From Publishers Weekly
This nicely executed western takes the form of annotated diaries by legendary gunfighter Clay Halser, first met as a minor hero in the Civil War. The taste of excitement sours upon Halser's return to his bucolic home town, and he is forced to leave in haste after an argument over cards leads to a shooting. In the charming, picaresque tale that follows, Halser plays virtually every archetypal role the Old West has to offer: barman in a cow-town; shotgun-rider on an often-robbed stagecoach; hostler under a sadistic Prussian overseer; unwilling but effective--and ruthless--desperado; no-nonsense, much-beleaguered lawman; and, finally, burnt-out gambler. As Halser moves from one familiar Western town to another, and from one corpse to many, his legend grows. Dime-novels and newspaper articles are written about him, children idolize him, young men challenge him and he begins to rely on his legend to define his identity. Carefully structured set pieces clearly trace Halser's emotional evolution, as he slowly degenerates into a paranoid mess, short-tempered and murderous. The author, who wrote a number of original Twilight Zone episodes, gives his story a credibility and honesty unusual in the genre.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Bored with farm life, young Civil War veteran Clay Halser goes West in 1866 to find adventure and excitement. In his detailed and soul-searching journal (with profanity chastely blanked out), he describes his progress through the Southwest, from common laborer to deadly gunman with a charmed life, operating on both sides of the law. Newspapers run exaggerated stories of his prowess and make him a national legend--an identity he comes to believe himself. From that point, it is a short road to a sorry ending. While this study of the deterioration of a good man is not pleasant, it makes for a very readable novel. A wild Western.
- Sister Avila, Acad. of the Holy Angels, MinneapolisCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
