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Golgotha #4
The Ghost Dance Judgement
NEVADA, 1872. Out of the merciless 40-Mile Desert, a stranger appears in the town of Golgotha, home to the blessed and the damned. He carries with him an innocent victim of a horrible massacre and a dire warning for Sheriff Jon Highfather. The conflict between the Indian nations and Mormon settlers has been brewing for years, and now the spirits of the fallen Indian dead have begun to rise to join in the fight.
Deputy Mutt's old nemesis, Snake-Man, returns to begin a final bloody war against the Whites, purging them from the land forever. An insane U.S. General with his own genocidal agenda sees the coming conflict as a perfect solution to the “Indian problem,” and, as is often the case, the people of Golgotha find themselves caught in the middle.
Mayor Harry Pratt's leadership of the town is challenged and he is threatened with the revelation of his greatest secrets, and with a betrayal that could utterly destroy him.
The hungry, antediluvian terror imprisoned under the Argent Mine seeks release to devour the world through the most innocent of souls—Auggie Shultz and his wife, Gillian's, newborn. Not only is the fate of an innocent soul at stake, but the fate of all life.
The Ghost Dance Judgement is the fourth book in the Golgotha series from R.S. Belcher, the author of The Brotherhood of the Wheel series and The Queen's Road.
Deputy Mutt's old nemesis, Snake-Man, returns to begin a final bloody war against the Whites, purging them from the land forever. An insane U.S. General with his own genocidal agenda sees the coming conflict as a perfect solution to the “Indian problem,” and, as is often the case, the people of Golgotha find themselves caught in the middle.
Mayor Harry Pratt's leadership of the town is challenged and he is threatened with the revelation of his greatest secrets, and with a betrayal that could utterly destroy him.
The hungry, antediluvian terror imprisoned under the Argent Mine seeks release to devour the world through the most innocent of souls—Auggie Shultz and his wife, Gillian's, newborn. Not only is the fate of an innocent soul at stake, but the fate of all life.
The Ghost Dance Judgement is the fourth book in the Golgotha series from R.S. Belcher, the author of The Brotherhood of the Wheel series and The Queen's Road.
392 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 8, 2020
28 people are currently reading
406 people want to read
About the author
R.S. Belcher
34 books743 followersR.S. (Rod) Belcher is an award-winning newspaper and magazine editor and reporter.
Rod has been a private investigator, a DJ, a comic book store owner and has degrees in criminal law, psychology and justice and risk administration, from Virginia Commonwealth University. He's done Masters work in Forensic Science at The George Washington University, and worked with the Occult Crime Taskforce for the Virginia General Assembly.
He lives in Roanoke Virginia with his children: Jonathan and Emily .
Rod has been a private investigator, a DJ, a comic book store owner and has degrees in criminal law, psychology and justice and risk administration, from Virginia Commonwealth University. He's done Masters work in Forensic Science at The George Washington University, and worked with the Occult Crime Taskforce for the Virginia General Assembly.
He lives in Roanoke Virginia with his children: Jonathan and Emily .
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 9, 2021
The Ghost Dance Judgement
(Golgotha #4)
by R.S. Belcher
I love that the whole gang is back in Golgotha! This is another amazing read! This one is definitely more horror than adventure! Book #3 was more adventure than horror.
I love these characters and surprised when we lose a couple. Sob! Not telling which ones. This is full of battles, action, creatures, and evil! Man is evil enough and in all these books have had a big part of showing how evil they can be!
The plot is interesting and unpredictable. Loved it. I hope he has another! Ends as if he could or not. Such a tease!
I love this series! A wild west horror book series! That is wild!
(Golgotha #4)
by R.S. Belcher
I love that the whole gang is back in Golgotha! This is another amazing read! This one is definitely more horror than adventure! Book #3 was more adventure than horror.
I love these characters and surprised when we lose a couple. Sob! Not telling which ones. This is full of battles, action, creatures, and evil! Man is evil enough and in all these books have had a big part of showing how evil they can be!
