Elmer Kelton's The Unlikely Lawman: A Hewey Calloway Adventure

Hewey Calloway #4

by Steve Kelton

Elmer Kelton’s Hewey Calloway, one of the best-loved cowboys in all of Western fiction, returns in this novel of his middling years, as he looks for work―but not too much work―in 1904 West Texas.

Hewey Calloway is heading north to Colorado, on a horse drive for an old friend, Alvin Lawdermilk, when he gets word that one of his hired hands is planning to rob him. After the plot is foiled, the fugitive horsehand is on the run and leaving bodies in his wake.

Deputized to help bring the criminal to justice, Hewey is bestowed with a weight of responsibility that he's long avoided. Never known for his skill―or lack thereof―with a pistol, he can only pray that he and retired Texas Ranger Hanley Baker will be enough to put an end to this trail of dastardly deeds.

Steve Kelton's The Unlikely Lawman will transport you to an Old West full of duplicity, gunfights, and the often-unforgiving hardships of frontier life.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Historical Fiction

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published July 26, 2022

Reviews

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elmer Kelton originated the stories about a West Texas “cowpoke,” named Hewey Calloway, who was finding that the 20th century didn’t hold a lot of promise for a man who liked being on a horse all day among the cattle. Steve Kelton, Elmer’s son, has offered us a new novel about Hewey and some of his experiences before Elmer’s tales.

In West Texas, even today, you might here someone described as “all hat and no cattle.” This isn’t a compliment, and you might want to steer clear of someone like that. Both Elmer and Steve know more than the “lingo” of cowboying. And, their experience informs their stories with an authenticity that others find hard to equal.

For those who have read Elmer’s novels: The Good Old Boys https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And The Smiling Country
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This new adventure will be a treat.

The unlikely lawman is Hewey Calloway, the “star” of the previous books. How Hewey gets roped into a role he neither seeks nor wants is the first part of this novel. You will meet some nice ranchers and some nefarious gents and one old former Texas Ranger by the name of Hanley Baker. “I might just make a lawman out of you yet,” Baker said with a smile. Hewey grinned, then shook his head. “This little adventure is liable to cure any inclination I might have had in that direction,” he replied.

Kelton tells a good story without overwhelming us with his father’s tropes. This story could easily have been titled, Hewey’s Early Years. It nicely fills in some gaps and gives us a good yarn with memorable characters.

[Mike Dietz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A better story and better character development than 6 Bits. An enjoyable read

[markpills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Methodically written like his father, Steve Kelton produced “The Unlikely Lawman,” published in 2022 by Forge® as the continuation of Hewey Calloway’s three cowboy novels, penned by the famous Elmer Kelton, who died in 2009.

Told slowly, like a cattle drive on the far west of the Llano Estacado caprock, in New Mexico, west Texas, and Colorado; this book clearly shows the wide-ranging character of the beloved Mr. Calloway; his triumphs, losses, habits, suspicions, peccadillos, annoyances, beliefs, and dreams.

The complexity of this protagonist is captured brilliantly by the dutiful son, Steve Kelton; the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! I believe most readers will ultimately be attracted to the loner Calloway, in part b/c of his humility, humor, grit, and transcendence as more than a simple cow-puncher.

The journey with this man is like a gentle ride along on horseback, with the story-telling narrative of the early 19th century western plains. Warm weather, dry climate, abundant livestock, and land; the circuitous, comedic path of Hewey Calloway follows his stint as a private pursuer of three dangerous horse-thieves.

His mentor as a lawman is a 50-year old, former Texas Ranger, Hanley Baker, and they started 18-hours behind the robbers. I found at the author's "acknowledgments" section, that this character is largely based on Kelton's grandfather. Kudos to the author for using formed reality to develop his "creative non-fiction."

The author shares spicy euphemisms, hyperbole, and tall-trail-tales, which make the reader chuckle at their usefulness; you’ll know ‘em when you see them! Hewey-isms make this book worth the read; however, I must say that the final chapters (9,10,11) which make up the ending 30% of the book, are mundane and disappointing. Overall grade of three ***-stars.

[Jim Collett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elmer Kelton's son, Steve, adds another chapter in the story of Hewey Calloway, the somewhat footloose West Texas cowboy who lives around the turn of the twentieth century. According to the end notes, Elmer had sketched out some of this tale before his passing. This one takes place between Six Bit A Day and The Good Old Boys. Hewey travels to Colorado moving a horse herd and becomes involved in a hunt for a dangerous young outlaw with whom he had had his own bad dealings. Following the leadership of retired Texas Ranger Hanley Baker, the core of the novel centers around the pursuit of the outlaw and his two partners, following their trail of crimes. The title comes from Hewey's known inability to shoot well and usual desire to avoid serious responsibilities when possible. The younger Kelton does a good job of capturing his father's style and the Hewey of this book remains true to the character already developed in the other books. The story does drag a bit toward the end (there is perhaps a bit too much up and down the trail), but otherwise is a good read.

[Barbara Maddox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sure like this series and am glad that Steve Kelton has continued it. Hewey Calloway is still the same character that is funny and he doesn't know it. Westerns that have a sense of humor are very rare. In fact, this is the only series like that,that I can recall.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!!

[Keith B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book by Steve Kelton, continuing his father's style and legacy.