Tragg's Choice

by Clifton Adams

For ten years, Owen Tragg lived on his reputation as a hero-- exploited by a slick showman who dressed him and billed him as "the man who killed Jody Barker."When the act finally folded. Tragg was relieved. But before he could head for El paso to apply for a deputy's job, he had some unpleasant business to take care of at Boser's Creddk.There Jody Barker's widow waited for him; and there, by a twist of faith that had sent a half-starved sodbuster on a killing spree. Tragg, the man, was forced to separate himself from Tragg the legend. He was all that stood between two people and death.

Genres: Westerns

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Jeff Tankersley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1888 Kansas a poor sodbuster named Morrasey comes across a lame cowboy who is horseless and dying of thirst. Morrasey feels no motivation to help the man once he sees he has a heavy money belt, so he lets him suffer and die before taking his money.

Then we meet Owen Tragg, Jessie Ross, and Ernie Nash as they travel on a stagecoach together. Tragg is a former marshal, famous for killing a legendary outlaw, and the young hand Nash takes an awestruck liking to marshal.

And then some guy named Morrasey gets on the coach.

Elevating "Tragg's Choice" (1969) above similar western tales is the Morrasey character. He's kind of a dim-witted, angry, fumbling loser who finds himself in a streak of good luck starting with that stolen pile of money, before suffering horrible loss, and develops into quite an interesting villain. There are other characters, good, bad, and in between. It turns out that the girl Jessie Ross and a hard case named Callahan are both after the same thing, a large bounty that's been placed on Ross's boyfriend. Obviously, in a bit of title-foreshadow-hint, the former marshall Tragg will have to make a choice.

This tale won the 1969 Spur award for best western novel.

Verdict: "Tragg's Choice" is a really good, short western justice tale.

Jeff's Rating: 4 / 5 (very good)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG

[Benjamin Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, satisfying western.

Owen Tragg killed an outlaw a number of years ago and has spent the last decade out East, telling folks about it. When the lectures dry up, he finds himself without a plan and takes a coach back West with a motley crew of passengers. He and they eventually become embroiled in a confluence of bounties, vengeance, and murder. Despite all his fame being built on killing a man, Tragg finds himself trying to make sure there aren't more deaths in the chaos than there have to be.

This novel won the Spur Award when it was published, and it is not undeserved. He juggles a few different plot lines really well and their conclusions are earned. Adams writes in 3rd person omnipotent, which is one of my least favorite POVs, but it works well here. The novel sports a half a dozen characters and they all get some fleshing out, Tragg and antagonist Morrasey especially. The novel really plays in the moral grays, too. No one here is without dirt or blood on their hands. Yet of these, although they may truck in immoral plots, they have their reasons. There's motivations galore.

Highly recommended if you like westerns or know how to read.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun western fiction. Yes, western fiction can be good, try not to pre-judge.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tight, perfectly constructed western!

[Gloria Jorg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third book I’ve read by this guy. Set in the lawless west, mystery with levity. Each book large print and only 200 pages with different great characters. Page turners.

[Arroyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

plain ol fun