The plot is interesting and unpredictable. Loved it. I hope he has another! Ends as if he could or not. Such a tease!
I love this series! A wild west horror book series! That is wild!
June 28, 2021
I've very much enjoyed the Golgotha series and am very glad that I picked it up. I've since devoured all four books in the series and am eagerly looking forward to it continuing. If it were to end here, though, it would be a pretty good place to stop it. I am glad it returned to the Old West after the break for QUEEN OF SWORDS that, while I liked it, took it away from the setting I enjoyed.
The premise is that a young Native American girl, Izusa, has decided to raise an army of the dead to scourge the world of the white man. The US government has sent an insane commander to settle the Indian problem with all the period appropriate genocide and bigotry expected. Meanwhile, there's something wrong with Auggie and Gillian's baby due to the fact its father was a deadman. Harry Pratt is also caught in blackmail and being forced to do things against his conscience to keep his secrets safe.
The story of Native American genocide and abuse by the United States is something that unfortunately hangs over the head of virtually every Western as well as the early history of the country. With the recent revelations of Indigenous Schools, it certainly was a timely book but perhaps weightier than it was meant to be. It's hard not to agree with the villains that Native American man is going to be nastily treated by history and that virtually anything is justified to avert that fate.
Much of the book feels like it is putting the Wild West behind it and I hope that is not the case since this is the best Weird Western series I know. We get a framing device that suggests what Golgotha's history will be for the 20th century and hints that it might move to the Modern Times. I hope that's not the case as I think much of the series' unique flavor depends on combing Deadwood with the Dresden Files.
I think the best story here is Harry Pratt coming to terms with his closeted sexuality. Having been subject to blackmail by Black Rowan, who just assumes he's another cowardly politician, he finally gets to rise to be the hero he wants to be via the same route Daredevil did: "A man with nothing to lose is a man without fear." Watching him accept that is a powerful moment and actually manages
to overshadow the main plot.
This is yet another plot to release the Darkling/start the apocalypse and while it was played out in THE SHOTGUN ARCANA, there's a lot more emotion here because of what a terrible tragedy this all is. We know the Darkling will destroy the world if released but for the majority of the villains, they trust their leader knows how to control it. While I wish they'd come up with something else to do other than the end of the world, I feel the central plot still worked. There's going to be no victory here even if the plot is thwarted because the antagonists are just trying to survive.
In conclusion, I feel like this is probably my favorite of the series so far. It deals with weightier subjects and the consequences are bigger than any other. It also doesn't shy away from the ugliest features of the Wild West as well as the lies people tell themselves about it. Readers should be warned about that, though, since it is a heavier read than previous entries in the series and they weren't exactly light.
The premise is that a young Native American girl, Izusa, has decided to raise an army of the dead to scourge the world of the white man. The US government has sent an insane commander to settle the Indian problem with all the period appropriate genocide and bigotry expected. Meanwhile, there's something wrong with Auggie and Gillian's baby due to the fact its father was a deadman. Harry Pratt is also caught in blackmail and being forced to do things against his conscience to keep his secrets safe.
The story of Native American genocide and abuse by the United States is something that unfortunately hangs over the head of virtually every Western as well as the early history of the country. With the recent revelations of Indigenous Schools, it certainly was a timely book but perhaps weightier than it was meant to be. It's hard not to agree with the villains that Native American man is going to be nastily treated by history and that virtually anything is justified to avert that fate.
Much of the book feels like it is putting the Wild West behind it and I hope that is not the case since this is the best Weird Western series I know. We get a framing device that suggests what Golgotha's history will be for the 20th century and hints that it might move to the Modern Times. I hope that's not the case as I think much of the series' unique flavor depends on combing Deadwood with the Dresden Files.
I think the best story here is Harry Pratt coming to terms with his closeted sexuality. Having been subject to blackmail by Black Rowan, who just assumes he's another cowardly politician, he finally gets to rise to be the hero he wants to be via the same route Daredevil did: "A man with nothing to lose is a man without fear." Watching him accept that is a powerful moment and actually manages
to overshadow the main plot.
