What do you think?
Rate this book
Dancing With Dead Men
Logan Handley was a gun for hire, a man feared far and wide for his speed and deadly accuracy with a Colt. But then a mysterious malady struck him down and left him a mere shell of the man he had been. Running out of time and seeking help from a famous doctor in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Logan unexpectedly finds himself in the middle of a war between two ruthless timber barons. Not only that, but a dangerous enemy from his past is stalking him as well. No longer able to rely on the fighting skills that garnered him a reputation as a notorious gunman, Logan has to figure out a way to save himself and his new-found friends from violence and tragedy.
DANCING WITH DEAD MEN is the milestone 300th novel from legendary New York Times bestselling author James Reasoner. Part Western, part historical novel, part psychological thriller, it's packed with stirring action and compelling characterization. DANCING WITH DEAD MEN is a masterful tale by one of the top storytellers of our time!
Never before published, full-length 64,000 word novel.
DANCING WITH DEAD MEN is the milestone 300th novel from legendary New York Times bestselling author James Reasoner. Part Western, part historical novel, part psychological thriller, it's packed with stirring action and compelling characterization. DANCING WITH DEAD MEN is a masterful tale by one of the top storytellers of our time!
Never before published, full-length 64,000 word novel.
197 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2013
9 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 20, 2013
DANCING WITH DEAD MEN is James Reasoner's 300th published novel and continues an unbroken string of quality reads. By no means have I read even a good chunk of his work. But I have read novels and stories from all across his career and have yet to find one even remotely average. A remarkable achievement.
This one finds a gunman, Logan Handley, struck down by an illness, infantile paralysis that leaves him with a weak left arm, his gun hand, and a right leg.
He comes to Hot Springs in the hope the mineral springs can help him recover the use, at least some of it, of his withered limbs. A long time gun man such as himself has many enemies that would like to catch him in his weakened state.
He finds much more in Hot Springs as he makes friends, to be blunt people he likely would never have hung out with in his more lucrative days.
A bank robbery that he gets involved in, while trying to make a deposit, and thwarts when they want to use the 'cripple' as a shield reveals he hasn't lost as much as he thought.
It also brings unwelcome attention and a job offer and he slowly slips back into his old life. An old enemy is on one side, just like the old days, but this time Logan learns he has more resources than he had once been able to call on.
A very tightly written western. What one can always expect from Mr. Reasoner.
This one finds a gunman, Logan Handley, struck down by an illness, infantile paralysis that leaves him with a weak left arm, his gun hand, and a right leg.
He comes to Hot Springs in the hope the mineral springs can help him recover the use, at least some of it, of his withered limbs. A long time gun man such as himself has many enemies that would like to catch him in his weakened state.
He finds much more in Hot Springs as he makes friends, to be blunt people he likely would never have hung out with in his more lucrative days.
A bank robbery that he gets involved in, while trying to make a deposit, and thwarts when they want to use the 'cripple' as a shield reveals he hasn't lost as much as he thought.
It also brings unwelcome attention and a job offer and he slowly slips back into his old life. An old enemy is on one side, just like the old days, but this time Logan learns he has more resources than he had once been able to call on.
A very tightly written western. What one can always expect from Mr. Reasoner.
May 19, 2021
I'm an easy mark for a book with a terrific opening line and I'm an even bigger sucker for a great closing line and this novel, I am pleased to say, has both. Even better, Reasoner has a good story to tell in between the artful flourishes. As I read along, I couldn't get over how much I liked the premise. I thought of other stories about hitmen or gunfighters who receive a fatal diagnosis and then they get to die heroically at the end of the story and how that redemption had always seemed cheap and unearned to me. This story hits the theme much better, I think. Our killer for hire isn't going to die, but he's been crippled by illness. He'll have to take the long, hard road if he wants to get better. And what does "getting better" for a badman mean, exactly? The answer was well worth my time.
August 22, 2013
Writing 300 novels in a roughly 30 year period is a hell of an achievement. Writing 300 that are solid is something else again. But that's what James Reasoner has done. With his new novel, DANCING WITH DEAD MEN, Reasoner has brought his entire bag of tricks to the party, and the fine craftsmanship he's known for is on full display.
The story contains many of the same themes and motiffs that we see in a lot of Reasoner's work, most notably the idea of the protagonist, a hard man, groping toward something better than what he was and encountering nearly insurmountable obstacles along the way. The biggest obstacle, of course, being the weight of his own past, and his doubts about being able to affect a positive change.
In DEAD MEN, the hero is one Logan Handley, former gun-for-hire, now crippled by the onset of a paralysis effecting his left arm and right leg. He travels to Hot Springs Arkansas in search of a cure and finds himself almost inadvertently entering a new, kinder phase of life, making friends and working like a normal person. That is until he foils a bank robbery and finds himself in the employ of a rich lumber baron-- next thing he knows, Logan is pulled back into the role of gunman. When an old enemy of his hooks up with the lumber baron's nemesis, and Logan's new friends are threatened, all bets are off and our hero has to reconcile both sides of his nature to save the day.
The whole thing unfolds at a pretty breakneck pace. Reasoner excels at building momentum from scene to scene, never skipping any opportunity for action, and making the reader feel a real emotional investment in the characters. This is what he's always done, and it's the reason why he's a writer's writer.
Here's to 300 more.
The story contains many of the same themes and motiffs that we see in a lot of Reasoner's work, most notably the idea of the protagonist, a hard man, groping toward something better than what he was and encountering nearly insurmountable obstacles along the way. The biggest obstacle, of course, being the weight of his own past, and his doubts about being able to affect a positive change.
In DEAD MEN, the hero is one Logan Handley, former gun-for-hire, now crippled by the onset of a paralysis effecting his left arm and right leg. He travels to Hot Springs Arkansas in search of a cure and finds himself almost inadvertently entering a new, kinder phase of life, making friends and working like a normal person. That is until he foils a bank robbery and finds himself in the employ of a rich lumber baron-- next thing he knows, Logan is pulled back into the role of gunman. When an old enemy of his hooks up with the lumber baron's nemesis, and Logan's new friends are threatened, all bets are off and our hero has to reconcile both sides of his nature to save the day.
The whole thing unfolds at a pretty breakneck pace. Reasoner excels at building momentum from scene to scene, never skipping any opportunity for action, and making the reader feel a real emotional investment in the characters. This is what he's always done, and it's the reason why he's a writer's writer.
Here's to 300 more.
August 8, 2015
Dancing with Read Men
James Reasoner, a brilliant writer and story teller. His writings flow so smoothly and with suspense and feeling. Can't wait to put one of his books down and pick up the next. I am a life long fan of this author. Having recently moved to Reasoner's home state of Texas, perhaps one day I will be so fortunate as to meet this fantastic writer and "maybe" secure his autograph. All you would be cowboys will thoroughly enjoy this book. "So Giddy Up."
James Reasoner, a brilliant writer and story teller. His writings flow so smoothly and with suspense and feeling. Can't wait to put one of his books down and pick up the next. I am a life long fan of this author. Having recently moved to Reasoner's home state of Texas, perhaps one day I will be so fortunate as to meet this fantastic writer and "maybe" secure his autograph. All you would be cowboys will thoroughly enjoy this book. "So Giddy Up."
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews