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The Gun Fight
Determined to hang up his guns, a Texas Ranger finds his plans waylaid when jealousy, pride, and hypocrisy force him into one last gunfight.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1993
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213 people want to read
About the author
Richard Matheson
759 books4,776 followersBorn in Allendale, New Jersey to Norwegian immigrant parents, Matheson was raised in Brooklyn and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1943. He then entered the military and spent World War II as an infantry soldier. In 1949 he earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and moved to California in 1951. He married in 1952 and has four children, three of whom (Chris, Richard Christian, and Ali Matheson) are writers of fiction and screenplays.
His first short story, "Born of Man and Woman," appeared in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1950. The tale of a monstrous child chained in its parents' cellar, it was told in the first person as the creature's diary (in poignantly non-idiomatic English) and immediately made Matheson famous. Between 1950 and 1971, Matheson produced dozens of stories, frequently blending elements of the science fiction, horror and fantasy genres.
Several of his stories, like "Third from the Sun" (1950), "Deadline" (1959) and "Button, Button" (1970) are simple sketches with twist endings; others, like "Trespass" (1953), "Being" (1954) and "Mute" (1962) explore their characters' dilemmas over twenty or thirty pages. Some tales, such as "The Funeral" (1955) and "The Doll that Does Everything" (1954) incorporate zany satirical humour at the expense of genre clichés, and are written in an hysterically overblown prose very different from Matheson's usual pared-down style. Others, like "The Test" (1954) and "Steel" (1956), portray the moral and physical struggles of ordinary people, rather than the then nearly ubiquitous scientists and superheroes, in situations which are at once futuristic and everyday. Still others, such as "Mad House" (1953), "The Curious Child" (1954) and perhaps most famously, "Duel" (1971) are tales of paranoia, in which the everyday environment of the present day becomes inexplicably alien or threatening.
He wrote a number of episodes for the American TV series The Twilight Zone, including "Steel," mentioned above and the famous "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"; adapted the works of Edgar Allan Poe for Roger Corman and Dennis Wheatley's The Devil Rides Out for Hammer Films; and scripted Steven Spielberg's first feature, the TV movie Duel, from his own short story. He also contributed a number of scripts to the Warner Brothers western series "The Lawman" between 1958 and 1962. In 1973, Matheson earned an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for his teleplay for The Night Stalker, one of two TV movies written by Matheson that preceded the series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Matheson also wrote the screenplay for Fanatic (US title: Die! Die! My Darling!) starring Talullah Bankhead and Stefanie Powers.
Novels include The Shrinking Man (filmed as The Incredible Shrinking Man, again from Matheson's own screenplay), and a science fiction vampire novel, I Am Legend, which has been filmed three times under the titles The Omega Man and The Last Man on Earth and once under the original title. Other Matheson novels turned into notable films include What Dreams May Come, Stir of Echoes, Bid Time Return (as Somewhere in Time), and Hell House (as The Legend of Hell House) and the aforementioned Duel, the last three adapted and scripted by Matheson himself. Three of his short stories were filmed together as Trilogy of Terror, including "Prey" with its famous Zuni warrior doll.
In 1960, Matheson published The Beardless Warriors, a nonfantastic, autobiographical novel about teenage American soldiers in World War II.
He died at his home on June 23, 2013, at the age of 87
http://us.macmillan.com/author/richar...
His first short story, "Born of Man and Woman," appeared in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1950. The tale of a monstrous child chained in its parents' cellar, it was told in the first person as the creature's diary (in poignantly non-idiomatic English) and immediately made Matheson famous. Between 1950 and 1971, Matheson produced dozens of stories, frequently blending elements of the science fiction, horror and fantasy genres.
Several of his stories, like "Third from the Sun" (1950), "Deadline" (1959) and "Button, Button" (1970) are simple sketches with twist endings; others, like "Trespass" (1953), "Being" (1954) and "Mute" (1962) explore their characters' dilemmas over twenty or thirty pages. Some tales, such as "The Funeral" (1955) and "The Doll that Does Everything" (1954) incorporate zany satirical humour at the expense of genre clichés, and are written in an hysterically overblown prose very different from Matheson's usual pared-down style. Others, like "The Test" (1954) and "Steel" (1956), portray the moral and physical struggles of ordinary people, rather than the then nearly ubiquitous scientists and superheroes, in situations which are at once futuristic and everyday. Still others, such as "Mad House" (1953), "The Curious Child" (1954) and perhaps most famously, "Duel" (1971) are tales of paranoia, in which the everyday environment of the present day becomes inexplicably alien or threatening.
