The Trail to Seven Pines: A Novel

I have been a fan of Louis L’Amour’s westerns for quite a while. I have also been a fan of Hopalong Cassidy when it was on television with William Boyd. The original Hopalong Cassidy novels were written by Clarence Mulford. When Milford no longer desired to write any more, he chose Louis L’Amour for the project. Louis L’Amour wrote four Hopalong Cassidy novels. This is one of them.I just finished reading “The Trail to Seven Pines” and found it to be a first rate, action packed, page turning western tale. This story begins with Hoppy riding in a rain storm to the lawless town of Seven Pines, when he hears gun shots. He discovers two men had been shot but one of them was still alive. The man was in bad shape, but alive and talking. He needed a doctor and Hoppy did his best to temporarily patch up the man.He gave the man a gun in case the killers showed up again, and he headed toward town to get a doctor. On the way he runs into two men in a wagon and they head back to the wounded man. When they arrive the gun is being held at the temple area as if to make it look like the man committed suicide. The two men jump to that conclusion, but Hoppy is not buying it. This is the beginning of this wonderfully written western novel.If you are into Hopalong Cassidy and Louis L’Amour’s books, you will love this book.Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Use of the Monadnock (MEB) Straight Baton).

I've been a fan L'Amour as since I could read. The men I grew up with were great examples of what men should be. Workers, fathers, readers, doers. You can learn anything you want to, go any place through books. My Dad, and Uncles were the equals of and of 'A ours characters. Shucs As a kid I though we might be related to the Sacket bunch.This is a very early novel written under some duress from his publisher. Its a little stilted due to that I think, that said its still chock full of the great descriptions of geography of the old west and the people who meet it great. I thoroughly enjoyed this western/detective story. You don't always know who the bad guys vs the good guys are, but you know good will prevail! Enjoy!

Hopalong rides into a firestorm of violence and betrayal. On the rain-drenched trail to the lawless town of Seven Pines, Hopalong discovers two men -- one dead, the other badly wounded. Returning with medical help, Hopalong finds the wounded man has been shot through the temple. Who would commit such a murder? To find out, Hopalong hires on at Bob Ronson's Rocking R Ranch. There he learns that more than a thousand cattle have been run off by men keeping one scheming eye on the ranch and the other on the monthly stagecoach shipments of gold. Hopalong is determined to stop those responsible. But even the best gunfighter needs men he can trust to watch his back, men willing to risk their lives to do what's right. With their help, Hopalong fights to save the Rocking R, only to find himself the target of a ruthless gunman in a life-and-death struggle for frontier justice.

Thoroughly enjoyed this Hopalong Cassidy novel, the first of L'Amour's I've read.However, in the afterward, Beau L'Amour goes on a mild rant against logging and how we should petition lawmakers to restrict logging and force loggers to replant trees.Perhaps his outdated view shows he's not kept up with the times. Today's logging industry is highly sustainable, with responsible logging companies replanting trees soon after logging. It only makes sense.

Not his best book, but okay. Different for him as an author but still great writing style.

Was given a copy of "The Troubleshooter" , another Hopalong Cassidy novel and was surprised the character was more "western" than the William Boyd films. Well written of course by L'Amour but added is the interesting account by his son of how the four "Hopalong" novels came to be written under the pen name of Tex Burns. Upon enjoying this novel I hoped to find the other three, and did so at Amazon and read them with equal enjoyment. If you want a sample collection of Lois L'Amour these books are a good place to start.

Book arrived on time and in great condition

Love Louis Glamour. Really liked the Hopalong character. Story made for a great western.

Good read

Good old fashioned western

The items were exactly as described and were a gift for a Louis L'Amour fan so were very well received.

good

Brilliant