This is yet another plot to release the Darkling/start the apocalypse and while it was played out in THE SHOTGUN ARCANA, there's a lot more emotion here because of what a terrible tragedy this all is. We know the Darkling will destroy the world if released but for the majority of the villains, they trust their leader knows how to control it. While I wish they'd come up with something else to do other than the end of the world, I feel the central plot still worked. There's going to be no victory here even if the plot is thwarted because the antagonists are just trying to survive.
In conclusion, I feel like this is probably my favorite of the series so far. It deals with weightier subjects and the consequences are bigger than any other. It also doesn't shy away from the ugliest features of the Wild West as well as the lies people tell themselves about it. Readers should be warned about that, though, since it is a heavier read than previous entries in the series and they weren't exactly light.
December 7, 2020
I received this book for free from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The nitty-gritty: Another fabulous installment of R.S. Belcher's weird western Golgotha series, The Ghost Dance Judgement reunites beloved characters and enemies alike, with plenty of action, magic, emotion and humor.
Oh it’s good to be back in Golgotha! I read the third book in the series— The Queen of Swords— in 2017, but most of that story took place outside Golgotha. The last time I had the pleasure of spending time with these particular characters was in 2014’s The Shotgun Arcana , so you can see it’s been a long time coming. This is a series best read in order, so you should start with The Six-Gun Tarot first. I may have small spoilers from the first three books, but honestly I won’t be giving much away in this review, so there’s no harm in reading it if you aren’t caught up.
The year is 1872, and the small Nevada town of Golgotha is on the brink of a terrible battle. Native American tribes are slowly being pushed out by white settlers, and there is an ongoing clash between the two that only gets worse as time goes by. Jon Highfather is the town’s sheriff, and he has his work cut out for him trying to keep the peace. Things become worse when a group of strangers ride into town on a grim mission to awaken the slumbering monster known as the Greate Olde Wurm, who lies deep beneath Argent Mountain under Golgotha's silver mine. At the same time, a powerful woman named Izusa is using dark magic to raise a deadly army of ghost warriors. When a local couple is attacked and their baby kidnapped, Jon must join forces with both friends and foes to save the baby and rescue Golgotha from impending doom.
One of the best things about this series are the characters, and I was so happy to see some old favorites from the previous books. The focus this time is on the relationships among them, including some romantic ones. I especially love the friendship between Jon and Mutt, who have been through a lot together over the years, and in this book they are really put through the wringer. But their friendship never wavers, no matter who tries to come between them, and I appreciate that the author didn’t try to inject unneeded drama between them. Then there is the secret relationship between Mayor Harry Pratt and James Ringo, an ultimately tragic relationship that cut to the core. Harry is Mormon and has two wives, but he’s secretly gay and in love with Ringo. Because he’s caught up in the political machinations of Golgotha, he’s betrayed Ringo and has no way to repair what he’s done. Finally, I was thrilled when Maude Stapleton and her daughter Constance make an appearance. Maude is one of the baddest badass women I’ve ever run across in fiction, and I just can’t get enough of her!
Belcher revisits some of the supernatural events from The Six Gun Tarot. Once again, Golgotha—and in fact, the entire world—is threatened by a monstrous creature known as the Wurm who lives under the local silver mine. There are some interesting connections between the Wurm and a few of the characters, including Jim Negrey, who we met in The Six Gun Tarot, a young man who possesses a mysterious jade eye that figures into the supernatural mysteries of Golgotha. He also includes various Native myths and legends, including those of Coyote and Snake, which not only added flavor to his tale, but acted as another way to add magical elements into the story. Perhaps my favorite magic, though, is Clay Turlough’s “bio-restorative formula,” a medicine with a secret ingredient that can bring the dead back to life.
