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The Last Cowboys Of San Geronimo: A Compelling Contemporary Western – Cowboy Brothers, Betrayal, and Murder Across California
“One of the most compelling novels I’ve read in a long time.” —Eowyn Ivey
“Shares the trail with the likes of Edward Abbey, Cormac McCarthy, and Larry McMurtry.” —Craig Johnson, best-selling author of the Walt Longmire Mysteries, the basis for the hit show Longmire
When Silas Van Loy flees home on horseback to avoid capture for his brother’s murder, he is followed by both the police and his brother’s wife, Lena, who is intent on exacting revenge. She reluctantly lets her trusted stable assistant join her in a journey across the wilds of Northern California in the hopes of catching Silas for one final showdown. Stansel follows the chase and shares the story of the brothers’ rise from hardscrabble childhood to their reign as the region’s preeminent horse trainers, tracking the tense sibling rivalry that ultimately leads to the elder’s death.
A “fast-paced, moving narrative in which family loyalty is tested, broken, and redeemed in unexpected ways,”* The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo will satisfy fans of Kent Haruf, Charles Portis, Molly Gloss, and Smith Henderson, and establish Stansel as a new voice in this grand tradition.
*BookPage
“Shares the trail with the likes of Edward Abbey, Cormac McCarthy, and Larry McMurtry.” —Craig Johnson, best-selling author of the Walt Longmire Mysteries, the basis for the hit show Longmire
When Silas Van Loy flees home on horseback to avoid capture for his brother’s murder, he is followed by both the police and his brother’s wife, Lena, who is intent on exacting revenge. She reluctantly lets her trusted stable assistant join her in a journey across the wilds of Northern California in the hopes of catching Silas for one final showdown. Stansel follows the chase and shares the story of the brothers’ rise from hardscrabble childhood to their reign as the region’s preeminent horse trainers, tracking the tense sibling rivalry that ultimately leads to the elder’s death.
A “fast-paced, moving narrative in which family loyalty is tested, broken, and redeemed in unexpected ways,”* The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo will satisfy fans of Kent Haruf, Charles Portis, Molly Gloss, and Smith Henderson, and establish Stansel as a new voice in this grand tradition.
*BookPage
208 pages, Paperback
First published July 4, 2017
About the author
Ian Stansel
11 books27 followersIan Stansel is the author of the novel The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo and the short story collection Everybody's Irish, a finalist for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction.
Ian holds an MFA in fiction writing from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and a PhD in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Houston, where from 2010 to 2012 he served as the editor of Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts.
His fiction has appeared in numerous literary journals, including Ploughshares, Ecotone, Cincinnati Review, Memorious, Antioch Review, and others. His stories have been selected for inclusion in the 2012 and 2013 editions of the New Stories of the Midwest anthology series and shortlisted for Best American Short Stories.
His nonfiction writing has appeared on Salon and The Good Men Project, and he contributes monthly posts on a variety of literary subjects to the blog at Ploughshares.
Born in Chicago, and raised there and in northern California, he currently lives in Louisville with his wife, writer Sarah Anne Strickley, and their two daughters. He teaches creative writing at the University of Louisville.
He can be contacted at istansel [at] gmail [dot] com.
Ian holds an MFA in fiction writing from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and a PhD in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Houston, where from 2010 to 2012 he served as the editor of Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts.
His fiction has appeared in numerous literary journals, including Ploughshares, Ecotone, Cincinnati Review, Memorious, Antioch Review, and others. His stories have been selected for inclusion in the 2012 and 2013 editions of the New Stories of the Midwest anthology series and shortlisted for Best American Short Stories.
His nonfiction writing has appeared on Salon and The Good Men Project, and he contributes monthly posts on a variety of literary subjects to the blog at Ploughshares.
Born in Chicago, and raised there and in northern California, he currently lives in Louisville with his wife, writer Sarah Anne Strickley, and their two daughters. He teaches creative writing at the University of Louisville.
He can be contacted at istansel [at] gmail [dot] com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
July 23, 2017
Once upon a time, quite a long while ago, I was a young preteen who spent Saturday nights with her grandfather, watching Westerns on TV. Big valley, Ponderosa, and of course anything with John Wayne. Read Louis L'amour, just to be able to discuss with him what we read. Miss that time and that wonderful man tremendously. That experience instilled a love in me for that genre that still exists to this day. Westerns though are not as popular, have been n short supply, though in the last few years some are once again being published, like this novel billed as a contemporary Western.
Northern, California, two brothers on a horse ranch take over their dying father's property, differences ensue, and the brothers become rivals. Each with his own business, tricks are played on each other, some quite nasty, but they are each relatively successful in their own way. Why then after all this time would one brother kill the other and then take off?
Beautiful descriptions of the landscape, much horse talk as expected, and that I love, and lastly a chase, a journey and revenge. Classic Western themes, done very well. Brotherly relationships, extremely complicated and competitive. A simply story, hidden motives, and a starting conclusion.
