Paul Evan Lehman (1895-1961) wrote more than 50 westerns, two of which were made into the movies The Idaho Kid and Gunsmoke (not to be confused with the unrelated TV series of the same name).
Bill Serviss is a ruthless, gun-fast ranger…his Colt .45 blazing hot justice against the toughest outlaws in the west.
The most feared man in town was Cleve Morley, proprietor of the Silver Saddle Saloon. He ran the ranchers and he ran the prostitutes. But he couldn’t run Bill Serviss, the lustiest, hardest driving ranger in the territory. Now their conflict is about to erupt in a bloody battle that only one of them can survive.
The corrupt town of Calder, known as The Devil’s Doorstep, is brutally run by Mayor Monk Malone as his personal domain and as a haven for gamblers, swindlers, rustlers and outlaws…to the horror and dismay of the local newspaper and the town Reverend, who are virtually powerless to stop him. But then a stranger named Borden rides into town, playing all the factions against one another. It’s not clear whose side he’s on…or if he’s only looking out for his own, mysterious interests. All anybody knows is that he’s the fastest gun in the territory and is not afraid to use it.
Ex-Marshal Joe Raiford wants to settle down to a quiet life…and is scouting for the right spot for his ranch…when a wounded man, running from two gunmen, staggers into his camp and embroils him in a conspiracy involving cattle rustlers, a crooked lawyer, blood-thirsty killers, and a string of murders that could spark a range war.
