AMERICAN MEDIVAL
by W. Hock Hochheim
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“When you put on that badge, remember this. Every country has its medieval times. Murders, rapes, robberies, crime, war, slavery and horrors. When you put on that badge, you take all this on. These are America’s medieval times…” – Police Chief Gustav Henri, Paris Texas, 1888
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A young, Johann Gunther, fresh out of the US Army, stared at the badge on the Chief’s desk, pondering this warning and still pinned on the badge. He joined a small police force in northeast Texas in one of the rowdiest and dangerous regions and times in the Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas borders. Gunther learns both the diplomatic and deadly ways of a lawman from an odd, six-foot, nine inch, teenage deputy named Stinky Moses. And he learns the ways of a detective from the former Paris, France detective and former Devil’s Island warden who retired to Texas, the colorful and robust, Gustav Henri.
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The next 6 years are chronicled in this book! He fights all those “medieval” outlaws, in several wild west adventures, chases the Dalton Gang in a daring ambush, meets Bill Tilgman and Bass Reeves, and even solves a series of serial murders involving the KKK and a mysterious doctor from England. To escape the revenge of these remaining, at-large killers, two governors send him to West Point and back into the Army.
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Time passes and his adventures are covered in other Wolfpack Published books. Gunther emerges as an officer with battles in Cuba, the Philippines, India, Afghanistan and China, then back to Texas to open his Remedies Detective Agency (get these other Gunther titles)!
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And we return to this book 19 years later! Now it’s 1916, the gaunt, giant Stinky Moses, now a Federal Marshal in West Texas, shows up at Gunther’s, Remedies office in Fort Worth. He needs desperate help. Their old, now retired police Chief Gustav Henri is in fatal trouble back in Paris, Texas. A gang of eight, French-Indo-China killers are in route to murder Henri in a blood feud, revenge vendetta from the Chief’s former days in France and Devil’s Island. The new law regime in Paris, Texas is corrupt, uncooperative and incorrigible. Can Gunther, Stinky and Henri stop these vicious, foreign gangsters that are willing to die for their Triad, criminal family honor?
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“Though this is the fourth in the Gunther series, it is very much a Gunther origin story, as the whole center piece of the book Gunther reminisces about his trials and tribulations as a Texas lawman in the wild 1880s and 1890s, then we jump to the exciting conclusion, solutions and showdowns in 1916 back in Paris, Texas, and blazing gunfights in a city torched on fire. I think the characters are great and there is nobody like the autistic Stinky Moses and the former French police detective, Chief Gustav Henri. They could have their own series! This is a sweeping, action epic from 1888 to 1916 and just the kind of book (and movie) I want to read and see. I hope you do too.” – Hock
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This is the 4th in the Johann Gunther western adventure series…
* My Gun is my Passport
* Last of the Gunmen
* Rio Grande Black Magic
* American Medieval
* The China Alamo.
* And Coming in 2023 – The Horse Killers. Gunther is hired to solve why thousands of horses in Texas, bound for WWI front, are mysteriously dying?
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Some American Medieval Reviews…
LARRY D. BRASHEAR reports in – “5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Book. A remarkably interesting and well written and edited book. Exciting from start to finish and maybe the best book I have read in some time.”
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Dakota 7 reports in – “This a very good and well written book. There is a lot of action over a extended period of time. The characters are well developed and have a personality. The author shows a lot of color in the area’s the book covers. The main character makes all the other characters fit and move with the story line. Fun read.”
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Virginia reports in – “This is a great book and enjoyable read.”
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DD Gott – Donadees Corner check in – “What will you like? Exciting action, tons of gunplay, interesting characters, amazing friendships, courage, a little stupidity, and throw in some humor to make it more fascinating. These characters are sensational, using white-knuckle actions to round up the bad guys. The storyline is well thought out and beautifully executed into a smooth and exhilarating plot, that will keep you interested and quickly turning the pages. But take your time and enjoy it as Hock gives us an adrenaline-charged read that you will remember for a long time. Do not miss adding this one to your Western Library today.”
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Thomas Beyer, Germany check in – “Whoever wants to know “the birth“ of Johann Gunther has to read this book. I would like to read more adventures from the young Gunther, maybe his adventures in West Point!?”
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Chad Edward of Maryland reports in – “The fourth book in the series, American Medieval gives us some insight into Gunther’s backstory. As always, Hock spins a fun read weaving historical event and places, the flavor of the times, and pieces of his own background into a solid tapestry. Touch points in the latest volume range from the French Dreyfus Affair to Devils Island to Holmes allusions… No spoilers; just read it! Oh, and there’s a lawman named Stinky Moses!”
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Wood Shihan of MA. checks in -“Yes, it was a great book. Interesting characters and great action.”
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“American Medieval! This book was truly a pleasant surprise that I couldn’t put down. It had all sorts of little details that come from Hock’s long military and law enforcement career. Truly a great read; I now look forward to reading more of his books in the future., Mahalo Nui Loa Iā ‘Oe!” – S Kai Li, Hawaii
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