Northern, California, two brothers on a horse ranch take over their dying father's property, differences ensue, and the brothers become rivals. Each with his own business, tricks are played on each other, some quite nasty, but they are each relatively successful in their own way. Why then after all this time would one brother kill the other and then take off?
Beautiful descriptions of the landscape, much horse talk as expected, and that I love, and lastly a chase, a journey and revenge. Classic Western themes, done very well. Brotherly relationships, extremely complicated and competitive. A simply story, hidden motives, and a starting conclusion.
December 1, 2017
I spent November in Arizona. While I was there I visited the library and renewed my inactive card, then browsed around and chose this one from the new arrivals section as a way of easing myself into Library Life for a few weeks.
The story starts off with a bang, literally. On the first page, Silas Van Loy shoots his own brother and we don't have a clue as to why. From then on, Silas is on the run; Frank's widow Lena is searching for him; and we are slowly told about the entwined lives of the brothers, as well as the reason for the shooting.
There were some lovely passages, such as when Lena was riding through the mountains looking for Silas and missing Frank: The air was his breath. The tree branches were his arms outstretched. . . . His absence surrounded her, crushed her, howled its thunderous silence. When it got to be too much, she urged her horse forward into a canter, but every step Pepper took merely stamped her husband's name into the earth."
But there were some weird phrases too. I didn't write down who was doing this, but once someone got something out of "the lower regions of the bucket's topography" and somewhere else one lady "exhumed her gum". Blech!
Another odd part was this description of a woman: "She spoke with an accent that bespoke a global existence.". Is that a new code for something that people might be afraid to say? I must be getting old, it just seems clumsy to me.
I thought the story was compelling, but I was disappointed with the ending, and I would not rank the author with McMurtry or Haruf the way the GR blurb does.
The story starts off with a bang, literally. On the first page, Silas Van Loy shoots his own brother and we don't have a clue as to why. From then on, Silas is on the run; Frank's widow Lena is searching for him; and we are slowly told about the entwined lives of the brothers, as well as the reason for the shooting.
There were some lovely passages, such as when Lena was riding through the mountains looking for Silas and missing Frank: The air was his breath. The tree branches were his arms outstretched. . . . His absence surrounded her, crushed her, howled its thunderous silence. When it got to be too much, she urged her horse forward into a canter, but every step Pepper took merely stamped her husband's name into the earth."
But there were some weird phrases too. I didn't write down who was doing this, but once someone got something out of "the lower regions of the bucket's topography" and somewhere else one lady "exhumed her gum". Blech!
Another odd part was this description of a woman: "She spoke with an accent that bespoke a global existence.". Is that a new code for something that people might be afraid to say? I must be getting old, it just seems clumsy to me.
I thought the story was compelling, but I was disappointed with the ending, and I would not rank the author with McMurtry or Haruf the way the GR blurb does.
December 17, 2017
Silas kills his brother Frank in the first paragraph and then implausibly eschews his truck and makes his getaway instead on a horse called Disco, so that the novel can be called a Western I guess. Frank's wife pursues on her own horse and with revenge in her heart. Silas meets a bisexual. I liked the horse.
November 16, 2016
Loved the juxtaposition of dusty ol' hardscrabble cowboy brothers with the modern equestrian set and LGBTs of Marin County. (Note: see comment below.) Equine adoration as religion. Strong prose. Characterizing dialogue. Great local wine. Undercurrents of violence always ready to surface. Extending on the promise of Everybody's Irish.
March 30, 2017
This novel about a lifetime of love and resentment between brothers is the best book I have read this year. I found it basically pitch-perfect.
All year, I've been giving books that I really, really liked 4 stars, and feeling guilty. Now I see why. I was saving 5-star ratings for books like THIS one, that simply blow you away with their downright goddamn readability.
Beautiful, thoughtful, yet somehow still no-nonsense prose tells the story of two feuding cowboy brothers in the competitive world of NoCal horse-training. It also tells the story of Lena, driven near-mad by loss, and possessing glorious, terrible purpose.
I shall not give out a single more detail. They're not needed. Give this book two pages, TWO PAGES, and see if you aren't as instantly engaged and interested as I was.
This is a debut novel? No. Lies. Cannot be. This is a pinnacle, not a first swing.
All year, I've been giving books that I really, really liked 4 stars, and feeling guilty. Now I see why. I was saving 5-star ratings for books like THIS one, that simply blow you away with their downright goddamn readability.
Beautiful, thoughtful, yet somehow still no-nonsense prose tells the story of two feuding cowboy brothers in the competitive world of NoCal horse-training. It also tells the story of Lena, driven near-mad by loss, and possessing glorious, terrible purpose.