As for the real world, historical aspects of his tale, Belcher paints a grim picture of life in 1872, when killing and bloodshed between Indians and whites was commonplace. The Mormon settlers of Golgotha are furious that the local Paiute tribes are attacking their peaceful villages, but of course there is much more to the story than that. The author depicts the vicious, never ending cycle of violence between the two groups without taking sides. He also does some historical name dropping, too. The famous Allan Pinkerton, of Pinkerton Security fame, makes an appearance, and he also mentions Brigham Young, the founder of the Mormon faith, as well as Abraham Lincoln. Even the titular Ghost Dance has historical roots, and the leader of the movement, a Native American named Wodziwob, has a small but important role in the story. These story tidbits give The Ghost Dance Judgement a nice air of authenticity and also balance out the supernatural elements.
If I have any complaints, it’s that there is just too much going on in this story. Belcher’s world is big and rich and complex, and he certainly has a lot of stories to tell. The focus of The Ghost Dance Judgement was a little haphazard, but only in the sense that it seemed a bit crowded with so many characters and subplots. It felt sort of like a soap opera at times, and I’ll admit trying to keep up with everyone's antics made my head spin on occasion. But Belcher’s impressive writing skills ultimately keep the story from getting out of control, and everything does work out in the end, I’m happy to report.
The author brings all his many parts together in a blazing finale, full of gunfights, dynamite, and ghost warriors. There were some hard deaths in this story, not going to lie, but there were also plenty of happy surprises. Belcher leaves a few things unresolved that will most likely lead into the next book in the series, and I’m thrilled to see the titles of the next two books (The Hanged Man and Slap Leather with the Devil) listed at the end of my paperback copy. Let’s hope that means he’s hard at work on book five!
Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy (paperback copy was purchased by the reviewer).
Review of The Six-Gun Tarot
Review of The Shotgun Arcana
Review of The Queen of SwordsThis review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
Her eyes were huge in the darkness; her hair had tumbled down around her shoulders. She carried as many scars along her flesh as he did, and in this moment, their scars flowed into one another. Mutt had never seen Maude look more beautiful. Maude’s heart, a heart that she could control, speed or slow as her will decreed, beat wildly of its own accord. She kissed him tenderly, slowly, like savoring the last of a sweet, perfect wine. Her body knew the clock of the spinning world, of the stars and planets, and she knew exactly how long they had. “We have less than an hour,” she said. “Hold me.” And he did.
Oh it’s good to be back in Golgotha! I read the third book in the series— The Queen of Swords— in 2017, but most of that story took place outside Golgotha. The last time I had the pleasure of spending time with these particular characters was in 2014’s The Shotgun Arcana , so you can see it’s been a long time coming. This is a series best read in order, so you should start with The Six-Gun Tarot first. I may have small spoilers from the first three books, but honestly I won’t be giving much away in this review, so there’s no harm in reading it if you aren’t caught up.
The year is 1872, and the small Nevada town of Golgotha is on the brink of a terrible battle. Native American tribes are slowly being pushed out by white settlers, and there is an ongoing clash between the two that only gets worse as time goes by. Jon Highfather is the town’s sheriff, and he has his work cut out for him trying to keep the peace. Things become worse when a group of strangers ride into town on a grim mission to awaken the slumbering monster known as the Greate Olde Wurm, who lies deep beneath Argent Mountain under Golgotha's silver mine. At the same time, a powerful woman named Izusa is using dark magic to raise a deadly army of ghost warriors. When a local couple is attacked and their baby kidnapped, Jon must join forces with both friends and foes to save the baby and rescue Golgotha from impending doom.
One of the best things about this series are the characters, and I was so happy to see some old favorites from the previous books. The focus this time is on the relationships among them, including some romantic ones. I especially love the friendship between Jon and Mutt, who have been through a lot together over the years, and in this book they are really put through the wringer. But their friendship never wavers, no matter who tries to come between them, and I appreciate that the author didn’t try to inject unneeded drama between them. Then there is the secret relationship between Mayor Harry Pratt and James Ringo, an ultimately tragic relationship that cut to the core. Harry is Mormon and has two wives, but he’s secretly gay and in love with Ringo. Because he’s caught up in the political machinations of Golgotha, he’s betrayed Ringo and has no way to repair what he’s done. Finally, I was thrilled when Maude Stapleton and her daughter Constance make an appearance. Maude is one of the baddest badass women I’ve ever run across in fiction, and I just can’t get enough of her!
Belcher revisits some of the supernatural events from The Six Gun Tarot. Once again, Golgotha—and in fact, the entire world—is threatened by a monstrous creature known as the Wurm who lives under the local silver mine. There are some interesting connections between the Wurm and a few of the characters, including Jim Negrey, who we met in The Six Gun Tarot, a young man who possesses a mysterious jade eye that figures into the supernatural mysteries of Golgotha. He also includes various Native myths and legends, including those of Coyote and Snake, which not only added flavor to his tale, but acted as another way to add magical elements into the story. Perhaps my favorite magic, though, is Clay Turlough’s “bio-restorative formula,” a medicine with a secret ingredient that can bring the dead back to life.
As for the real world, historical aspects of his tale, Belcher paints a grim picture of life in 1872, when killing and bloodshed between Indians and whites was commonplace. The Mormon settlers of Golgotha are furious that the local Paiute tribes are attacking their peaceful villages, but of course there is much more to the story than that. The author depicts the vicious, never ending cycle of violence between the two groups without taking sides. He also does some historical name dropping, too. The famous Allan Pinkerton, of Pinkerton Security fame, makes an appearance, and he also mentions Brigham Young, the founder of the Mormon faith, as well as Abraham Lincoln. Even the titular Ghost Dance has historical roots, and the leader of the movement, a Native American named Wodziwob, has a small but important role in the story. These story tidbits give The Ghost Dance Judgement a nice air of authenticity and also balance out the supernatural elements.
If I have any complaints, it’s that there is just too much going on in this story. Belcher’s world is big and rich and complex, and he certainly has a lot of stories to tell. The focus of The Ghost Dance Judgement was a little haphazard, but only in the sense that it seemed a bit crowded with so many characters and subplots. It felt sort of like a soap opera at times, and I’ll admit trying to keep up with everyone's antics made my head spin on occasion. But Belcher’s impressive writing skills ultimately keep the story from getting out of control, and everything does work out in the end, I’m happy to report.
The author brings all his many parts together in a blazing finale, full of gunfights, dynamite, and ghost warriors. There were some hard deaths in this story, not going to lie, but there were also plenty of happy surprises. Belcher leaves a few things unresolved that will most likely lead into the next book in the series, and I’m thrilled to see the titles of the next two books (The Hanged Man and Slap Leather with the Devil) listed at the end of my paperback copy. Let’s hope that means he’s hard at work on book five!
Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy (paperback copy was purchased by the reviewer).
Review of The Six-Gun Tarot
Review of The Shotgun Arcana
Review of The Queen of SwordsThis review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
October 17, 2020
I have been waiting 2 years for this book to come out and it doesn’t disappoint! The author describes this book as a game changer and it definitely is. The characters are the heart of this story and the choices/sacrifices they have to make. Top marks from me!
January 7, 2021
I really enjoyed the last outing (2017's Queen of Swords), but with it's focus on one character outside of Belcher's main setting of Golgotha, Nevada, I found myself missing the rest of the cast. Ghost Dance Judgement brings us back into the main story, and there's *a lot* going on. It dragged a bit at the opening due to all the story threads that needed setting up - and *everybody* gets a plot thread to shine in, which I really enjoyed once things got rolling. This one turns the story world upside down, with lots of big changes by the end - some welcome and some ... not so much (and one so unwelcomely trope-tacular that I had to bite my tongue a bit while I forged ahead). There's at least two more books in the works, and this one definitely left me ready to read what happens next, if only to see where Belcher takes the final WTF moments of the last two chapters. Some call this genre "Weird West" for a reason.
On a technical note, the move to a smaller publisher seems to have brought about some sloppier copy editing. Many instances of missing words or misspelled ones. Distracting, but not ultimately detrimental.
On a technical note, the move to a smaller publisher seems to have brought about some sloppier copy editing. Many instances of missing words or misspelled ones. Distracting, but not ultimately detrimental.
January 11, 2022
I absolutely love this series! There was such a long gap between the last book & this one I was worried the author had just let the series go & it looks like several more books will be coming very soon. There is a LOT going on with in this novel & I just simply couldn't put it down.
October 13, 2020
I love this series, but they really need to work on the grammatical errors. 4.5 stars.
January 22, 2021
Rob is by far the King of the Weird West at this point. This is hands down one of the best series I have picked up.
March 28, 2023
I love the setting of this series. I really enjoy weird west as a subgenre. I've never really liked westerns though, which is strange. This entry of the Golgotha series seemed weak to me, though. It seems as though Belcher has so many ideas he wants to chase down that he keeps adding to the story--it's getting a little bloated. I suppose that is better than the alternative--not enough to keep a story going. I will definitely read the next installment, should it see the light of day.
I did like the little Easter egg in the first frame chapter where there is a copy of another Belcher book, the Brotherhood of the Wheel, on a truck stop wire rack. That was fun.
I did like the little Easter egg in the first frame chapter where there is a copy of another Belcher book, the Brotherhood of the Wheel, on a truck stop wire rack. That was fun.
May 20, 2021
I am a huge fan of the other books in this series and had been waiting for this book!
I love the way this book starts. Seeing Bick in the present day is somewhat amusing, even though he has been around since creation, I feel that the present day irks him. Being the attendant at a gas station in Golgotha, Bick is surprised when a man, claiming to be Jim Negrey's great-great-grandson enters into the gas station he owns. This gentlemen tells Bick he is researching his family roots. Bick proceeds to tell him a story from the time that he knew Jim (although, for obvious reasons, doesn't actually say that he KNEW Jim). The story Bick tells is another incredible tale from the adventures of Golgotha with all the regular characters (and some new). The book ends in a cliffhanger and I can not wait for book 5.
I love the way this book starts. Seeing Bick in the present day is somewhat amusing, even though he has been around since creation, I feel that the present day irks him. Being the attendant at a gas station in Golgotha, Bick is surprised when a man, claiming to be Jim Negrey's great-great-grandson enters into the gas station he owns. This gentlemen tells Bick he is researching his family roots. Bick proceeds to tell him a story from the time that he knew Jim (although, for obvious reasons, doesn't actually say that he KNEW Jim). The story Bick tells is another incredible tale from the adventures of Golgotha with all the regular characters (and some new). The book ends in a cliffhanger and I can not wait for book 5.
March 27, 2021
3.5 stars, alas - while this was good, it was the weakest link in the series in my opinion. Most of Belcher's work reads incredibly smooth and fast and instantly immersive for me, but for some reason this story just dragged.
Part of the problem may have been the degree of familiarity; up until now every installment has revealed to us a new facet of the world, while this just seemed to rehash pre-existing elements. And part of it may have been the relative dearth of plot - I can absolutely enjoy a book without story, if it has enough depth of character development, but this didn't quite fill either niche.
It was still good - I liked the progress that was shown in the existing characters, there were some scenes that were brilliantly played, and the ending was a complete sucker punch - but there were also a few hiccups (I hate it when authors get cutesy referring to their own works, and I would honestly have appreciated some references and evidence of research when a non-indigenous author is writing so extensively about indigenous culture and rituals).
Still, I love the world and the characters, and as long as he keeps writing I'll keep reading....
Part of the problem may have been the degree of familiarity; up until now every installment has revealed to us a new facet of the world, while this just seemed to rehash pre-existing elements. And part of it may have been the relative dearth of plot - I can absolutely enjoy a book without story, if it has enough depth of character development, but this didn't quite fill either niche.
It was still good - I liked the progress that was shown in the existing characters, there were some scenes that were brilliantly played, and the ending was a complete sucker punch - but there were also a few hiccups (I hate it when authors get cutesy referring to their own works, and I would honestly have appreciated some references and evidence of research when a non-indigenous author is writing so extensively about indigenous culture and rituals).
