Leadville, Murder at Thumb Butte, The Return, and Jenny's Revenge. His other novels include Tempest at Dawn and The Shut Mouth Society. Principled Action and The Digital Organization are his nonfiction books. James has ghost written three books, authored two regular magazine columns, and published numerous journal articles.
As a conference speaker, he has made presentations throughout North America and Europe. He is a member of Western Writers of America, Western Literature Association, and the Pacific Beach Surf Club. James enjoys writing, film, surfing, skiing, and watching his grandchildren play sports and cavort.
His blog address and contact information can be found at http://jamesdbest.blogspot.com/
James and his wife Diane live in Omaha, San Diego, and New York City. (Close to all the things he loves except skiing. Invitations to mountain cabins gladly accepted.)"
Special Instructions
REVIEWS!
Growing up in the 60's television shows like Bonanza and the Big Valley were popular but never ...,
July 28, 2016
"I never thought of myself as a fan of westerns. Growing up in the 60's television shows like Bonanza and the Big Valley were popular but never really interested me, so naturally, westerns are not my first choice of reading material either. I received The Shopkeeper as a free book so I thought what do I have to lose? Right from the beginning I was hooked. The character development was consistent through the entire book. The reader really gets to know what motivates each person and how they live their lives. I like how the main character Steve Dancy is portrayed as a person with brains and wherewithal as well as “street smarts” when necessary and pressed into action. He has a compassion for doing the right thing for the right reasons and doesn’t back down in the face of adversity. I thoroughly enjoyed The Shopkeeper and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well written story with action, suspense a few twists and turns. It is s a story set in the Wild West but doesn’t read like a typical western. I read the preview for Leadville (the second in the Steve Dancy series) at the end of the book and will definitely buy it. If it turns out to be as engaging as The Shopkeeper I know I won’t be disappointed. I look forward to reading the entire Steve Dancy series. Kudos to James D. Best!"
Mr. Best shatters the mold for western novels.,
February 9, 2016
"This book came up on a subscribers' list I'm on, and am I glad it did. I have now purchased the entire series and read all but the last book.
The story begins with a young, affluent Easterner from New York who was yearning to see the "real" West and gleam experiences worthy of publication. Rather than beginning the story in a typical locale such as Dodge City or Tombstone or Prescott, the author places young Steve Dancy and us, the reader, square in the middle of a little no-name mining town in Nevada where dust is more prevalent than water and any spare timber is used to support the mines rather than adding to the small town's buildings and structures.
As was typical during that era and locale, the golden rule was in effect--he who had the gold made the rules. In this instance, it was the largest mining operation in the western area of Nevada that owned the sheriff and mayor of the small town. The bad guy in The Shopkeeper had his own brand of intellect and sophistication, but found himself on equal footing with the newcomer from "back east."
This is a western unlike any I've ever read. The scenery and description of the towns, trails, people and the trails they travel is exquisite and historically accurate. The plot, however, could be applied to many "swindler" schemes we see today. While this may seem awkward or hard to fathom in a western, Mr. Best writes it in such a way that not only is it feasible, but by the time you've finished the story, it is entirely believable.
A thoroughly enjoyable read!"
This was a great beginning to a good series. Best's main character is not your typical western heroe, and like in each of his books his research into the historical locations is evident. He does history justice while at the same time, telling an unpredictable tale.
This was a great beginning to a good series. Best's main character is not your typical western heroe, and like in each of his books his research into the historical locations is evident. He does history justice while at the same time, telling an unpredictable tale.
This was a great beginning to a good series. Best's main character is not your typical western heroe, and like in each of his books his research into the historical locations is evident. He does history justice while at the same time, telling an unpredictable tale.
This was a great beginning to a good series. Best's main character is not your typical western heroe, and like in each of his books his research into the historical locations is evident. He does history justice while at the same time, telling an unpredictable tale.