I shall not give out a single more detail. They're not needed. Give this book two pages, TWO PAGES, and see if you aren't as instantly engaged and interested as I was.
This is a debut novel? No. Lies. Cannot be. This is a pinnacle, not a first swing.
August 12, 2017
Beautiful evocation of the past butted up against the present with Marin County as the star.
July 27, 2017
A creative, deceptively simple plot that turned out to be surprisingly thrilling and emotional.
December 30, 2017
Frank and Silas are brothers, the story beginning with Silas having just killed Frank. Why would he shoot his brother? Told through the alternating voices of Silas and Frank's wife Lena, the answers are revealed.
Raised on a horse ranch, Frank and Silas are skilled and knowledge horsemen, building reputations as trainers and teachers. When Frank is given greater responsibility at the ranch when their father is ill, the rivalry, competition and destruction of the relationship leads to violence and contention.
Silas heads for the hills on his favorite horse after he shoots Frank, with Lena on his trail with plans to kill him. Though set in contemporary times, the story has the appeal of an old fashioned Western.
3.5 rounded up to 4.
Raised on a horse ranch, Frank and Silas are skilled and knowledge horsemen, building reputations as trainers and teachers. When Frank is given greater responsibility at the ranch when their father is ill, the rivalry, competition and destruction of the relationship leads to violence and contention.
Silas heads for the hills on his favorite horse after he shoots Frank, with Lena on his trail with plans to kill him. Though set in contemporary times, the story has the appeal of an old fashioned Western.
3.5 rounded up to 4.
November 8, 2023
Frank and Silas this entire book: in response to not getting the attention I deserve, I’ve decided I will cause problems On Purpose™
The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo tells the tale of two brothers so wrapped up in an artificial and infantile self-mythology that they lose their grip on their sanity. The problem is, I don’t know whether Stansel himself recognizes that self-mythology for what it is. There are moments when I feel certain he does, but there are others that make me doubt, since the writing indulges in quite a bit of self-mythologizing itself. The narrative is a little self-conscious and a little quixotic, especially when it attempts introspection or stumbles over contrived dialogue. It spends a decent part of its time trying to be more significant, more profound, more moving than it is.
In other words – one could argue – it’s a quintessential Western.
Still, I’ll give Stansel some credit for the twist (implausible though it ends up being) and for a quick, readable pace.
The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo tells the tale of two brothers so wrapped up in an artificial and infantile self-mythology that they lose their grip on their sanity. The problem is, I don’t know whether Stansel himself recognizes that self-mythology for what it is. There are moments when I feel certain he does, but there are others that make me doubt, since the writing indulges in quite a bit of self-mythologizing itself. The narrative is a little self-conscious and a little quixotic, especially when it attempts introspection or stumbles over contrived dialogue. It spends a decent part of its time trying to be more significant, more profound, more moving than it is.
In other words – one could argue – it’s a quintessential Western.
Still, I’ll give Stansel some credit for the twist (implausible though it ends up being) and for a quick, readable pace.
”You got horses down, that’s for sure. You know those animals. Maybe better than me. Definitely better than your brother. But that isn’t brains. That’s in your bones. It’s running through your veins. It’s physical, is what it is. Your brother’s built for this world. You and me are just a collection of dumb old cowboy limbs.”
October 11, 2024
The beginning of the book starts out with a bang and left me wondering the entire time why????? There was a lot of back n forth between describing the up bringing and relationship between Silas, Frank, and Lena - again the entire time I’m wondering but why, what happened. Small snippets updated the aftermath and there’s this “chase” going on. Finally the end brings some clarity as to why… but it was a bit of an “eh” unveiling. Overall I still have questions and it kept me engaged throughout but it could’ve used a little more of a “wow I didn’t see that coming”
Take this review with a grain of salt… it’s like my second Goodreads review
Take this review with a grain of salt… it’s like my second Goodreads review
September 19, 2017
I really loved this book. The author, Ian Stansel is a lovely writer. That is the best way I can describe his writing - it is lovely. (He is too, actually) This is the story of 2 brothers living in Northern California. They are rivals. They are also horsemen - they have worked together and separately boarding and training horses and teaching horseback lessons. We learn early on that Silas has just killed his brother Frank and is going on the run. Frank leaves behind a wife Lena, a strongly written character who decides to search out Silas. The story goes back and forth - we read from Silas' point of view and Lena's. Both characters are well-written and fully formed. Nothing drives me crazy like a half-ass written character. Silas is complex and as the story unfolds we learn of his backstory with Frank and even Lena. While this isn't a mystery in the typical way, we already know Silas did it - the author takes us on a journey shall we say to figure out the why. The story moves along - not frantic or rushed like a mystery or a thriller, but slowly and purposefully. I found that I would pick up the story thinking i would read just a few pages and I would find myself having a hard time putting the book down. That is the sign of a great writer. Ian's writing is again, just lovely.
