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Iron Star: A Novel
Set against the sprawling landscape of the Wild West, this riveting adventure by Spur Award-winning author Loren D. Estleman follows a man on a journey to set his legacy, and the men dedicated to bringing his story to life.
From his youth as a revolutionist to his time as a Deputy U.S. Marshal, aging lawman Iron St. John has become a larger-than-life figure—and in the process, the man has disappeared behind the myth. During his brief, unsuccessful political career, St. John published his memoirs—a sanitized version of his adventures to appeal to the masses. A generation later, the clouded truth of this giant of the Old West has been all but lost.
Now, Buck Jones, a pioneering film star, is vying for a cinematic story that will launch his career to incredible heights. He approaches Emmet Rawlings, a retired Pinkerton detective, to set the record of St. John’s life straight once and for all. Twenty years ago, Rawlings accompanied St. John on his final manhunt, and in desperate need for the funding a successful book promises, he dives deep into St. John’s past—and his own buried memories—to tell the truth about this part-time hero.
As the story of St. John unfolds, the romance of the period is stripped away to reveal a reality long-forgotten in this unvarnished, heart-racing depiction of the American West by acclaimed author Loren D. Estleman.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
From his youth as a revolutionist to his time as a Deputy U.S. Marshal, aging lawman Iron St. John has become a larger-than-life figure—and in the process, the man has disappeared behind the myth. During his brief, unsuccessful political career, St. John published his memoirs—a sanitized version of his adventures to appeal to the masses. A generation later, the clouded truth of this giant of the Old West has been all but lost.
Now, Buck Jones, a pioneering film star, is vying for a cinematic story that will launch his career to incredible heights. He approaches Emmet Rawlings, a retired Pinkerton detective, to set the record of St. John’s life straight once and for all. Twenty years ago, Rawlings accompanied St. John on his final manhunt, and in desperate need for the funding a successful book promises, he dives deep into St. John’s past—and his own buried memories—to tell the truth about this part-time hero.
As the story of St. John unfolds, the romance of the period is stripped away to reveal a reality long-forgotten in this unvarnished, heart-racing depiction of the American West by acclaimed author Loren D. Estleman.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
- GenresWesterns
244 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 18, 2024
16 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Loren D. Estleman
317 books282 followersLoren 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 13, 2024
Iron Star by Loren D. Estleman is not your typical western. Sadly I didn't like the story but the idea was great. An ex Pinkerton is tasked with writing a script for the movies and one Kennedy is bankrolling it. The story is about an US marshall in the late 1800s and early 1900s. We go back and forth in this book and it's not as clean cut as we imagine the wild west. The book is well written it's just me who couldn't get into it and that is strange because the author is one of my favorites. I thank Edelweiss , Macmillan and Forge Books for letting me read this advance copy.
September 30, 2024
Mediocre western. Points deducted for having the Southern Pacific in Wyoming and having a Denver - Washington D.C. train stop for water in Laramie, Wyoming.
December 28, 2024
A love letter to cowboy oral history, 1920’s Hollywood, and western nostalgia…
Iron Star: A Novel by Loren D. Estleman is a clever novel that essential retells a prior novel by the same author Mister St John but adding new layers to the story…
The story of Irons St John is complicated…but also a hit convoluted…but that’s typical with old west lawmen that had reputations for storytelling as much as for gun play.
The novel follows three depressive narratives drifting in and out but keeping your interest.
The earliest period is the 1870s to 1880s following Irons St John’s turned from quasi outlaw to lawman working for Habgjng Judge Parker.
The second narrative is 1906, following “The Last Manhunt”, retelling the experiences of a Pinkerton working with St John and his posse to track down some notorious bandits.
The last plot thread (and the staging device for the entire novel) is set in 1926 following a Pinkerton turned writer working on a novel about the detective agency only to be offered the chance to write a book (and script) about St John’s life for western actor Buck Jones. The rest of the story plays out through the former Pinkerton reviewing his notes of interviews with the long dead lawman and comments on the manhunt.