He wrote a number of episodes for the American TV series The Twilight Zone, including "Steel," mentioned above and the famous "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"; adapted the works of Edgar Allan Poe for Roger Corman and Dennis Wheatley's The Devil Rides Out for Hammer Films; and scripted Steven Spielberg's first feature, the TV movie Duel, from his own short story. He also contributed a number of scripts to the Warner Brothers western series "The Lawman" between 1958 and 1962. In 1973, Matheson earned an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for his teleplay for The Night Stalker, one of two TV movies written by Matheson that preceded the series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Matheson also wrote the screenplay for Fanatic (US title: Die! Die! My Darling!) starring Talullah Bankhead and Stefanie Powers.
Novels include The Shrinking Man (filmed as The Incredible Shrinking Man, again from Matheson's own screenplay), and a science fiction vampire novel, I Am Legend, which has been filmed three times under the titles The Omega Man and The Last Man on Earth and once under the original title. Other Matheson novels turned into notable films include What Dreams May Come, Stir of Echoes, Bid Time Return (as Somewhere in Time), and Hell House (as The Legend of Hell House) and the aforementioned Duel, the last three adapted and scripted by Matheson himself. Three of his short stories were filmed together as Trilogy of Terror, including "Prey" with its famous Zuni warrior doll.
In 1960, Matheson published The Beardless Warriors, a nonfantastic, autobiographical novel about teenage American soldiers in World War II.
He died at his home on June 23, 2013, at the age of 87
http://us.macmillan.com/author/richar...
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 13, 2011
The Gunfight is a meager two-hundred forty seven pages but don't let that dissuade you. Matheson's books are all meat. You won't find any needless descriptions. If Matheson takes the time to describe something, you know it will be important later.
The plot of The Gunfight is fairly simple. A legendary gunfighter, John Benton, and his wife settle in a tiny town called Kellville to enjoy their retirement. Meanwhile, a teenage girl named Louisa Harper tries to make her boyfriend Robby Coles jealous by telling him Benton's expressed some interest in her. Soon the whole town is egging Robby on, saying he has to protect his girl's honor. So guess what Robby does? I'll give you a hint: the title of the book isn't "Knitting Contest."
The characters are fairly realistic. Benton's the guy who feels he has nothing left to prove and just wants to enjoy retirement. Robby's the testosterone-laden kid who just wants Louisa to treat him right. Sometimes you even feel sorry for the poor lug, getting pushed in way over his head. The townsfolk are like a lot of small town folk who get out of control once they smell blood.
One of the hallmarks of a Richard Matheson story is that he's an expert at misdirection, be it I am Legend, the Incredible Shrinking Man, or that Twilight Zone episode where there's a gremlin on the wing of the plane. The Gunfight is no exception.
This book should be a prerequisite for anyone who tries to write a suspense novel, because at its core, The Gunfight is more of a suspense novel than a western. The pacing is perfect and leaves you worn out by the end. Two-hundred forty seven pages is the perfect length. Any more would have thrown off the remarkable pace. I started reading this at lunchtime on a Sunday and finished a little after dark. It's really hard to put down.
The plot of The Gunfight is fairly simple. A legendary gunfighter, John Benton, and his wife settle in a tiny town called Kellville to enjoy their retirement. Meanwhile, a teenage girl named Louisa Harper tries to make her boyfriend Robby Coles jealous by telling him Benton's expressed some interest in her. Soon the whole town is egging Robby on, saying he has to protect his girl's honor. So guess what Robby does? I'll give you a hint: the title of the book isn't "Knitting Contest."
The characters are fairly realistic. Benton's the guy who feels he has nothing left to prove and just wants to enjoy retirement. Robby's the testosterone-laden kid who just wants Louisa to treat him right. Sometimes you even feel sorry for the poor lug, getting pushed in way over his head. The townsfolk are like a lot of small town folk who get out of control once they smell blood.
One of the hallmarks of a Richard Matheson story is that he's an expert at misdirection, be it I am Legend, the Incredible Shrinking Man, or that Twilight Zone episode where there's a gremlin on the wing of the plane. The Gunfight is no exception.
This book should be a prerequisite for anyone who tries to write a suspense novel, because at its core, The Gunfight is more of a suspense novel than a western. The pacing is perfect and leaves you worn out by the end. Two-hundred forty seven pages is the perfect length. Any more would have thrown off the remarkable pace. I started reading this at lunchtime on a Sunday and finished a little after dark. It's really hard to put down.
March 9, 2015
Matheson was amazing, that's all there is to it. He was brilliant at capturing the human spirit and conveying it to readers, regardless to what genre he was writing in. This Western is no exception.
It really deserves more, but I'm still feeling sucker punched from the amount of emotion Matheson put into this.
It really deserves more, but I'm still feeling sucker punched from the amount of emotion Matheson put into this.
April 1, 2024
*** 3.6 STARS ***
A good suspenseful Western by the great Richard Matheson.
Going into The Gun Fight, I was hoping for a fast-paced, guns blazing, spaghetti Western. What I got was a kind of High Noon type of Western. Still good though.
The Gun Fight is more like a suspense story than anything else. A young woman lies about something happening with an older man, which is passed around town quicker than a Colt can be drawn, and before you know it, the honour of two families are at stake and only the taking of blood will suffice.
It's a good set-up. But, I feel the characters don't do a great job delivering enough suspense regarding this situation. It needed to be a bit grittier. However, Richard Matheson is a great writer. He is particularly good at dialogue, and in The Gun Fight, the dialogue is very snappy and it feels real.
Nowhere near as good as Richard Matheson's earlier work but still a worthwhile read.
A good suspenseful Western by the great Richard Matheson.
Going into The Gun Fight, I was hoping for a fast-paced, guns blazing, spaghetti Western. What I got was a kind of High Noon type of Western. Still good though.
The Gun Fight is more like a suspense story than anything else. A young woman lies about something happening with an older man, which is passed around town quicker than a Colt can be drawn, and before you know it, the honour of two families are at stake and only the taking of blood will suffice.
It's a good set-up. But, I feel the characters don't do a great job delivering enough suspense regarding this situation. It needed to be a bit grittier. However, Richard Matheson is a great writer. He is particularly good at dialogue, and in The Gun Fight, the dialogue is very snappy and it feels real.
Nowhere near as good as Richard Matheson's earlier work but still a worthwhile read.
July 18, 2013
The Gun Fight by Richard Matheson is a whole new genre of writing for one of the greatest writers of all time. The Gun Fight can typically be found in the Western section, which is unusual for the writer of I Am Legend, Hell House, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, and so many more. The Gun Fight takes place in the late 1800s in a small western town in a time where family honor is cherished. When a girl’s lie causes her family’s reputation and her fiancé’s reputation to be called into question, the fiancé is forced to fight for it. Unfortunately for John Benton, he is pulled into the fight since the lie in question was told about him. The entirety of the book takes place over the course of three days and draws to a conclusion that will keep you reading until the last paragraph. Matheson has done a great job in drawing you in and telling the story in his unique way. I can only rate at 4 stars because I think the plot itself is a little lacking and not quite his best work. It doesn’t drag on, but it isn’t quite the page turning thriller of his other works. This book could be read by young adults and adults. I wouldn’t suggest children should read it, but mature teens would probably be fine.
September 2, 2009
A fine novel.
John Benton had been a Texas Ranger. When he tracked a gang that had robbed a bank, leaving one dead and one near death. They didn't surrender and when it was over, Benton discovered that two of the three were sons of the other, one of those more of a boy.
He hung up his guns and bought a small ranch.
The trouble started when a young girl made a comment about Benton to her intended to make him jealous. The young man takes it all too serious and confronts Benton first.
The gossip starts and as gossips usually does, it grows with the telling. The girl's old maid Aunt is the worst and, although demanding the truth, has already decided and pushes for help for the poor defenseless women.
The young man's father is adamant his son must defend his intended's honor, pushing the boy to face Benton in a gunfight.
The Aunt and Father are more concerned about what it will do to their honor.
The tension builds until the gunfight is inevitable.
John Benton had been a Texas Ranger. When he tracked a gang that had robbed a bank, leaving one dead and one near death. They didn't surrender and when it was over, Benton discovered that two of the three were sons of the other, one of those more of a boy.
He hung up his guns and bought a small ranch.