I didn't see the ending coming - but it was a satisfying way to conclude the brothers story. I hope Lena found some closure too - as the reader, i certainly did.
I didn't see the ending coming - but it was a satisfying way to conclude the brothers story. I hope Lena found some closure too - as the reader, i certainly did.
June 3, 2017
The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo by Ian Stansel is the story of two brothers who spent their lives feuding until one fateful act ended it all. The story opens with the death of Frank Van Loy, the older brother, and his younger brother, Silas, has killed him. Silas goes on the run, knowing the authorities will be after him. What he doesn’t realize is another is on his trail too. Lena, Frank’s wife, is determined to find the man who murdered her beloved husband. As the search for Silas continues and Silas tries to stay one step ahead, the brothers’ history is revealed and the truth behind their feud is much more complicated than a brothers’ fight. Did Silas kill Frank in cold blood and why? Will Lena catch up with him? What will she do if she does?
The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo is a contemporary western about a lifelong feud. While the book wasn’t my cup of tea, Mr. Stansel’s descriptions of the locations are beautiful and how he describes the horses and their movements is poetic. However, I didn’t care for the language he uses for some of the character. I realize that the language fits the characters, I just don’t like it being used in life and in books. The story does leave the reader questioning Silas’ true motive in killing Frank. I like that the truth behind why he did it wasn’t so cut and dry and the reactions of Lena and others as they hear his motive is believable. I recommend The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo for those who enjoy a good western with a family drama twist.
The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo
will be available July 4, 2017
in hardcover and ebook
The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo is a contemporary western about a lifelong feud. While the book wasn’t my cup of tea, Mr. Stansel’s descriptions of the locations are beautiful and how he describes the horses and their movements is poetic. However, I didn’t care for the language he uses for some of the character. I realize that the language fits the characters, I just don’t like it being used in life and in books. The story does leave the reader questioning Silas’ true motive in killing Frank. I like that the truth behind why he did it wasn’t so cut and dry and the reactions of Lena and others as they hear his motive is believable. I recommend The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo for those who enjoy a good western with a family drama twist.
The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo
will be available July 4, 2017
in hardcover and ebook
July 21, 2017
The blurbs for this latter day Western saga compare it with the best of Kent Haruf, Ivan Doig, Molly Gloss and Larry McMurtry. That praise sets a very high bar for a debut, or any other, novel so I started with a decidedly skeptical "show me" bent. I maintained this attitude for much of the book until a surprising plot twist midway through forced a reappraisal.
As an only child, I can not appreciate the dynamics of sibling relationships, as my wife, herself a twin and one of six sibs, often reminds me. The critics liken the relationship between Frank and Silas to that between Cain and Abel, and indeed at one time or another each of the brothers shoots the other in the course of their life long love/hate relationship. Unlike C & A, there is no clear cut good guy/bad guy demarcation. Added to the mix is Lena, Frank's long suffering wife then widow who sets out in pursuit of Silas planning her revenge. And it all takes place on horseback. (Hence the Molly Gloss comparison.)
I am still thinking about and processing this book, which raises it above the ordinary read. (Spoiler alert.) While I can accept the brothers life long feud, I can not reconcile the brothers' reported devotion to horses with the fact that they each are willing to endanger the others' animals in pursuit of revenge.
As an only child, I can not appreciate the dynamics of sibling relationships, as my wife, herself a twin and one of six sibs, often reminds me. The critics liken the relationship between Frank and Silas to that between Cain and Abel, and indeed at one time or another each of the brothers shoots the other in the course of their life long love/hate relationship. Unlike C & A, there is no clear cut good guy/bad guy demarcation. Added to the mix is Lena, Frank's long suffering wife then widow who sets out in pursuit of Silas planning her revenge. And it all takes place on horseback. (Hence the Molly Gloss comparison.)
I am still thinking about and processing this book, which raises it above the ordinary read. (Spoiler alert.) While I can accept the brothers life long feud, I can not reconcile the brothers' reported devotion to horses with the fact that they each are willing to endanger the others' animals in pursuit of revenge.
Did Not Finish
August 30, 2021DNF
Three stars because what little I read of the book was passable enough. Perhaps this book is decent, but I have no interest to continue. However, there is a run-on sentence that takes up half a page in chapter three which cured me of wanting to read further.
Three stars because what little I read of the book was passable enough. Perhaps this book is decent, but I have no interest to continue. However, there is a run-on sentence that takes up half a page in chapter three which cured me of wanting to read further.
July 23, 2017
Great little book about cowboys - and a couple of those cowboys are women. The main characters are two brothers - Frank and Silas - and Lena (who is Frank's wife) and Rain, a stable hand who joins Lena on her trek by horseback to find her husband's killer. The setting is California - in the here and now - which is yet another reason this western story is cut from a different cloth from so many others. The two brothers feud for much of their lives even though they were best friends as kids, and their fighting gets downright nasty including one time when one brother shot the other one right in the gut.
