Black as Death

Undertaker #1

by George G. Gilman

mass market paperback book

Genres: Westerns

178 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1981

About the author

A pseudonym used by Terry Harknett.

Edge (61 books as George G. Gilman)
Adam Steele (49 books as George G. Gilman)
Edge Meets Adam Steele (3 books as George G. Gilman)
The Undertaker (6 books as George G. Gilman)

Reviews

[Dirk Grobbelaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This pulpy little western really surprised me.

Not only is the protagonist uniquely psychopathic, but the novel also contains scenes of an erotic and psychological nature that would not have been out of place in a psychological horror story. The story is pretty damn dark and even though the kill count isn’t particularly high the violence is described as vividly and lovingly as I have ever read.

It’s hard to classify Black as Death (the title of the book is rather apt, by the way). It isn’t a typical revenge Western, since that bit of the story is dealt with quite early on. The rest of the book explores the protagonist’s psyche, which is a wormy affair, and features some flashbacks that flesh out the back story. While this is going on, our anti-heroic Undertaker moves from location to location, smoking cheroots and either scaring or killing the odd varmint. I’m guessing Acid Westerns might have been an influence.

It’s a quick read and a fascinating one. I daresay that this won’t be everybody’s cup of tea shot of rotgut, but if you’re looking to scratch that violent Western itch this is as good a place to start as any. It has all you need: enigmatic gunslinger(s), crooked ladies of disrepute, cool action sequences… and, of course, a touch of depravity.

I was tempted to give this one 5 stars. It has the makings of a cult classic (in my lowly opinion) and in particular because it seems to be out of print. On the other hand, I came away from it feeling slightly soiled distressed, which is reason to subtract one star, I should think.
Now, I’m going to have to see if I can get hold of the rest of the books in the series, starting with Destined to Die.

[Mikepottz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dressed in black, Barnaby didn't want to be an undertaker but after the death of his abusive drunk father and a lucrative order of building an exquisite casket he had no choice. Through circumstances Barnaby will pump bullets into a man's stomach, smashing flesh apart. Barnaby had never killed, he felt drained and weak. Don't cross Barnaby. Barnaby had always dreamt of embarking to Europe. Now with the threat of revenge against him he buys weapons and practices relentlessly to be able to draw a gun quickly with adroit skill to kill. Barnaby is a deep and disturbed introvert. A great start to this series. Will he become as crazy as Edge?

[Lune · Rating 3 out of 5]

the first three chapters were insane and then it became a “pov: come with me to get revenge on my nemesis 🎀"

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you crave 178 pages of exaggerated machismo and cowboy tropes hot off the spinner rack from the early 1980's worth every bit of that $1 from the paper and pulp convention, well look no further! Although, if you really want to read this....well, it's likely you're only going to find it in some used book sale of obscure paperbacks, to which I say: keep looking further. It's no Lonesome Dove, but it's a genuinely fun "guns, horses, and trail dust" story.

[neil · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry but this was just not all that enjoyable 🫠 I don't think the plot knew what it was trying to do, and along with that the writing is split up into a bunch of unnecessary sentences. The main character doesn't even get introduced until around chapter 4 and then later his dad pretty much has sex with his wife...weird book!

[Malum · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very weird book. There's no real plot to speak of and lots of flashbacks, and it doesn't even follow the main character for the first quarter of the book. Luckily the main character is compelling enough to carry this relatively short read (when he actually shows up anyway).

[Wyktor Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always love a good western, and this first novel in the Undertaker series is no exception.
It's typical of George G Gilman's other books and a bloody good read.

[Bobby H · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/4 stars. Well written, tight writing style and not too much fluff. Good introduction to character. Get more of these.

[Kev · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the first books I ever read, borrowed from my Father, who was a great western fan. I found it intriguing, a dark delve into the human psych. I read the above cover version. & I even did a drawing of the cover... But I now have an American version, bought via e-bay Via the Salt Lake City, Utah, Central Book Exchange!

[Eion Hewson · Rating 2 out of 5]

good to go back to books i read as a kid but no need to keep reading this series after this