Axle Bust Creek is a new mining town in Nevada. Towns such as this don't usually have law enforcement until the lawlessness gets out of hand.

Cleve Trewe is a former Union officer who feels it's his family duty to help his uncle (who was almost killed defending his gold mine from claim jumpers). Although Cleve's got the legitimate paperwork to prove his rightful ownership of the mine, he finds that the crooks have done a good jump of casting doubts on their documents and claim.

Most people in town know that there is need for law, and Cleve puts his name forward and is selected to be the town sheriff. He takes the job seriously (not just as a position to take back the mine) and defends a prisoner from hanging by a lynch mob (having some PTSD from when he saw a war deserter hung).

Complications arise in his pursuit of the rightful mine ownership when Cleve starts to fall for the sister of the leader behind the claim jumping. Cleve is confident that she's innocent in the affair and has no knowledge of what her brother is doing.

Like many readers, I'm most familiar with author john Shirley through his sci-fi and horror work and I really did expect to find some cross-over, but Shirley shows his versatility here with a straight-up Western which draws on a few familiar tropes (ie: Civil War vet; chosen to be the law in a lawless town; falling for the sister of the 'villain'; standing up to a mob to protect a prisoner; etc).

The book is the first in a series, named for our hero, Cleve Trewe so it should go without saying that the reader's 'liking' of Trewe is important. Fortunately Shirley portrays Trewe as a lawful, good man without being a pushover. If I have one complaint, however, it's that our hero doesn't seem to have to work too hard at any time in the book - any challenge or obstacle is met and dealt with pretty easily.

I recognize that the market for Western fiction isn't particularly large, but for those of us who do enjoy a Western now and then, it's really nice to have a publisher putting out some new works

Looking for a good book? Axle Bust Creek by John Shirley is the first book in a new Western series that promises to follow a morally upright, new-on-the-job sheriff in a mining town out West.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

My first read, from the author John Shirley, 'Axle Bust Creek" is an entertaining story, a little long in the tooth at spots telling the story, has several likable characters and the first of a new series.

I was surprised that I would enjoy this one. Since the setting is a gold mining town, in Axle Bust, Nevada, it's rough, clever con-men, a greedy mine owner and definitely will keep reading author John Shirley. Noticed he writes in different genres, will check them out and give them a try if it looks interesting.

I don't want too give anything away. Since if your a Western reader, you'll want to read this one and will just mention a few things regarding the characters.

Cleve Trewe, came to Axle Bust due to an attack on his Uncle, he's a Civil War Veteran, was a Major in the Union Army, tough. smart and one not to under estimate.

Duncan Conroy runs a mine for his father, he's shady, crooked but it adds a unique element to how different his sister Berenice a widow, she's a freethinker does scientific things for the education benefits, it helps her the family interests and mixes some romance when she catches Cleve’s eye.

Just a note for other reads, I tried to read 'Axle Bust Creek', as if I was the fictional character Cleve Trewe and it made reading it, that must better. Done want to give too much away, but this one is my favorite Western read for 2022 and a worthy contender for the prestiges Spur Award.

Thanks to netgalley and Kensington fr the advance ARC copy and I also purchased a ebook copy to support the author John Shirley and will add him to my favorite author list.

Former Union soldier Cleveland Trewe has drifted around since the war. Now he finds himself in Axle Bust Nevada looking for the man who stole his Uncle's gold mine. Here he will settle for awhile become Deputy Sheriff, catch bad guys, and find love. Good book.

Gunslingers, lawmen, suspense, action and a bit of romance abound in this fast paced page turner. Cleve and Berniece were great characters and made this story.

Axle Bust Creek by John Shirley is a really good western.
I was familiar with John Shirley from some of his horror work and from his movie and television work, and was curious to see how he handled a western. Very well it turns out. There are nods to certain western tropes but over all it is more a story about people set in the wild west.
Cleveland Trewe is an interesting protagonist who has a lot of those western hero characteristics but they play off well with the supporting cast, in particular Leon and Berry, who keep the story fairly well grounded.
This is the first in a new series so it will be interesting to see how it progresses especially after the ending.
Thanks to #NetGalley, #KensingtonBooks, and John Shirley for the ARC of #AxleBustCreek.

Really enjoyed this book by John Shirley. Have read Shirley before, but only in the horror genre. It is good to now know that he can write great stories in different genres. I became really involved in the characters and the plot (pacing). Can't wait for the next in this series. #AxleBustCreek #NetGalley

John Shirley's Axle Bust Creek (Pinnacle Books 2022), Book 1 in the Cleve Trewe Westerns, takes place in Axle Bust Creek, a Nevada mining town with few amenities beyond bars, stables, and itinerant miners. There is no legitimate law though the locals and the miners set up vigilante justice courts to maintain some semblance of justice. It is here that former Union officer Cleve Trewe's uncle was almost killed trying to defend his gold mine from claim jumpers. Cleve decides it is his familial duty to get the mine back for his Uncle. Cleve has the legal documents showing him as owner but the swindlers have done a good job of making his documents look questionable enough to muddy his claim. To complicate matters, the claim jumper is a weak man with a beautiful and brilliant sister who seems to know little about the illegalities of her brother. Cleve is falling for her and doesn’t want their fragile relationship to be destroyed.

Claim jumpers, lawless towns, bad guys taking advantage of good guys, boy falls for beautiful girl--lots of common plot lines. What makes this excellent--5/5--is the pacing, the Old West atmosphere, and the well-built characters readers can't fail to like. A good read. I'll definitely read the next in the series.

John Shirley in "Axle Bust Creek" has struck a blow for women. There are a number of well defined female characters in the novel sometimes being at odds with their male colleagues in this rough mining town. They are behaving like modern women rather than what might be expected in a wild town in the west in the period; indeed any town in the country.

This made for delightful reading as there are several romances taking place not as he-man and little woman but as equals. This made for delightful stories as each romance develops. Made this novel different that other western novels but not in a bad way.

There is a great storyline focused on the new deputy, Cleve Trewe and his former exploits as a Major in the Northern Army during the Civil War. His basic humanity came out in the war and continues to follow him in the rough and tumble mining town,

He met his match with a young woman, Berenice Tucker, who seems content with her her dignity and matches him in many ways. They will make a formidable pair.

A good read and highly recommended.

Major Cleveland True is on his way to axle bust creek when he sees to swindlers trying to sell a salted mine to an X soldier he knew in the Civil War. After proving his point and saving his new buddy Leon $1000 in the little gun play they finally make it to axle bust. Here Cleave will make new friends confront old enemies and find a new reason to smile. This is a great western and I can’t wait to read the second book in the series. As far as westerns go I would put this in my top three definitely. Cleveland is the meaning of morals and integrity and like a real man he defends those weaker and more vulnerable and I think Barry was the perfect woman for him. They have so many great characters in this book and I hope to see them in future books. I was given this book by Nick Galli and I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any errors as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own. #NETGALLY,, #Western, #John Shirley