Still, I love the world and the characters, and as long as he keeps writing I'll keep reading....
October 31, 2020
Full review here:
https://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/...
Much love to another fun adventure.
https://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/...
Much love to another fun adventure.
December 13, 2020
I don't have much enlightening to say about this one: if you've made it this far into the series, you know what you're in for and you're going to enjoy the ride!
August 25, 2022
Oh, my. All sorts of wonderful mayhem and madness visit the town where all are welcome—the saints, the sinners, the damned.
A stranger arrives with a little girl he rescued, Deputy Mutt deals with an old nemesis, Snake Man. Sheriff Jon Highfather gets a message from a dead man, via the stranger. Mayor Pratt finally must choose who he loves, and Auggie becomes a father of an innocent baby boy. Of course, all these various and sundry folk can’t just flip a card or a coin to choose. They must go through hell and highwater and even then, they aren’t all that sure. Are they?
And the Natives are not only restless, they’ve found a shaman who can bring the spirits of dead Natives back to life? How do you kill a spirit? One way, I suppose is to bring Allen Pinkerton in with a secret weapon built to spec by Thomas Edison. In the meantime, those Natives are able to kill with almost impunity.
In the background of all the normal, everyday mayhem of Golgotha, the slumbering evil locked under Agent Mine, is hungry, and restless, and wants out. NOW. Will Golgotha ever bee civilized? I hope not. It’s too much fun like it is.
As I reached the end of this book, I realized everything had been taken care of, handled correctly, but the ending of this series left an unlocked door. An open door, actually. And yes, Books 5 and 6 are in the mill.
These books will go on the shelf with those of Ann Bishop and Patricia Briggs. Fortunately, I’m confident they will all play well together.
A stranger arrives with a little girl he rescued, Deputy Mutt deals with an old nemesis, Snake Man. Sheriff Jon Highfather gets a message from a dead man, via the stranger. Mayor Pratt finally must choose who he loves, and Auggie becomes a father of an innocent baby boy. Of course, all these various and sundry folk can’t just flip a card or a coin to choose. They must go through hell and highwater and even then, they aren’t all that sure. Are they?
And the Natives are not only restless, they’ve found a shaman who can bring the spirits of dead Natives back to life? How do you kill a spirit? One way, I suppose is to bring Allen Pinkerton in with a secret weapon built to spec by Thomas Edison. In the meantime, those Natives are able to kill with almost impunity.
In the background of all the normal, everyday mayhem of Golgotha, the slumbering evil locked under Agent Mine, is hungry, and restless, and wants out. NOW. Will Golgotha ever bee civilized? I hope not. It’s too much fun like it is.
As I reached the end of this book, I realized everything had been taken care of, handled correctly, but the ending of this series left an unlocked door. An open door, actually. And yes, Books 5 and 6 are in the mill.
These books will go on the shelf with those of Ann Bishop and Patricia Briggs. Fortunately, I’m confident they will all play well together.
June 14, 2022
This is the second book I have read in the series (the first being Queen of Swords) and I was thrilled to see some of my favorite characters back, this time in their home town of Golgotha. I also got to spend time with some of the core characters that were only breifly mentioned in Queen of Swords but apparently were a focus of the first two books. Horror and Western Adventure meet in a wonderful dark way. The twists kept coming and never left me bored or frustrated. The ending was unexpected and left an intriguing setup for another Golgotha story, which I will have a very hard time waiting for. This book could stand alone without trouble, but it is much richer woven into the whole Golgotha tapestry. In the mean time, I am going to go back to book 1 and 2 to tide me over. I am officially hooked.
August 24, 2023
After exploring the wide world in Queen of Swords, we're back in Golgotha, that weirdest of weird Western towns (though there's plenty of seeding for more adventures elsewhere). The Native ghost dance is literally raising a ghost army to butcher settlers; the U.S. Army is prepared to butcher the Natives back. Can the decent protagonists of Golgotha, already dealing with a dark power struggling to rise, find a solution?
