Clifton Adams Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Clifton Adams

Clifton Adams was a master of genre-blending, injecting the cold, moral ambiguity of noir fiction into the dust-choked saloons of the American West. Because the vast majority of his 50+ novels are standalones, you have plenty of entry points. If you want a fast-paced, recurring character series, start with the Amos Flagg books. If you prefer a gritty, multi-book outlaw saga, pick up the Desperado duology. For readers who want to dive straight into his absolute best, award-winning writing, start with his late-career standalone Westerns, Tragg’s Choice or The Last Days of Wolf Garnett.

The Amos Flagg Series (Written as Clay Randall)

Writing under the pseudonym Clay Randall, Adams created Sheriff Amos Flagg, a tough-as-nails lawman keeping the peace in the Texas Panhandle. These books are highly episodic, blending classic mystery structures with traditional Western shootouts. While each book works as a standalone story, they are best read in order of publication to appreciate Flagg's developing status in the territory.

1. Lawman (1964) - Flagg is tasked with protecting a prisoner from an angry mob, establishing the series' signature moral ambiguity.
2. High Gun (1965) - Flagg hunts down an outlaw in a high-stakes pursuit.
3. Rides Out (1967) - Flagg tracks a killer across harsh territory.
4. Bushwhacked (1967) - Ambush and betrayal test Flagg's survival skills.
5. Has His Day (1969) - Also published under the title The Killing of Billy Jowett, Flagg faces a deadly showdown with a notorious outlaw.
6. Showdown (1969) - The dramatic conclusion to Flagg's serialized adventures.

The Desperado Duology

If you want to read Adams' earliest and most influential work, the Tall Cameron duology is the perfect place to start. Originally published as paperback originals by Gold Medal Books, these novels represent the birth of "country noir" and directly inspired legendary crime writers like Donald E. Westlake.

• The Desperado (1953) - Introduces Talbert "Tall" Cameron, a young man in Reconstruction-era Texas pushed into a life of crime by corrupt authorities and tragic circumstances.
• A Noose for the Desperado (1953) - The direct sequel. Cameron hides out in an outlaw-controlled border town and gets swept into a dangerous heist.

The Award-Winning Standalones

Adams won two Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America. These late-career standalones represent the peak of his craft, stripping away the romantic myths of the Old West to show the grueling reality of frontier life.

• Tragg’s Choice (1969) - A gritty, Spur Award-winning tale of vengeance and a reluctant hero's path to redemption.
• The Last Days of Wolf Garnett (1970) - A dark, psychological manhunt fueled by obsession that earned Adams his second Spur Award.
• The Dangerous Days of Kiowa Jones (1964) - A gripping story of a drifting cowman reluctantly deputized to transport two dangerous prisoners. This was famously adapted into a 1966 ABC television movie starring Robert Horton and Sal Mineo.

Hardboiled Crime and Country Noir (Written as Jonathan Gant and Clifton Adams)

Before authors like Craig Johnson popularized modern rural noir, Adams was blending crime fiction and country settings. He wrote several pure hardboiled crime novels, occasionally using the pseudonym Jonathan Gant.

• Whom Gods Destroy (1953) - A bleak crime novel centered on illicit bootlegging during Oklahoma's dry years, packed with betrayal and vengeance.
• Never Say No to a Killer (1956, as Jonathan Gant) - A relentless, fast-moving noir following Roy Surratt, an escaped convict who launches a ruthless blackmail scheme.
• The Long Vendetta (1963, as Jonathan Gant) - A post-war suspense thriller about a WWII veteran targeted by a vengeful enemy.

Complete Standalone Publication List

To help you track down Clifton Adams' elusive paperback originals and modern Stark House Press reprints, here is the chronological publication list of his standalone novels (including his works as Clay Randall):

• The Colonel's Lady (1952)
• Six-Gun Boss (1952, as Clay Randall)
• Whom Gods Destroy (1953)
• Two-Gun Law (1954)
• Gambling Man (1955)
• Death's Sweet Song (1955)
• Law of the Trigger (1956)
• Boomer (1957, as Clay Randall)
• Outlaw's Son (1957)
• When Oil Ran Red (1957, as Clay Randall)
• Killer in Town (1959)
• Stranger in Town (1962)
• The Legend of Lonnie Hall (1963)
• The Moonlight War (1963)
• The Oceola Kid (1963, as Clay Randall)
• Reckless Men (1963)
• Doomsday Creek (1964)
• Hogan's Way (1964)
• Hardcase For Hire (1964, as Clay Randall)
• Hottest Fourth of July in the History of Hangtree County (1965)
• The Grabhorn Bounty (1966)
• Shorty (1966)
• A Partnership With Death (1967)
• Dude Sheriff (1970)
• The Badge and Harry Cole (1971)
• Biscuit-Shooter (1971)
• Hassle and the Medicine Man (1972)
• Outlaw Destiny (1972)
• Rogue Cowboy (1972)
• The Most Dangerous Profession (1973)
• The Hard Time Bunch (1973)
• Lawman's Badge (1973)
• Hard Times For Arnie Smith (1974)
• Concannon (1974)
• Once An Outlaw (1981)
• Day Of The Gun (1984)