The Longarm Series in Order

About the Longarm series

Series Premise

Custis Long is a Deputy U.S. Marshal operating out of the Denver federal courthouse under Marshal Billy Vail. When federal crimes occur—bank robberies, train heists, mail theft, counterfeiting, land fraud, Indian Territory violations, or murders crossing state lines—Longarm is dispatched to track down the perpetrators, recover stolen goods, and bring them back for trial (dead or alive). He is a classic lone wolf lawman: he rides alone, trusts his gun and instincts over bureaucracy, and operates with wide discretion in territories where formal law is thin. The typical plot formula is reliable and repetitive (a strength of the series): - Longarm receives an assignment from Billy Vail (often with a wanted poster or urgent telegram). - He travels by train, stagecoach, or horseback to a frontier town, mining camp, cattle drive, or Indian reservation. - He investigates by talking to witnesses, saloon girls, ranchers, and outlaws—often bedding attractive women who provide information (or complications). - He uncovers a larger conspiracy (corrupt sheriff, greedy landowner, outlaw gang, or double-crossing partner). - He faces ambushes, shootouts, fistfights, and chases. - The story ends with a climactic gunfight or showdown where Longarm’s superior speed and accuracy prevail, justice is served, and he rides off to the next case. Romantic and sexual encounters are frequent and explicit—Longarm is a legendary lover as well as a legendary gunman—and the books include graphic sex scenes that were a hallmark of the adult Western subgenre. The premise celebrates the classic Western archetype of the solitary lawman who brings order to chaos through skill, courage, and a willingness to bend (or break) the rules when necessary.

Main Characters

Custis Long (“Longarm”): The protagonist—a tall, lean, dark-haired U.S. Deputy Marshal in his 30s–40s with a legendary reputation as the fastest gun alive. He is a master gunsmith who can repair, customize, or build any firearm, and his skill with a Colt is unmatched. Clint is honorable, loyal to friends, protective of women and children, and deeply distrustful of authority. He avoids long-term commitments but forms deep (if temporary) romantic connections. He is not invincible—he gets shot, beaten, and exhausted—but he always survives through skill, cunning, and sheer will.
- Billy Vail: Longarm’s boss—U.S. Marshal in Denver. Gruff, fair, and a father figure who gives Longarm his assignments.
- Supporting/recurring:
- Rick Hartman: Bartender and friend in Labarge, Wyoming—often provides information and a place to rest.
- Various women: Longarm’s romantic partners change with each book—saloon girls, ranchers’ daughters, widows, schoolteachers—each relationship is passionate but temporary.
- Villains: Corrupt sheriffs, ruthless land barons, outlaw gangs, hired killers, and jealous rivals who underestimate Longarm at their peril.

Setting

The setting is the post-Civil War American West (roughly 1870s–1890s), primarily the frontier territories and small towns of the Southwest, Plains, and Rocky Mountain states. Longarm is based in Denver, Colorado (the Denver federal courthouse is his home base), but he travels constantly—Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, Montana, Kansas, Nebraska, California, and occasionally Mexico or Canada.

Typical locations include:
- Dusty cattle towns, mining camps, and boomtowns with saloons, whorehouses, general stores, and sheriff’s offices.
- Remote ranches and homesteads under threat.
- Stagecoach trails, cattle drives, railroad lines, and frontier forts.
- Occasionally larger cities like San Francisco, Denver, or Tombstone for variety.

The landscape is rugged and unforgiving: vast open ranges, desert badlands, mountain passes, river crossings, and isolated way stations. The era is the classic Wild West—lawmen are scarce, outlaws are bold, and disputes are settled with guns. The setting feels authentic and lived-in, with period details (six-shooters, Winchester rifles, horses, telegraph lines, early railroads) grounding the action in a believable frontier world.

Tone & Themes

The tone is gritty, straightforward, and unapologetically adult—pulp Western with a strong emphasis on action, sex, and moral clarity. The writing is fast-paced, direct, and functional: short sentences, quick scene changes, and plenty of gunplay and bedroom action keep the momentum high. Violence is frequent and graphic—shootings, stabbings, beatings, and hangings are described in detail—but it is never glorified; Longarm kills only when necessary and often reflects on the cost. Sexual encounters are explicit, frequent, and enthusiastic (usually with willing partners), fitting the adult Western subgenre of the 1980s–2000s. Humor is dry and situational—Longarm’s sarcasm, barroom banter, and the occasional bumbling villain or overly eager woman provide light relief. The series is morally straightforward: good men (and women) protect the innocent, bad men die, and justice is delivered with hot lead. It is pure escapist entertainment—thrilling, satisfying, and unpretentious—designed to deliver a quick, visceral Western fix with a harder, more adult edge than traditional family Westerns.

The Longarm series by Tabor Evans (primarily Robert J. Randisi and a legion of ghostwriters) is a monumental achievement in the adult Western genre—delivering over 400+ fast-paced, action-packed novels that follow the legendary exploits of Custis Long, the fastest gun and finest deputy marshal in the post-Civil War West. Across decades of frontier justice, the books celebrate the classic archetype of the lone, honorable lawman who rides into town, rights wrongs, protects the innocent, and leaves bodies in his wake—all while enjoying the spoils of victory (whiskey, willing women, and the satisfaction of a job well done). With gritty shootouts, explicit romance, dry humor, and a clear moral line, the saga offers pure, unapologetic escapism—thrilling, satisfying, and unpretentious—designed to deliver a quick, visceral Western fix. As Longarm continues riding from one dusty town to the next, enforcing federal law one blazing showdown at a time, the series remains a timeless, addictive tribute to the Wild West’s enduring myth: a man, a badge, a Colt, and the courage to stand against evil wherever it hides.