So why did things go awry between the two? Here's a conversation between Silas and his father (Silas Sr.) at about the time when Silas and his elder brother Frank are really making a go of things after Frank's idea to turn the family stables from a Western operation to English riding. The brothers are partners. The father tells his son that Frank has "business sense" and Silas reminds him that it was his operation, too, along with his brother's. His father says: "You got horse sense, that's for sure. You know those animals. Maybe better than me. Definitely better than your brother. But that isn't brains. That's in your bones. It's running through your veins. It's physical, is what it is. Your brother's built for this world. You and me are just a collection of dumb old cowboy limbs." Hearing this from his father, Silas was humiliated and felt like "the last dodo, the lone mammoth lumbering across the prairie." He later reflects that these words were when he would eventually sever himself from his brother and set off on his own. And then some.
As much as the story is about the two men, it is also about Lena who is quite the accomplished "cowboy" in her own right, a tough woman who runs the outfit along with the two brothers until they split off, and then as co-owner and operator with her husband Frank. She came from horsewoman stock and the recollection of her great grandmother Aileen's solo journey on a horse in England to see a boy who was going off to war gives her great pride. She trains a host of riders through the years and she mentors and trains Rain, a young woman who is fast becoming a fine horsewoman and generally run the stables. Lena is the one who is at the side of Silas Sr. as he slowly succumbs to lung cancer, when his sons can't bear to do so, and Lena is the one who goes after Silas after he murders Frank.
This is a fast moving yet quite poetic story. Character development is strong, and I found myself rooting for all of them, yet knowing full well that they were each going to go down certain paths, and it would be sad for the most part. The story has a little bit of a twist as to "why he done it" which I won't reveal, but which makes it all the more believable, in my opinion.
So why did things go awry between the two? Here's a conversation between Silas and his father (Silas Sr.) at about the time when Silas and his elder brother Frank are really making a go of things after Frank's idea to turn the family stables from a Western operation to English riding. The brothers are partners. The father tells his son that Frank has "business sense" and Silas reminds him that it was his operation, too, along with his brother's. His father says: "You got horse sense, that's for sure. You know those animals. Maybe better than me. Definitely better than your brother. But that isn't brains. That's in your bones. It's running through your veins. It's physical, is what it is. Your brother's built for this world. You and me are just a collection of dumb old cowboy limbs." Hearing this from his father, Silas was humiliated and felt like "the last dodo, the lone mammoth lumbering across the prairie." He later reflects that these words were when he would eventually sever himself from his brother and set off on his own. And then some.
As much as the story is about the two men, it is also about Lena who is quite the accomplished "cowboy" in her own right, a tough woman who runs the outfit along with the two brothers until they split off, and then as co-owner and operator with her husband Frank. She came from horsewoman stock and the recollection of her great grandmother Aileen's solo journey on a horse in England to see a boy who was going off to war gives her great pride. She trains a host of riders through the years and she mentors and trains Rain, a young woman who is fast becoming a fine horsewoman and generally run the stables. Lena is the one who is at the side of Silas Sr. as he slowly succumbs to lung cancer, when his sons can't bear to do so, and Lena is the one who goes after Silas after he murders Frank.
This is a fast moving yet quite poetic story. Character development is strong, and I found myself rooting for all of them, yet knowing full well that they were each going to go down certain paths, and it would be sad for the most part. The story has a little bit of a twist as to "why he done it" which I won't reveal, but which makes it all the more believable, in my opinion.
June 9, 2022
5 stars. I got this book from the library for 50 cents and I read it all in one sitting in the morning on my couch looking onto the mountains. This book was fantastic. Fast-paced, engaging, and it struck something very deep within me at its examination of the horse industry as a whole - both the western and English sides of it.
Ian Stansel comments in his author’s notes that this book was written for his late sister - an avid horsewoman, rider and trainer. He also remarks that he is not a horseman himself, but his understanding of the industry combined with a neutral attitude towards it of neither love nor hate really allowed him to craft an honest and poignant portrayal of what it is to love horses. To devote yourself to them body and soul. The novel showed such a keen understanding of these feelings that it rugged at my heartstrings many times and left me thinking about my own devotion to these animals and this life. Even the worst people in this book had moments of connection with me from the sheer love for the animal. While there were small moments or mentions here and there of things that didn’t 100% make sense on the horse front, they were few and far between. Thanks to his sister, Stansel understood the heart of a horseman and the equestrian community itself. And that was more important than anything else.
Stansel also perfectly captures the battle that has been happening with horsemen for over 100 years now - the dying age of the cowboy and the west. He takes story themes that are typically reserved for stories of the late 1800s and gives them a fresh spin for the 21st century. Rivalry, showdowns and struggles of what it means to be a cowboy in a world that no longer accepts them. And how those cultural traits have still found their way into the world of English competition.
