western about a woman who runs a ranch

I read the book before the 1990's but I think it was much older. I can't remember much about it and what I remember may be wrong, but here goes:

A woman owns or runs a western ranch.

She hires older? ranch hands to work for her, some of them having been gunfighters in their younger days.

She has some kind of trouble with a man, possibly another rancher. He hires a gunman or gunmen to fight her ranch hands.

Near the end of the book, there was a shootout that took place on her ranch. One of the woman's ranch hands that had been a gunfighter fought in her defense and defeated the other gunmen but died himself (bummer).

Most likely, there was a love interest with a man who worked on the ranch for her.

I was reading a lot of Zane Grey, Louis Lamour, Max Brand and a few others at that time, so the book may have been written quite some time ago.

Please help!

Riders of Purple Sage by Zane Grey has a woman ranch threatened by others and hands and or outlaws who fight for her ranch, but it also has a strong theme of religious persecution -- Mormon elders are trying to force her to marry that you would probably remember.

Thanks quartzite, for the suggestion, but it is not Riders of the Purple Sage. Unlike the woman in Riders of the Purple Sage, she doesn't leave her ranch. The book that I am looking for does have a similar story line, though. That's why I have been wondering if it was a Zane Grey or an author who wrote in somewhat the same style.

I'm pretty sure there's a Louis l'Amour that has a woman holding a ranch. I've forgotten the details, but I'm pretty sure it was a Sackett book. I'll ask my dad, he might know...

Edit: I just looked through descriptions of Sackett books, and it seems I was thinking of Ride the dark trail.

I recall L'Amour did several short stories about a cowboy named "McQueen" in which the ranch is run by his female boss.

Does the "Tumbling K" ring a bell?

Sorry, zjakkelien, but the book isn't Ride the Dark Trail (which I have).

And sorry Fuzzi, I don't believe it is the short stories with McQueen. I've got Dutchman's Flat, a short story collection that has a couple of the Tumbling K stories in it. The stories in it aren't the same as the one I remember.

I'm fairly certain the book was a novel, not a collection of short stories.

Well, it was worth a try. I'll think some more on it (I have most of the L'Amour novels on hand).

It reminds me of the western "Johnny Guitar" ... but there she was a saloon-owner, I believe.

The Light of Western Stars and its sequel, Majesty's Rancho, by Zane Grey, feature a female rancher and gunfights. Several of Louis L'Amours stories also featured women ranchers, e.g. Flint - which had an aging gunfighter who was uncle of the heroine.

Thanks Eireannach for the reply. It isn't Flint. My daughter is a Louis L'Amour fan, so I got the book from her today and started reading it. It's good so far, but not the one I'm looking for.

The Light of Western Stars seems more like what I remember. I'll look at both of the Zane Grey books to see if one of them is it. Thanks for the suggestions.

I just finished The Light of Western Stars. It is the book! Thanks so much eireannach!

I had forgotten much of the book. I especially liked the part about the golf game and I also loved the lion story the Duke related; it was funny.

I'll have to read Majesty's Rancho next.

Glad to be of help! Zane Grey wrote some great ones.