Singing Guns

by Max Brand

Sheriff Caradac has found his man. As he sighted his rifle muzzle over the broad, muscular body of his unsupecting victim, he realized there was no other man in the west like him, and for a moment he hesitated. Then, almost automatically, he lifted his gun and shifted his left foot a big forward. As he fired he felt a stone turn beneath him, and even before his finger fell away from the trigger, he knew he had missed.

From that miss there grew one of the most extraordinary relationships those green, snow-capped mountains had ever seen. Sheriff and bad man, a strange friendship, yet one which took them both on a trail of high adventure, a trail which led at least through a hidden hole in the mountain to an amazing discovery and a certain rancher's daughter.

Genres: Westerns, Science Fiction

280 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1928

About the author

Frederick Schiller Faust (see also Frederick Faust), aka Frank Austin, George Owen Baxter, Walter C. Butler, George Challis, Evin Evan, Evan Evans, Frederick Faust, John Frederick, Frederick Frost, David Manning, Peter Henry Morland, Lee Bolt, Peter Dawson, Martin Dexter, Dennis Lawson, M.B., Hugh Owen, Nicholas Silver

Max Brand, one of America's most popular and prolific novelists and author of such enduring works as Destry Rides Again and the Doctor Kildare stories, died on the Italian front in 1944.

Reviews

[Alonzo Church · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the tale of a bromance between a sheriff and the reluctantly reforming badman who saved the sheriff’s life, and the strains placed on the relationship because our protagonists simply can’t trust each other. Of course there are shootouts and intimations of family feuds, and a well concealed Big Mystery that keep this book moving along, but we never lose sight of the central theme, and not even a couple consarned womenfolk can keep our heroes apart. Not even jail will split up these starry eyed men of the West.

Seriously, this is a decent pulp and, except for a stupid beginning and stupid ending, and many a plot hole, is a totally fun read. It’s just, like with a lot of sci-if, you have to work hard at willingly suspending the disbelief.

[Dagnija · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable old western novel.
Don't know why it had this title. Maybe the author thought that it would draw in more Western fans.

[Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am reading the Pocket Book edition that was originally printed March 1942. I own the last printing which is the 27th printing which was printed April 1976. For the age of the paperback book, it should be falling apart, but it is not falling apart. I have never been disappointed by Max Brand's books and this book was even better than i had expected.It starts out sheriff afterbad guy and with bad guy helping sheriff and getting a pardon for his crimial pastwith the help from girlfriend. This is a short novel and you can read it in two days, if you like doing allnighter's like when you study for finials for college.

[Cws]

W Bra

[Laura Heller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Max Brand (Frederick Faust) book to read and it was a good one. I thoroughly was immersed in the story. It looks like the film is nothing like the novel though...

[Ronald]

read some time in 1985