Death Waits at Sundown: A Wild West Showdown Between the Good, the Bad, and the Deadly

By L. Ron Hubbard

Lynn Taylor and his kid brother Frank may not be angels, but they’re not devils, either.  They’re just a couple of men—two-fisted Texans who have landed on the wrong side of a corrupt lawman.  And like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, they’re up to their necks in trouble.

Young Frank’s been framed for robbery, rustling and murder, and if Lynn doesn’t think fast, his brother’s going to end up the guest of dishonor at a hanging party.  Lynn cooks up a daring plan to clear his brother’s name and rope in the real outlaw.

But it means Lynn will have to turn outlaw himself, and if he’s caught, it’ll be his neck on the line—and in the noose.

Hailing from the western states of Nebraska, Oklahoma and Montana, Hubbard grew up surrounded by grizzled frontiersmen and leather-tough cowboys. When he chose to write stories of the Old West, Hubbard didn’t have to go far to do his research, drawing on his own memories of a youth steeped in the life and legends of the American frontier.

Also includes the Western adventures, Ride ’Em Cowboy, the story of a man and woman’s rodeo rivalry that leads to romance, and Boss of the Lazy B, in which a lady gets swindled—and the swindler ultimately gets justice.

“Rough and tumble action with a twist, and all are a great read.” —True West magazine

* International Book Awards Finalist for best Western fiction 2012

• Language: English
• Publisher: Galaxy Press
• Release date: Mar 21, 2012
• ISBN: 9781592125517

L. Ron Hubbard

With 19 New York Times bestsellers and more than 350 million copies of his works in circulation, L. Ron Hubbard is among the most enduring and widely read authors of our time. As a leading light of American Pulp Fiction through the 1930s and '40s, he is further among the most influential authors of the modern age. Indeed, from Ray Bradbury to Stephen King, there is scarcely a master of imaginative tales who has not paid tribute to L. Ron Hubbard. Then too, of course, there is all L. Ron Hubbard represents as the Founder of Dianetics and Scientology and thus the only major religion born in the 20th century.

Reviews for Death Waits at Sundown

[tpmcnulty · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Although L. Ron Hubbard is best remembered as a writer of classic science fiction pulp stories he was equally adept in other genres such as Westerns. In fact, 15 of the 80 volume "Stories from the Golden Age" series will be Westerns. That's a key point for any scholar or fan of pulp fiction that are following this landmark series. The latest release, Death Waits at Sundown, is a great example of the high quality in Hubbard's fiction.As expected, Hubbard's writing is a treat. He paints his scenes with strong images that put the reader right into the action. Death Waits at Sundown takes place in that mythical west of pulp fiction where "The wind was soughing lonesomely through the scrub pines and far off an owl added his mournful dirge to the spooky scene." Lynn Taylor is intent on clearing his brother's name but that won't be easy considering his brother is accused of robbery, cattle rustling and murder. The action heats up fairly quickly, and not everything is as it seems in this little gem from 1938. And readers expecting a traditional Western might be surprised by a few things by the time they finish reading this story. There won't be any spoilers in this review, but just read Death Waits at Sundown for another example of L. Ron Hubbard's mastery of genre writing.Included are two bonus stories. The first, Ride `Em Cowboy!, is a romance about two rodeo riders at odds with each other. This tales falls into the category of western romance and it's really a fine story. In fact, Ride `Em Cowboy! Is my favorite of these three stories, although the other two stories are equally entertaining.The last story, Boss of the Lazy B, is far more traditional than the other two but still features that vaunted surprise ending that L. Ron Hubbard was so good at. Susan Price, a headstrong young cowgirl whose father was a lawyer, takes it upon herself to defend Spick Murphy. Little does she know that Big Bill Bailey has other plans, but will Susan find herself on the right side of the law? Boss of the Lazy B is a strong story with a highly satisfying ending that will please readers of classic pulp fiction.The three tales found in Death Waits at Sundown reaffirm Hubbard's place as a writer of popular western fiction. Hubbard follows a dictum of pulp writers by opening his story with a concise statement that propels the readers immediately into the action. The idea, of course, was to keep them turning the pages because a writer was finished if he couldn't keep his readers interested in the action. Hubbard demonstrates this technique beautifully with the opening line from Death Waits at Sundown: "Sometime before dawn the posse had surrounded the shack and now with the horizon streaking with gray they lay on their stomachs in the tall grass, chilled by the desert wind but hot for battle."All of L. Ron Hubbard's pulp fiction offers such accelerated action, coupled with memorable characters and brisk dialogue. These stories are a real treat for western fans.