The Lost are the Last to Die

by Larry D. Sweazy

"After Texas Ranger Sonny Burton loses his arm in a shootout with Bonnie and Clyde, he is asked by the Rangers to help find an escaped convict, Billy Bunson, who took a pregnant woman hostage. Once he begins his investigation, Sonny suspects there is more to Billy's plan than meets the eye. He suspects it's a plan for Billy to be free of Sonny once and for all. The story unfolds over a period of twenty-five years as Sonny Burton's life as a Texas Ranger intersects with Billy Bunson's life as a simple thief, who then transforms into a ruthless man killer. Sonny uses all of his skill as a lawman to track Billy down, where they face off for one last time"--

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Crime

502 pages, Paperback

Published September 9, 2020

About the author

Larry D. Sweazy (pronounced: Swayzee) is the author of nineteen novels and five series: the Trusty Dawson series (LOST MOUNTAIN PASS, THE BROKEN BOW), WHERE I CAN SEE YOU, a standalone thriller, the Marjorie Trumaine Mystery series (SEE ALSO MURDER, SEE ALSO DECEPTION, SEE ALSO PROOF), the Sonny Burton series (A THOUSAND FALLING CROWS, THE LOST ARE THE LAST TO DIE, WINTER SEEKS OUT THE LONELY), the Lucas Fume Western series (VENGEANCE AT SUNDOWN, ESCAPE TO HANGTOWN), the Josiah Wolfe, Texas Ranger series (THE RATTLESNAKE SEASON, THE SCORPION TRAIL, THE BADGER'S REVENGE, THE COUGAR'S PREY, THE COYOTE TRACKER, THE GILA WARS, and THE RETURN OF THE WOLF), and THE DEVIL'S BONES, a standalone mystery.

He won the WWA Spur award for Best Short Fiction in 2005 and for Best Paperback Original in 2013, and the 2011 and 2012 Will Rogers Medallion Award for Western Fiction for books the Josiah Wolfe series. He was nominated for a Derringer award in 2007, and was a finalist in the Best Books of Indiana literary competition in 2010, and won in 2011 for THE SCORPION TRAIL. In 2013, Larry received the inaugural Elmer Kelton Fiction Book of the Year for THE COYOTE TRACKER, presented by the Academy of Western Artists. He received the Willa Award in 2019 and was shortlisted for the Indiana Authors Award in 2020, both for SEE ALSO PROOF. The Western Fictioneers (WF) awarded THE RETURN OF THE WOLF the Peacemaker Award for Best Western in 2020.

Larry has published over one hundred nonfiction articles and short stories, which have appeared in ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE; THE ADVENTURE OF THE MISSING DETECTIVE: AND 25 OF THE YEAR'S FINEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES!; BOYS' LIFE; HARDBOILED; Amazon Shorts, and several other publications and anthologies. He is also a freelance indexer and written over 1000 indexes since 1998. He lives in Indiana with his wife, Rose, and is hard at work on his next novel.

Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Larry D. Sweazy has become a favorite author of mine. His Marjorie Trumaine novels are among my favorite reads. So I was eager to read more books from this author. I read the first Sonny Burton book A Thousand Falling Crows and enjoyed it so was looking forward to reading this book.

Sonny Burton has really given his life to the Texas Rangers. He is away from home a lot for long period of time. He had a wife who later died but resented him leaving her alone with their son in some desolated Texas area. Sonny career was over when he lost his arm during a shoot out with the Bonnie of Bonnie and Clyde.

In this book, the Texas Rangers need Sonny skills. Sonny has had run ins with Billy Bunson since Billy was a child. Sonny tried to help or save him. Billy was brought up under circumstances that he needed to develop into a smart cunning thief. The only person who could think where or what Billy might do was Sonny.

Billy in now an adult and was put into prison. He escapes and takes the warden's wife with him. Sonny is needed as he can track and think what Billy might do. Sonny's son is now a Texas Ranger. The time period goes back and forth from when Billy was a child to when he was an adult.

Sonny Burton is a decent person. He believes very firmly in justice. He does have a soft spot for Billy but justice must win out. Looking forward to the next Sonny Burton book to see what life has in store for him.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lost Are the Last to Die unfolds over the twenty-five years that ex-Texas Ranger Sonny Burton and escaped convict Billy Bunson have known each other. In timelines varying from 1911 to 1934, readers are told these two men's stories from both points of view, and it's all about perspective. Sweazy does an excellent job of portraying both men. We see Burton's unhappy home life, his World War I service, and his slightly uneven career in the Texas Rangers. And throughout this time, Billy pops in and out. Billy, whose mother is a prostitute and his grandmother a brothel owner. Billy, a little boy who travels with the women from place to place when business gets too slow. Billy, who's trained as a thief and whose best friend and teacher is a former slave named Jim Rome. And throughout his life, there's the shadow of Sonny Burton, a laconic Texas Ranger who always seems able to outthink him and who always seems to expect more from Billy than Billy wants to give-- and that makes Billy angry.

As I read this engrossing story, two things stood out. One, a scene where Sonny comes across a rabbit cull. He sees a little four- or five-year-old boy covered in blood and screaming for his mother, and as he drives his Model A Ford pickup truck down the dirt road, he thinks about that little boy, wondering what he would remember of that day and what sort of man he would become. This scene not only brings to life a common occurrence during the Dust Bowl (rabbit culls), but it also tells us a lot about Sonny himself. The second thing? In many ways, the character who stood out the most (and who didn't get that much "screen time") was Jim Rome. In a few words, Sweazy manages to bring this man to life and make readers ponder all the things he had to endure. This is some marvelous storytelling.

This is the second Sonny Burton mystery I've read and enjoyed. The time period, the plots, and the characters all capture my imagination, so it should be no surprise to anyone when I say that I hope Sonny makes a third appearance. I really hope he's not done telling us his story.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in a short three book set by Sweazy with the main character once again being retired Texas Ranger Sonny Burton. Set in Texas during depression era Sonny is asked by his now Texas Ranger son and his Captain to assist in apprehending an escaped convict from the Huntsville prison. Billy Bunson is a lifelong criminal that started early in life who's had several run ins with Sonny in the past. The book does go back and forth between earlier events and present events but the time frames are clearly noted to alleviate any confusion. Sonny Burton is one of those characters that just grows on the reader. One more book in this highly recommended trilogy for me. Good reading.

[Don Diego]

Retired Texas Ranger is called on to assist in pursuit of a career criminal with whom he had a long history. Story takes place in early 1900s to 1930s. Interesting blend of Old West settings with more contemporary elements like World War One, the Great Depression, automobiles, electric lights, and telephones.

[Stephen Terrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lost Are the Last to Die is the second in Larry D. Sweazy's outstanding Sonny Burton series. Like the initial book, A Thousand Falling Crows, it is a wonderfully written mystery novel that borders on literature.

As with the first book, this story takes place in Depression Era Texas. Sonny, a forcibly retired Texas Ranger, is still trying to reconcile with the loss of his arm in a shootout, as well as with his distant adult son, also a Ranger.

Sonny is called in by the Rangers when Billy Bunson, is a young man who has crossed paths with Sonny on many occasions, escapes from prison, taking with him the pregnant wife of the warden. Sonny tries to outthink Billy as he blazes a trail of blood across Texas. The connection between Sonny and Billy lead to their ultimate showdown.

As with the first book in the series, this is a MUST READ. Already looking forward to book #3 in the series.

[Patricia Stoltey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The timeline hops to chronicle the history of Sonny and Billy were seamless for me. I thought the characters were well drawn, the writing excellent, and the plot a page-turner.