In addition to many old Hollywood references to early 20th century films, the book also gives shoutouts to numerous Wild West figures, both lawmen and outlaws.
In addition, the author FILLS this book with colorful original creations, both marshals, criminals, politicians, businesswomen, and others…enough to fill a whole Wild West world for those interested.
Just a fun time as long as you could following the often shifting tone and time jumps in the narrative.
Iron Star: A Novel by Loren D. Estleman is a clever novel that essential retells a prior novel by the same author Mister St John but adding new layers to the story…
The story of Irons St John is complicated…but also a hit convoluted…but that’s typical with old west lawmen that had reputations for storytelling as much as for gun play.
The novel follows three depressive narratives drifting in and out but keeping your interest.
The earliest period is the 1870s to 1880s following Irons St John’s turned from quasi outlaw to lawman working for Habgjng Judge Parker.
The second narrative is 1906, following “The Last Manhunt”, retelling the experiences of a Pinkerton working with St John and his posse to track down some notorious bandits.
The last plot thread (and the staging device for the entire novel) is set in 1926 following a Pinkerton turned writer working on a novel about the detective agency only to be offered the chance to write a book (and script) about St John’s life for western actor Buck Jones. The rest of the story plays out through the former Pinkerton reviewing his notes of interviews with the long dead lawman and comments on the manhunt.
In addition to many old Hollywood references to early 20th century films, the book also gives shoutouts to numerous Wild West figures, both lawmen and outlaws.
In addition, the author FILLS this book with colorful original creations, both marshals, criminals, politicians, businesswomen, and others…enough to fill a whole Wild West world for those interested.
Just a fun time as long as you could following the often shifting tone and time jumps in the narrative.
March 18, 2024
Set against the sprawling landscape of the Wild West, this riveting adventure follows a man on a journey to set his legacy, and the men dedicated to bringing his story to life.
this was my first read by this very well-known author and i can proudly say that it wont be my last! i enjoyed the writing style and the captivating story within.
this story reads as a unique western and it held my attention throughout its entirety. im actually a Missouri gal, so the St. Louis references sprinkled throughout, made it an even more fun story for me as well.
this was my first read by this very well-known author and i can proudly say that it wont be my last! i enjoyed the writing style and the captivating story within.
this story reads as a unique western and it held my attention throughout its entirety. im actually a Missouri gal, so the St. Louis references sprinkled throughout, made it an even more fun story for me as well.
July 30, 2024
After 100 pages, I have no idea what is going on in this book and I've had enough. Something regarding writing a movie script about a Pinkerton man who is friend with a US Marshal. The narrative pops around in time and there is no story - just a series of confusingly-plotted standalone chapters with new characters who show up without introduction and then disappear from view. The dialogue was indecipherable at times. I have read some decent mystery books by Loren Estleman, but this was not good.
July 13, 2024
“Print the legend”. There’s the history of the west and then there’s the mythic west, especially in novels and films. This is an interesting genre exploration of the interplay between the two in the figure of a legendary lawman. Estleman is an excellent hard boiled writer of mysteries and westerns so he’s part of the myth making he’s exploring. A bit too shambolic in the narrative shifts and point of view plus Estleman is prone to overly ornate figures of speech that can be hard to decipher.
November 19, 2024
This book is just ok. The characters are well written and some more liked than others. What I didn't enjoy was the way it jumped from the story's present day to the past, making it a think back story. It was also slow paced.
June 30, 2024
Looking back selectively at Irons St. John’s life as a lawman. It’s a campaign bio, so it leaves out the lawbreaking parts. (See “Mr. St. John.”)
Want to read
July 1, 2024E
November 10, 2024
I usually prefer Estleman's Amos Walker series, but he brings the same verve and humor to his Westerns.
March 31, 2025
Nice to see a change of pace -- a Western-- from this writing legend.
January 30, 2026
40 page rule
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews