Sudden Country

by Loren D. Estleman

Young David Grayle is hunting for lost treasure when a sinister stranger with only one eye complicates this venture

Genres: Westerns

182 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1991

About the author

Loren D. Estleman is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He writes with a manual typewriter.

Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.

Series:
* Amos Walker Mystery
* Valentino Mystery
* Detroit Crime Mystery
* Peter Macklin Mystery
* Page Murdock Mystery

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estleman's clear, classical writing continues to impress me. This is an adventure story with a wise-beyond-his-years 13-year old protagonist, but it doesn't read like a children's book. I learn something every time I read a book by this author, because he works historical and geographical facts into his books. I'm giving this 4 stars because I would have liked to have seen some of the characters fleshed out more.

[Susan Chapek]

Delightful. A Western mash-up of a certain classic--it would be a spoiler to name it; see how long it takes you to catch on. Smiles, plot twists, nice characters.

[Midnight Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful adventure story about a young man setting out to find a cache of stolen Yankee gold hidden somewhere in the Black Hills. This will sound weird based on the setting, but I was reminded of Treasure Island; read it and see if you don't agree. This was the first book in way too long that I just couldn't put down--I DEVOURED it--like a book-lover's version of binge-watching. 😜

[Adrian Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

From my uncle. Best of the Estleman Westerns that he has sent me so far.

[Gerald Kinro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 1890 in the Texas Panhandle where 13-year-old David Grayle's mother owns a boardinghouse. A strange visitor, Jotham Flynn, fresh out of jail, has come to tell his story to Judge Blod, a writer of dime novels and a boarder at the Grayle home. Flynn has a treasure map that leads to gold stolen from the Union army nearly thirty years ago. Flynn is murdered; David takes possession of the map, and along with his schoolteacher Henry Knox, and Judge Blod, organize an expedition to search for the gold in the Black Hill. With desperados and weird characters, it becomes an interesting western. Great action and suspense.

This is a good coming-of-age novel where a young teen must learn about character, loyalty, and values. It is a good young adult novel.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cracker-jack of a western novel. The author was very familiar with the actual history of the Old West and wrote in a wonderful archaic style -much like True Grit. In fact, I would have given this five stars if I hadn't recognized (from the first chapter) that this story was ripped off from a famous book that most people have at least heard of-- "TREASURE ISLAND"

Yes, Estleman rustles a great story, does a good job of using a running iron to obscure the brand, and then populates it with great individual characters with individual foibles, etc.

Despite seeing the obvious plot rustling, the novel sizzles with Old West Flavor. I highly recommend it.

[Anne Patkau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tense first-person. Explosive. Tearful. 1890 Texas, Black Hills Col. David 13 tells us Judge Con, secretly pulp writer Jed, interviews jailbird Flynn. Villains kill Flynn for hidden gold. Boy found map for teacher Knox, Con, moles to Sioux. Typos 1.1 , favor favor 2.3 clawhernmer clawhammer 4.8 saw, saw 4.12 .At At etc

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great coming-of-age story as well as a superb western that reaches beyond the stale cliches inherent in the genre today. His in-depth research is evident in the solidity of the main characters and the historical veracity rounds out the effort. Probably my favorite after Lonesome Dove.

[Andy Plonka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not really a western fan, but Estleman write beautifully which really upgrades the book.

[Partridge Public]

Estleman, Loren D.

[Cws]

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