Stansel’a characters were intriguing, all with gray morals and motivations. He managed to create wonderfully complex characters given that the novel was just under 200 pages and for that I applaud him. Using a perfect mixture of flashbacks and perspective changes, this short novel remained engaging throughout. He used exactly how many pages he needed and no more.
I truly truly enjoyed this book. Regardless of your involvement with horses it is an interesting read, but having that knowledge of what it is to live and breathe horses and knowledge of the sinister undertones of parts of the industry itself only adds to the experience. To witness an outsider’s thorough but painfully accurate examination of our world was thought provoking and intense. I enjoyed it immensely.
Ian Stansel comments in his author’s notes that this book was written for his late sister - an avid horsewoman, rider and trainer. He also remarks that he is not a horseman himself, but his understanding of the industry combined with a neutral attitude towards it of neither love nor hate really allowed him to craft an honest and poignant portrayal of what it is to love horses. To devote yourself to them body and soul. The novel showed such a keen understanding of these feelings that it rugged at my heartstrings many times and left me thinking about my own devotion to these animals and this life. Even the worst people in this book had moments of connection with me from the sheer love for the animal. While there were small moments or mentions here and there of things that didn’t 100% make sense on the horse front, they were few and far between. Thanks to his sister, Stansel understood the heart of a horseman and the equestrian community itself. And that was more important than anything else.
Stansel also perfectly captures the battle that has been happening with horsemen for over 100 years now - the dying age of the cowboy and the west. He takes story themes that are typically reserved for stories of the late 1800s and gives them a fresh spin for the 21st century. Rivalry, showdowns and struggles of what it means to be a cowboy in a world that no longer accepts them. And how those cultural traits have still found their way into the world of English competition.
Stansel’a characters were intriguing, all with gray morals and motivations. He managed to create wonderfully complex characters given that the novel was just under 200 pages and for that I applaud him. Using a perfect mixture of flashbacks and perspective changes, this short novel remained engaging throughout. He used exactly how many pages he needed and no more.
I truly truly enjoyed this book. Regardless of your involvement with horses it is an interesting read, but having that knowledge of what it is to live and breathe horses and knowledge of the sinister undertones of parts of the industry itself only adds to the experience. To witness an outsider’s thorough but painfully accurate examination of our world was thought provoking and intense. I enjoyed it immensely.
July 15, 2017
This is a modern saga of brother kills brother. Ian Stansel, the author of “The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo,” does a nice job with the story of the murder and a wife’s search for revenge. The brothers have had a bitter relationship for many years while struggling with their riding horse business, and when Frank Van Loy sells younger Silas’ beloved horse during a financial downturn, bad things start getting worse.
When Silas shoots Frank and rides off into the Marin County mountains north of San Francisco, Frank’s widow goes after him with unpleasant thoughts about what she’ll do when she catches up with him. Stansell adeptly handles flashbacks of the brothers and their earlier lives, building up to the animosity, and it all fits together nicely, providing background and substance to the story. Flashbacks sometimes tie an anchor to a story, but not this time.
As the final confrontation comes down between Silas and Frank, the reader finds a different killing stimulus in play, one that seems at odds with the bitterness between them. Even Lena, who hates Silas, comes to realize that her quest might be ill advised. The author is skillful in his depiction of this revelation and the background information he has inserted adds credence to the plot. A good book for an early career effort. I look forward to further work from the young author.
April 28, 2018
If you like horses, then you'll probably like this book more than I did. It's a basic rivalry-violence-revenge story, but set in horse country in northern California. It's not particularly compelling in any way, but it's not bad, either. A couple of phrases are nicely evocative, particularly in the descriptions of Frank, whose murder at the start of the book drives the plot and also the back-story that is his wife's memories of him and his brother's memory of him. And this is not a spoiler, but Frank's brother Silas did him in. The why is a little interesting, and the book builds to that point as Silas replays the last month or two of his brother's life while Silas is on the run from the police.
Reading a book like this that's adequately written and definitely doesn't go on too long (less than 200 pages) shows how hard it is to write a really good book. Because this isn't, and yet the author is pretty well regarded.
My biggest takeaway from the book is that it's harder to ride a horse than it might appear. I don't mean in the sense of balance, which I'm sure is hard enough. But in the sense of the physical nature of the work, the bouncing, use of muscles, heat of a horse, and the need to be constantly aware of the horse's needs as well as your own. Not for me -- I'd rather hike.
Reading a book like this that's adequately written and definitely doesn't go on too long (less than 200 pages) shows how hard it is to write a really good book. Because this isn't, and yet the author is pretty well regarded.
My biggest takeaway from the book is that it's harder to ride a horse than it might appear. I don't mean in the sense of balance, which I'm sure is hard enough. But in the sense of the physical nature of the work, the bouncing, use of muscles, heat of a horse, and the need to be constantly aware of the horse's needs as well as your own. Not for me -- I'd rather hike.
May 24, 2023
I listened to an audio version of this book, read in a dispassionate monotone that failed to elevate its few moments of interesting drama or feeling. I often found myself thinking that a more competent reader with the capacity to breathe some life into the prose might have helped give the piece some life. The story purports to be an evocation of a particularly virulent feud between two brothers in a deadly sibling rivalry. There's no spoiler in that phrase, by the way. You learn on the first page that one of the brothers has killed the other. The remainder of the book alternately recounts the history that led them to this point and describes the flight of the killer, pursued by authorities and the vindictive wife of his dead brother. The plot takes a couple of intriguing turns here and there, but on the whole the novel tells an inoffensive and only mildly interesting story involving weakly drawn characters who, to the extent one gets a sense of them at all, are either unlikeable or uninteresting. If you're looking for a sprawling saga of the contemporary American West or even a mild taste of "Yellowstone" Lite, you're in for some disappointment with "The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo." If you want the equivalent of a low-budget C-grade Netflix time killer, you could do worse. Just be sure to read the text for yourself and avoid the audio version.
June 16, 2017
When I dove into this book, I thought it would be a tale of two brothers at war with one another. Clearly I skimmed the description, found it compelling, and didn't revisit it before reading the book properly. When we open, Frank is dead. His brother Silas has shot him and flees on his horse. Not much of a revenge story? Well, we do get flashbacks to various points in their feud. Oh, and then there's Lena, Frank's wife, tracking him down...
Stansel's poetic writing is thoughtful without being floral, personal without getting bogged down in the details. It evokes the sense of a dying breed, which is fitting for a Western of this title.
I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my review.
Stansel's poetic writing is thoughtful without being floral, personal without getting bogged down in the details. It evokes the sense of a dying breed, which is fitting for a Western of this title.
I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my review.
July 30, 2017
Sure, this IS a story about equestrian stables and the training they provide for talented riders with the goal of achieving blue ribbons in Equestrian Shows. But this is really a story of brothers--how competitive they can be and how such fierce rivalries can become vicious and violent. Stansel opens the book with Frank Van Loy already dead, felled by Silas’ gun. Silas rides off into the hills of Marin County, California on the back of his mare Disco, pursued by the police and Frank’s widow, Lena—also on horseback. Stansel peppers his narrative with flashbacks of the brothers’ relationship that developed over the years into a dangerous feud. But—as we all know—the line between hate and love is a thin one. And love is stronger than hate in the end. Recommend.
February 7, 2024
I listened to the playaway version of this book. I don't think I have read or listened to a fictional book about cowboys before.
At the beginning of the book we learn that Silas killed his brother. So the mystery is why he did it? And I was sure surprised when I found out why. So I liked that I had no idea why Silas did it until I learned from the book why he did it.
Well maybe that is not it. I had an idea why Silas Killed his brother but, it was the wrong idea. I thought he killed his bother out of hatred because he wanted his brother dead.
And I also liked learning about the feud between the bothers and the things they did to each other that weren't so nice.
So I thought The last cowboys was a decent book with enough suspense to keep me interested.
At the beginning of the book we learn that Silas killed his brother. So the mystery is why he did it? And I was sure surprised when I found out why. So I liked that I had no idea why Silas did it until I learned from the book why he did it.
Well maybe that is not it. I had an idea why Silas Killed his brother but, it was the wrong idea. I thought he killed his bother out of hatred because he wanted his brother dead.
And I also liked learning about the feud between the bothers and the things they did to each other that weren't so nice.
So I thought The last cowboys was a decent book with enough suspense to keep me interested.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2017
Where do I start? This is not my typical genre! I actually almost never read westerns and not for any particular reason... I just never really ventured into them I suppose. The cover and summary of this book sounded interesting and it played into my suspense/murder interests and I'm so glad I gave the galley edition a chance.
I loved this story! I liked the authors writing style. I liked the character build. I loved the dialogue. The book was about 200 pages and, for that length, the author did a great job of building a story about family relationships, emotions, and created some surprising twists and turns in the plot.
Definitely worth a read for any reader - western lover or not!
I loved this story! I liked the authors writing style. I liked the character build. I loved the dialogue. The book was about 200 pages and, for that length, the author did a great job of building a story about family relationships, emotions, and created some surprising twists and turns in the plot.
Definitely worth a read for any reader - western lover or not!
September 1, 2017
Silas and Frank have always had a contentious relationship as brothers, yet no one expects Silas to kill Frank. Silas heads into the hills on horseback, persued by Frank's wife Lena and a younger girl who works for her. As the story unfolds, it bounces back between Silas and Lena and back between the past and the present as the complicated relationship between Silas and Frank is explored more deeply.
