Howdy, Pardners!

Not so long ago, Americans used to get their entertainment from serials that ran in pulp magazines like Black Mask and Ace Western, as well as slick magazines like The Saturday Evening Post and Collier's. I hope to revive that fun with Wild West Detective. 

NOW PLAYING: 
The Lightning Kid
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Contact: jamesclay20@gmail.com 

The novels of James Clay have been published by Avalon. 

Copyright 2004

Copyright 2006

Copyright 2010

Reviews: 

Dusty Barnett

"This is a very clever novel, a traditional Agatha Christie-style mystery restaged as a western. Clay expertly blends the two (seemingly very different) genres, producing a hybrid that is both a satisfying oater and a suspenseful whodunit... Clay is clearly having a lot of fun spinning his yarn, and it's difficult to imagine anyone who won't have just as much fun reading it."

                                                                David Pitt, Booklist

"This clever mystery winds a tale of small town sheriff Dusty Barnett and the residents of Dawson, Arizona, with the story of a theatrical group passing through. When one of the town residents is murdered by a killer dressed up in the costume of the Phantom Killer, the villain of a play being staged by the theatrical troupe, unraveling the clues leads to suspects and hidden secrets."

“…The twists and turns will keep you guessing till the very end of the tale about the villain and the motive in this story.”

                                                              Penny Walters, Roundup

Matheson’s Legacy

“…this western has its share of twists and turns, holding to the code of the West. It’s an easy, enjoyable read that restores your faith in good, god-fearing people.”

                                                        Dannie Haemig, Good News, etc.

Boyd Matheson

“This is officially an Avalon Western from Avalon Publishers, but it’s also a throwback to the days when I would pick up a book just because it was FUN. This is a fun book. It has all of the requisite gunfights, fistfights, romance and good triumphing over evil.”

                                                         Paul McShane, Good News, etc.