Well, no: the United States would continue screwing over the indigenous population on into the next century. That makes that aspect feel unsatisfactory. Fortunately the fantasy aspects don't depend on resolving white/native conflicts and they're strong enough to keep the book enjoyable.
Well, no: the United States would continue screwing over the indigenous population on into the next century. That makes that aspect feel unsatisfactory. Fortunately the fantasy aspects don't depend on resolving white/native conflicts and they're strong enough to keep the book enjoyable.
March 28, 2023
I love the setting of this series. I really enjoy weird west as a subgenre. I've never really liked westerns though, which is strange. This entry of the Golgotha series seemed weak to me, though. It seems as though Belcher has so many ideas he wants to chase down that he keeps adding to the story--it's getting a little bloated. I suppose that is better than the alternative--not enough to keep a story going. I will definitely read the next installment, should it see the light of day.
I did like the little Easter egg in the first frame chapter where there is a copy of another Belcher book, the Brotherhood of the Wheel, on a truck stop wire rack. That was fun.
I did like the little Easter egg in the first frame chapter where there is a copy of another Belcher book, the Brotherhood of the Wheel, on a truck stop wire rack. That was fun.
March 16, 2024
3.5
The number of cliffhangers/ unresolved plot lines here haven't been sitting right with me. Naturally things are left to imply a fifth book but with no word on when that will be available I fully admit to being salty.
The death of one of the side characters also pissed me off. However considering how poorly it could have been handled I will give Belcher credit for showing the pain and guilt some of the characters experienced brought on by that death.
Despite being unhappy with the end if Belcher writes more in this world I will absolutely be checking it out.
The number of cliffhangers/ unresolved plot lines here haven't been sitting right with me. Naturally things are left to imply a fifth book but with no word on when that will be available I fully admit to being salty.
The death of one of the side characters also pissed me off. However considering how poorly it could have been handled I will give Belcher credit for showing the pain and guilt some of the characters experienced brought on by that death.
Despite being unhappy with the end if Belcher writes more in this world I will absolutely be checking it out.
October 8, 2024
Another awesome entry in this series. If you're looking for some weird western horror with great characters and action scenes that really flow, read this series.
This book ties things up very well, and at the same time leaves it open for another sequel. I hope there is another in the works, as this series provides a lot of inspiration for me.
Great series!
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This book ties things up very well, and at the same time leaves it open for another sequel. I hope there is another in the works, as this series provides a lot of inspiration for me.
Great series!
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November 21, 2024
I didn't think the fourth volume in this series could possibly be as good as the previous volumes. Was I ever wrong! The story is filled with everything that made the previous volumes memorable, exciting, and unique. In other words, "Judgement" has all of what made the others great and more. However, I must admit I was ready to give up on the series because of a particular event in the book (don't worry, I won't give any spoilers); however, Belcher surprised me again, and I can't wait until the next installment!
August 6, 2022
So I have read all of the Golgatha books and this is the first one that I was really unsatisfied with. I struggled to finish it and the only reason I did was out of respect for the first two books being as good as they were. Not sure if it's just worse than the others or I have out grown the writing but I'm not convinced I'll be returning for the next one.
December 21, 2021
Another brilliant return to the land of Golgotha and the old gang of Mutt, Negrey and Highfather, as it faces another bit of impending doom as Hell and an extremely vengeful shaman converges on this "sleepy" town.
February 2, 2024
Another fun (?) adventure in the Weird West world of Golgotha, tying up some loose threads from the previous novel alongside a new mission for the town. This one features a framing device that I hope is followed up on in a subsequent installment.
October 3, 2021
The strongest entry in the series since the first. A really engaging weird western.
November 15, 2021
Loved it! I was hoping for more about Alter Cline after his intro in Queen of Swords, I loves me some Malachi too, so he'll have to hold me over until Alter shows back up in the series. 🤞
March 27, 2023
Great series. Unfortunately, this one had many typos and would benefit from tighter editing.
August 20, 2024
This for me was by far the best of the series so far. Hard to put down and when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about what was going to happen next.
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