I really enjoyed this book. While not entirely a contemporary western, it did have some updated hat tips back to Lonesome Dove and other novels of that genre that explore relationships between "masculine" adult males.
I really enjoyed this book. While not entirely a contemporary western, it did have some updated hat tips back to Lonesome Dove and other novels of that genre that explore relationships between "masculine" adult males.
October 5, 2017
3.5⭐️s Interesting story set in N California about the love/hate relationship between two brothers, Frank and Silas, as they developed their horse training/riding/boarding business. The one business became two and the rivalry, grudges, and business sabotaging trickery continued to escalate. Things go really bad when Silas murders Frank. The question is why? The story shifts from what led up to this end to what happens afterwards. Silas escapes on horseback and Frank's wife Lena, intent on murderous revenge, saddles up and goes after him. While the ending is not too surprising, Lena and Silas react to their individual situations in unexpected but believable ways.
February 28, 2018
In the beginning a man kills his rival brother and sets off on a trek across Northern California. The story unfolds, looking back at the roots, growth and bloom of the feud between two wild brothers, their love of horses and their equestrian business. A manhunt ensues, a vengeful wife trails the killer on horseback.
This story is enjoyable and intriguing. I liked the feisty characters and could almost smell the horses sweat. Anyone who loves horses will enjoy this book, as well as readers who enjoy a gripping tale with more than a few twists and turns.
Highly recommended.
I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway.
This story is enjoyable and intriguing. I liked the feisty characters and could almost smell the horses sweat. Anyone who loves horses will enjoy this book, as well as readers who enjoy a gripping tale with more than a few twists and turns.
Highly recommended.
I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway.
September 4, 2018
Frank is killed by his brother, Silas. Silas takes off on his horse. Frank's wife Lena goes after Silas on her horse. The basic plot is set but the author does a very good job of setting the stage and creating the character as the story rambles on. In each chapter, the reader gains a little bit of insight on the relationships of this family. Then, bam! the author drops a bomb of realization and everything makes sense and yet everything is crazy!!
This is a fast read about the cowboy life. It is bitter....sweet....you think you have a handle on the direction the writer is taking, and then you find out you don't. Loved the twists and turns.
This is a fast read about the cowboy life. It is bitter....sweet....you think you have a handle on the direction the writer is taking, and then you find out you don't. Loved the twists and turns.
February 6, 2019
5/5 stars
I picked up this book almost completely blind, and I ended up completely loving it! I read it in about a day and the pace was compulsive. From the very beginning to the very end, this book was special.
I really like Stansel's writing style. Fits the genre, and conveys a lot without being too wordy.
An interesting conversation about California and the transformation from the "Wild West" to whatever it is now. The journey, the people the two protagonists meet really made this magic.
This was a story written out of love. Love for horses, for riding, and for that lifestyle.
What a ride this book was. Wow.
I picked up this book almost completely blind, and I ended up completely loving it! I read it in about a day and the pace was compulsive. From the very beginning to the very end, this book was special.
I really like Stansel's writing style. Fits the genre, and conveys a lot without being too wordy.
An interesting conversation about California and the transformation from the "Wild West" to whatever it is now. The journey, the people the two protagonists meet really made this magic.
This was a story written out of love. Love for horses, for riding, and for that lifestyle.
What a ride this book was. Wow.
May 29, 2019
Quick, readable. One that might be worth a re-read. Has love, death, envy, conflict.
Lots of words on the beauty of the setting although I did not get a real feel for what the countryside looked like. Lots on horses and somewhat less (and less probing) on the gradual usurpation of the old west by the left coasters. This just sort of happens in the book and more on the gentrification of horse country would have added that extra star. Instead, the ranchers just swap tack and/or clothes and (inevitably, apparently, change the corrals) as people with money displace people with land. But it seems OK because everybody loves horses.
But as an interpersonal story of a family, it's excellent.
Lots of words on the beauty of the setting although I did not get a real feel for what the countryside looked like. Lots on horses and somewhat less (and less probing) on the gradual usurpation of the old west by the left coasters. This just sort of happens in the book and more on the gentrification of horse country would have added that extra star. Instead, the ranchers just swap tack and/or clothes and (inevitably, apparently, change the corrals) as people with money displace people with land. But it seems OK because everybody loves horses.
But as an interpersonal story of a family, it's excellent.
June 24, 2019
Holy Cow. This little novel knocked my socks off. At just under 200 pages, it is an absolute marvel in regard to pacing and story development. We learn only the bare minimum of what we need to about these two feuding brothers, in order to piece together what happened. The writing is stunning, invoking vivid imagery of the West and of life as a horseman. While telling the story, Stansel also explores what it means to be family, the drama involved, and the loyalty. I'm certain I would have loved this book just as much if I'd read a physical copy, but the audio book narration is perfection, smooth tones and ideal pacing make the story even more compelling.
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