A Noose For The Desperado

by Clifton Adams

He came forward slowly, in that curious toe-heel gait that Indians have. With a big left hand, he grabbed Marta by the hair and jerked her half out of the chair. I hit him in the face and pulled Marta behind me. "Keep your damn hands off her if you want to go on living," I said. He was surprised. The next thing I knew his gun was coming out of the holster. I made my grab and didn't bother to aim. I didn't hit him. I didn't even come close. But I didn't need that first bullet. Just the muzzle blast. And the Indian knew it. His mouth flew open as he slammed back under the impact, and before he could swing that pistol on me again, he was as good as dead.

Genres: Westerns

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1951

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastically taut and violent sequel to The Desperado, a hardboiled western masterpiece. If The Desperado was essentially a young outlaw's coming of age tale, A Noose for Desperado is where he comes to grip with the fact that there's no going back to his old life, or any semblance of a normal life, and with the loneliness and desolation that will be his constant companions. All this crystallizes for him when he befriends a younger boy, just on the cusp of travelling down the same road, but for whom it's still not to late to return. Adams' prose is lean and mean, packed with pithy gems and a surprising amount of sap-free, hardboiled emotional resonance that almost makes you feel some sympathy for a rather heartless bastard who, but for a questionable decision or two, may have led a very different life.

[Kurt Reichenbaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this one and a couple other Westerns by Clifton Adams at a used bookstore. Loved Death's Sweet Songso looking forward to reading others by him.

Talk about Western-Noir! I'd read a blog by Bill Crider that mentioned some of Clifton Adams's westerns as noir and he wasn't kidding. This one was dark.

Outlaw Tall Cameron rides in to Ocotillo, Arizona and is immediatey set up by Marta, a Mexican hell-cat, for a gunning down by a bent US Marshall. Cameron survives the attempt and works his way into the local gang, joining in the vicious raids against smuggling parties from south of the border. Along the way we soon realize that Tall Cameron isn't much of a noble rogue, but is about as unhinged as they come. In fact, no one in Ocotillo is dealing with a full deck. It's the last town north of Hell, where loyalty lasts as long as the next silver dollar. It's dark and bloody, and as bleak as a desert-fried skull. It's worth a read for noir fans.

[Barry · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very strange western, with a thoroughly unlikable main character and a weird story. Tall basically goes to the end of the earth to make a big score. He makes it but loses everyone in its execution, even parts of himself.

[Dartharagorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was all over the place for me and really couldn't get into it. Just wasn't very much fun. The Characters were bland. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

[Andy Oerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5, the same rating as Desperado, although “Noose” is an even better book. A sad, dark cloud with a silver lining of redemption. I said the first one was more Scarface than Walter Neff, and it’s even truer for this.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

give Clifton Adams a Library of America volume already. an excellent, noir-y western. i can’t say enough good things about this book or Adams in general.

[Still · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb Hardboiled Western Novel.

[Heather Clitheroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite enjoyed this and The Desperado. Both had a great deal more depth to the characters than I would have expected - good story, too!