Fastest Gun in the Pulpit

by Jack Ehrlich

Pistol-Packin’ Parson

You might say Ernie Parsons stumbled into his holy calling when he stumbled across the bullet-punctured body of Reverend Frank Fleming. It seemed like a godsend to Ernie who helped himself to the reverend’s horse, supplies--and identity. What better cover could an outlaw have than that of a new preacher (hired sight unseen) to minister to the good folk of Castle Walk, Colorado?

Little did Ernie realize when he rode into town that he would have to be as handy with his guns as with the gospel!

Genres: Westerns

158 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1972

About the author

After studying at the University of Denver and graduating from Syracuse University in 1952, he was a reporter at Newsday Inc. from 1955 to 1960, then at the New York Herald Tribune . He resumed his law studies at the Brooklyn Law School until 1962 before becoming a lawyer. He then successively served as chief prosecutor, district attorney and investigator for Suffolk County in New York State .

Beginning in 1958, he published eight detective novels, four of which featured probation officer Robert W. Flick 2 He also published four westerns, including A Reverend Among the Cowboys ( The Fastest Gun Is the Pulpit ), adapted for television in 1974.

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rereading of a light cowboy book enjoyed years ago.

[Paperback Papa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read westerns, you long for a fresh premise...something besides a range war or a revenge tale. This one from 1972 was different and thoroughly enjoyable. An outlaw finds a dead circuit-riding preacher and, in what he thinks is a stroke of genius, switches clothes with the corpse and assumes his identity. It sounds like the set-up for a zany comedy. Even the title sounds like a 60's Disney comedy with Tim Conway and Don Knotts. Don't be fooled. It's a fine western with lots of drama and flying lead.

[Kryptonian Fletch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have, over the years, enjoyed many of Jack Ehrlich’s books from westerns to crime and even a (Vietnam) war novel. They are, admittedly, pulp and a ‘guilty pleasure’ as a read … but he always adds a bit more... the plots are always a bit unpredictable, his narrative can be brutally honest and his male protagonists are never ‘pure heroes’ and very morally ambiguous. This book is the best I have read so far of his works. Its written in 1st person narrative, which is highly unusual in a western and is a good change of pace from the usual books in the western genre due to the elements, that I have described above, in abundance.

[Chris Haynes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought things were just too easy and convenient for the protagonist. He fakes being a preacher and his first sermon goes fine. A couple of people figure out he's a fake preacher and they don't care that he's lying and that he's a fake, plus they give him a few pointers where he gets things wrong because he just so darn charming and likeable. Despite all that it's well written and it's got some good characters.