The trouble started when a young girl made a comment about Benton to her intended to make him jealous. The young man takes it all too serious and confronts Benton first.
The gossip starts and as gossips usually does, it grows with the telling. The girl's old maid Aunt is the worst and, although demanding the truth, has already decided and pushes for help for the poor defenseless women.
The young man's father is adamant his son must defend his intended's honor, pushing the boy to face Benton in a gunfight.
The Aunt and Father are more concerned about what it will do to their honor.
The tension builds until the gunfight is inevitable.
August 10, 2017
As ever with work by Matheson, his craft is in strong evidence. When a veteran gunfighter who's turned his back on violence is challenged by a proud, driven youngster who thinks he has a grievance, everyone in town has an opinion and both men are pushed by circumstances and weaker personalities inexorably toward a showdown. Matheson builds the trap around the two men with all the precision of a cruel clock-maker, and the seconds tick down as loud as any scene from High Noon. Recommended.
May 28, 2022
4 / 5 for 'The Gun Fight' by Richard Matheson
This is my 4th Matheson book, the prior ones being I Am Legend, Hell House and The Shrinking Man...it never ceases to impress me how this author can turn his hands to any genre and not miss a single beat. Also, regarding genre, I know a lot of people would simply classify this as a western, but I think it's more of a thriller in a western setting.
From the blurb -
"John Benton was one of the toughest men ever to wear a Texas Ranger badge. But eight years ago, in August 1871, he hung up his guns for good. Or so he hoped.
Then young Robby Coles challenged him to a fight over some imagined slight to the boy's sixteen-year-old girlfriend. At first, Benton tried to laugh off the affair. Why, the boy was little more than a child. But rumours and gossip spread like wildfire through their dusty frontier town and soon enough the entire community seems to be goading both men towards a fatal confrontation neither one truly wants.
Benton doesn't want to kill again. Robby is secretly terrified of facing the legendary gunfighter. Yet, with both men's honour on the line, is there any way to avoid a duel to the death?"
This is an excellently plotted western/thriller, set over a short and punchy 3-day period, detailing the build-up to the gunfight. It is thrilling and engrossing throughout, the pages zipping by at a fair old pace. Matheson writes with his usual assured tone, once again showing how good he is at researching and immersing himself in a new subject so that when he writes about it, he sounds like a seasoned pro. His descriptions of the wild west and its inhabitants are excellent and despite the book's brevity, there is ample characterisation, each character sounding completely unique, and their motivations and feelings clear for us readers to see. Dialogue also is excellent, as is scene-setting exposition. The tension builds over the 224 pages, ramping up almost unbearably for the final 30 pages or so, and then climaxing in an astonishing finale.
My only negative IS the finale though - no spoilers here; I just didn't like the ending. I disliked the ending enough to dock a star off the rating. It's a shame, as from my own POV, a slightly different direction in those final; few pages would have left the book as a perfect 5-star story. Just my opinion like, but there it is...the ending lets the whole thing down.
Despite those final 3 pages though, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is a fantastic thriller, with believable and endearing characters, set in a clear and wonderfully realised wild west setting. This book is wonderfully well-told, thrilling throughout, and a pure page-turner.
I've yet to read a book by Matheson that is any less than a 4 or 5 star story.
4 / 5
This is my 4th Matheson book, the prior ones being I Am Legend, Hell House and The Shrinking Man...it never ceases to impress me how this author can turn his hands to any genre and not miss a single beat. Also, regarding genre, I know a lot of people would simply classify this as a western, but I think it's more of a thriller in a western setting.
From the blurb -
"John Benton was one of the toughest men ever to wear a Texas Ranger badge. But eight years ago, in August 1871, he hung up his guns for good. Or so he hoped.
Then young Robby Coles challenged him to a fight over some imagined slight to the boy's sixteen-year-old girlfriend. At first, Benton tried to laugh off the affair. Why, the boy was little more than a child. But rumours and gossip spread like wildfire through their dusty frontier town and soon enough the entire community seems to be goading both men towards a fatal confrontation neither one truly wants.
Benton doesn't want to kill again. Robby is secretly terrified of facing the legendary gunfighter. Yet, with both men's honour on the line, is there any way to avoid a duel to the death?"
This is an excellently plotted western/thriller, set over a short and punchy 3-day period, detailing the build-up to the gunfight. It is thrilling and engrossing throughout, the pages zipping by at a fair old pace. Matheson writes with his usual assured tone, once again showing how good he is at researching and immersing himself in a new subject so that when he writes about it, he sounds like a seasoned pro. His descriptions of the wild west and its inhabitants are excellent and despite the book's brevity, there is ample characterisation, each character sounding completely unique, and their motivations and feelings clear for us readers to see. Dialogue also is excellent, as is scene-setting exposition. The tension builds over the 224 pages, ramping up almost unbearably for the final 30 pages or so, and then climaxing in an astonishing finale.
My only negative IS the finale though - no spoilers here; I just didn't like the ending. I disliked the ending enough to dock a star off the rating. It's a shame, as from my own POV, a slightly different direction in those final; few pages would have left the book as a perfect 5-star story. Just my opinion like, but there it is...the ending lets the whole thing down.
Despite those final 3 pages though, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is a fantastic thriller, with believable and endearing characters, set in a clear and wonderfully realised wild west setting. This book is wonderfully well-told, thrilling throughout, and a pure page-turner.
I've yet to read a book by Matheson that is any less than a 4 or 5 star story.
4 / 5
November 26, 2017
Set in the late 1800's in dusty small town Texas over three crazy days, this has a lot of the shaggy dog story in it until you see the dead seriousness of silly people who, with their unrestrained gossip seem to be gunning for a fight. Freight train inevitablity takes over, and then morbid anticipation of a bloody showdown where somebody's going to get hurt. Never never never do you have a clue how it will end. All possibilities are on the table, and its gripping to turn the pages and to live through the three days. You want to jump in, but somehow you already sense that nobody can stop the momentum of this monster once its unleashed. Fabulous writing.... and I think the author himself did not know the conclusion until he wrote it in the last pages.
July 9, 2020
After hanging up his guns 8 years ago as a Texas Ranger and setting down, John Benton is challenged by 21 year old Robby Coles over an imaged insult to his soon to be wife’s honor. After everything he’s been through and everything he’s sworn, will he do it, or will he be able to talk the kid down despite the town wanting blood?
There’s quite the cast of sorrowful, lovable, despicable, and in between characters in this fairly short book. It definitely makes for no shortage of high stakes drama.
There’s quite the cast of sorrowful, lovable, despicable, and in between characters in this fairly short book. It definitely makes for no shortage of high stakes drama.
April 10, 2019
This couldn’t have ended any other way, but I wanted it to end more happily for everyone. What a powerful story!
September 6, 2020
Enjoyable read and quite a surprise ending.
August 23, 2021
What a terrific read! This was my introduction to Matheson as a writer of Westerns and wow!
August 22, 2014
*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***
This was a very unsatisfying read. This book was highly recommended by some friends. Initially it felt good and different from the run of the mill westerns. However, the end felt very disappointing.
First of all, the weight everybody in the town gave to the girl's accusation was strange, especially considering the reputation the Ranger had. How come no one noticed how out of character the accusation was for the Ranger?
Second, the way main protagonists - the Ranger, the girl and the boyfriend - just do not meet at all felt very forced. All kinds of people keep running into these people but they are unable to meet each other at all in 3 days even when looking for each other? Also, the priest and his wife very conveniently were absent from proceedings on the 2nd day, even though the Ranger and his wife visited the town twice.
Third, throughout the book we are told that the boyfriend is a nervous wreck with no experience at all in gun fights (or any other fights). However, in the climax he manages to gun down the Ranger despite having been shot in his right arm. You can't even call this a fluke since he shoots the Ranger twice in the chest, at a distance of 50+ yards. This was just about impossible.
However, the worst part of the book was that the only people satisfied with the outcome would be the bad guys (the aunt, the father etc). IMHO, apart from showing people's propensity for believing lies, this book doesn't tell us anything. The lesson would be that in any kind of trouble, it would be best to shoot first and ask questions later. Had the Ranger done this, he would be alive AND justice (more or less) would have been done.
Unless you like depressing books, best to skip this one.
This was a very unsatisfying read. This book was highly recommended by some friends. Initially it felt good and different from the run of the mill westerns. However, the end felt very disappointing.
First of all, the weight everybody in the town gave to the girl's accusation was strange, especially considering the reputation the Ranger had. How come no one noticed how out of character the accusation was for the Ranger?
Second, the way main protagonists - the Ranger, the girl and the boyfriend - just do not meet at all felt very forced. All kinds of people keep running into these people but they are unable to meet each other at all in 3 days even when looking for each other? Also, the priest and his wife very conveniently were absent from proceedings on the 2nd day, even though the Ranger and his wife visited the town twice.
Third, throughout the book we are told that the boyfriend is a nervous wreck with no experience at all in gun fights (or any other fights). However, in the climax he manages to gun down the Ranger despite having been shot in his right arm. You can't even call this a fluke since he shoots the Ranger twice in the chest, at a distance of 50+ yards. This was just about impossible.
However, the worst part of the book was that the only people satisfied with the outcome would be the bad guys (the aunt, the father etc). IMHO, apart from showing people's propensity for believing lies, this book doesn't tell us anything. The lesson would be that in any kind of trouble, it would be best to shoot first and ask questions later. Had the Ranger done this, he would be alive AND justice (more or less) would have been done.
Unless you like depressing books, best to skip this one.
July 20, 2013
A well-written Western is, along with the hard-boiled crime novel, the quintessential American novel. This, from acclaimed sci-fi writer Matheson, deserves to be recognized among the greats. It's a tragedy of all too human proportions, a tragedy of honor, of stupidity, of pettiness, of machismo, and outright blood lust. It's about the tyranny of the old who are all too ready to sacrifice the young for their principles, and about the consequences of living in a world which idolizes violence and abhors compromise and understanding, where any petty slight, real or imagined, can only be repaid with death.
The characters are perfectly drawn, each with clear and conflicting motivation, and the plot is as taut and claustrophobic as High Noon. This is first-class writing, comparable to Zane Greg, Chandler, Hammett, Hemingway, or any of the other greats of powerful American literature.
The characters are perfectly drawn, each with clear and conflicting motivation, and the plot is as taut and claustrophobic as High Noon. This is first-class writing, comparable to Zane Greg, Chandler, Hammett, Hemingway, or any of the other greats of powerful American literature.
October 16, 2015
This book left me with a feeling of meh... it was well written, clear and concise, but rather unexciting. I experienced no thrill. No interest. No waves of excitement. My pulse did not quicken in anticipation in the final moments. I knew what would happen, and, guess what? I was right.
Matheson, as always, did a fine job developing good characters with strong backgrounds. But in this case, I felt I could predict their every move. And I knew the moral of the story before even they did... you just won't win this fight, no matter how it goes down.
Matheson, as always, did a fine job developing good characters with strong backgrounds. But in this case, I felt I could predict their every move. And I knew the moral of the story before even they did... you just won't win this fight, no matter how it goes down.
August 17, 2011
I love Richard Matheson. He might be my all time favorite author, though I tend more towards his thrillers and horror than his western. The Gun Fight has a lot of the Matheson hallmarks; great characters, great tension, great mood. It's a quick, fast paced read, but there's not quite enough story to hold up. All the same, there's a satisfying, but rather abrupt ending. Good writing and good characters just aren't quite enough to disguise the fact that the story is a bit thin.
June 5, 2012
this whole book happens during three days before a duel. The whole thing is based on a misunderstanding. The whole book feels like a classic western movie like high noon. The important thing in this book is not the gunfight, but how people react and feel during the days leading up to it.
December 10, 2012
I found it disappointing. The plot was way too simple and nothing ever happened. Then I got to the end and thought "That was it?" I am a big fan of other works by this author but frankly this one didn't meet expectations.
June 14, 2008
This novel tore my heart out! The characters were all very well developed, so much so that there's no way you can be happy at the end.
January 12, 2016
Having first read this around 2005, I can say ten years later it completely holds up. The end comes with the inevitability of a slow motion train wreck. Matheson does suspense like few others.
December 23, 2011
This is a sparsely-written book with well-developed characters and a tragically ironic plot. Mr. Matheson is at his best in this work.
August 21, 2013
It is OK. I think he got the inspiration in "much ado about nothing" from Shakespeare. There is a mistake on the names on chapter 24.
December 19, 2013
Really good book, however in my opinion it would have been better if it game some sort of aftermath.
December 30, 2013
Good western but unsatisfying.
January 17, 2011
Jealousy of a girlfriend leads to a gunfight. Manly men. Some violence. Action story.
November 19, 2015
A great story from a suspense master.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews