Milo Talon

Talon and Chantry #8

by Louis L'Amour

Milo Talon knew the territory and the good men from the bad. He had ridden the Outlaw Trail and could find out things others couldn't. That was why a rich man named Jefferson Henry hired Milo to hunt down a missing girl. But from the moment Milo began his search, he knew something wasn't right. Three people had already died, an innocent woman was on the run, and a once sleepy town was getting crowded with hired guns. Suddenly, Milo Talon realized that there were still things he had to learn?about the woman he was trying to find, the man who had hired him, and the murderer who wanted him dead. But most of all, Milo had a few things to learn about himself. And he would have to work fast, because one mistake could cost him his life.?

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Historical, Action, Novels

288 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1981

About the author

Louis Dearborn L'Amour was an American novelist and short story writer. His books consisted primarily of Western novels, though he called his work "frontier stories". His most widely known Western fiction works include Last of the Breed, Hondo, Shalako, and the Sackett series. L'Amour also wrote historical fiction (The Walking Drum), science fiction (The Haunted Mesa), non-fiction (Frontier), and poetry and short-story collections. Many of his stories were made into films. His books remain popular and most have gone through multiple printings. At the time of his death, almost all of his 105 existing works (89 novels, 14 short-story collections, and two full-length works of nonfiction) were still in print, and he was "one of the world's most popular writers".

Reviews

[Eva-Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Milo Talon is one of L'Amour's later books and it feels different than his earlier novels--darker and less wholesome. The plot was confusing at times, and the ending was really a downer--and disturbing as well. I mean, the story ended well enough for the main character and his girl, but for the female villain? Yeesh. She gets kidnapped and turned into a slave by a super creepy couple who live in the mountains.

Overall, I was not a fan.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book. I noticed that even though it was a western, it could easily have been a noir/mystery. The setting could have easily been changed from the old west to the seedy city, and the main character would have worked perfectly as a private eye, which he sort of was anyway. There was also the femme fatales, "gangsters", and even some scary psychos showed up. Few of the characters could be trusted and there were twists and turns from start to finish.

One of the better L'Amour novels Ive read, even though it wasn't his usual. This could have easily fit into the worlds of Spillaine and Chandler, but it was still a western and fans of the genre probably wouldn't be disappointed.

I recommend this both to fans of Western as well as Hard Boiled Fiction.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Milo Talon has a reputation for being able to find things, mostly the result of his knowing more than a few outlaws. He does not have any experience as an investigator but nevertheless, a rich man hires him to hunt down his missing granddaughter. The pay is good, so Milo takes the case. But it is soon evident that not everything is on the up and up. Some people have already died, and their little town is being overrun with hired guns.

Milo Talon is a cousin to the famous Sackett family, and his nature fits in well with theirs. A good day’s work for a good day's pay…never quit a job…loyalty to family and friends is paramount. Most of this novel is fairly typical of Louis L’Amour’s work, although I maintain that he was remarkably successful in keeping his stories from becoming formula repeats. This one too has several surprises along the way including a really interesting nice old couple who lives in the mountains who are not at all what they first seem.

Another enjoyable western yarn from the master.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Milo Talon is familiar the the Western region encompassing the Outlaw Trail and he knows the people. A rich man hires him to find a missing woman resulting in surprises as he learns that he dosen't really know his employer or the object of his search. An excellent story by the master of Westerns.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In enjoy L'Mour, but this was not one of his better books. The plot was a bit confusing and the characters were hard to keep track of. I was able to figure out the solution 3/4 of the way through the book. I also thought the ending was a bit strange and left too many loose threads. I enjoyed reading it, but probably won't pick it up again.

[*Stani* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Milo Talon is hired by a wealthy rancher to find his missing granddaughter, who is set to inherit a huge sum of money from her railroad baron stepfather.

A girl named Molly appears in town, scared and seemingly running from something or someone.

A few days later two hired guns arrive in town.

As the plot thickens, Milo’s life begins to take turns from dangerous to a place where he can’t be sure who isn’t after him anymore.

But now it’s not only him but Molly as well that he has to think of. After all, it was him who pursued her to stay in town.

********

Great story with an interesting plot line.

The mystery is deep and you definitely don’t know which way the story is turning and who is after who and who is the good guy and who is just pretending.

Really well paced with plenty of action. Highly recommend.

[Mascha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as much a western as the previous works I’ve read. This was more a detective noir ish story. Kinda dragged the first half, last quarter was great though!

[Jay Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'Amour wrote several books about the Talon family. From the family began by pirates and came to the US through Quebec. They are related to the Sacketts. The book moves and the scenery is one of the characters in the book. I must admit I fell in love with this area on my visits to the West. If you have noticed, L'Amour books are like potato chips, you can't stop with one. I was the beneficiary of my collection from a friend of mine that passes away two years ago. We both loved Westerns so he left them for me. Thank you Doug.

[Micol · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first and last Louis L'Amour. I was expecting my encounter with L'Amour to be much more exciting because, well, he is Louis L'Amour and everyone loves him. It was ok. That's all. I'm not sure what all the fuss is about.

[Mickey Knipp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good western. I could re-read all the L'Amour books. Oh wait that is what I'm doing.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

On a road trip to Arizona to visit my sister, I picked up a 1981 paperback copy of this book to read on the way home. Bought it from the Apache Junction Goodwill for $2.29 :)

On the way back home to Utah, I couldn’t help but think as we drove through that wild and sweeping landscape of all those westerners that not only made up the characters in pulp fiction like L’Amour’s, but lived and died in that wild untamed all those years ago. How could such a beautiful and desolated EMPTY land hold so much human history? yet it does.

This is not my favorite L’Amour novel; the villainess is off-putting and her ending disturbing. Part noir mystery, part western, and part horror, Milo Talon still doesn’t stay far from the tried and true western hero story. A good read for my road trip.

[Bob Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story, cowboys, Bad Hombres, Gun fighters Louis L amour always writes great stories and interesting Characters in his westerns.

[Rod Innis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Louis L'Amour story. I have read all of his books at least once, some of them many years ago. I enjoy going back them them once in a while.

[Lindsay (LindsayReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last week I had the sudden need to read Milo Talon. So, I picked up my worn paperback and dove in to the story of my favorite western character.

I love Milo Talon! Im a fan of his blunt personality and desire to do the right thing by good people. He's just a good guy with a sharp whit and smart mouth who stands up for his friends. What's not to like?! I also enjoy the supporting cast of characters L'amour provides our reluctant hero: the pretty girl in need of help, the kind ex-trail cook, and the mysterious horse wranglers. But Milo Talon is more than just a simple cowboy story. L'amour, the king of the western, weaves a complex mystery that starts with the search for a missing girl and cumulates with Milo and Molly running for their lives from parties greedy for railroad money. The mystery and the characters keep me coming back to this novel time and time again, and I need for it to be made into a movie. Now!

I do have to say that some readers are not going to appreciate the development of Milo and Molly's relationship. There are no sappy details and it can read a tad unrealistic and abrupt. I love it, but I understand it's not for most. Also, L'amour's writing style is not the most showing. The language is blunt and straight forward, but I still feel like I'm right in the middle of the action while reading.

READ IT! Milo Talon is my all time favorite western and I want to hear what you think. I promise the ending is well worth it!

Lindsay

Check out more reviews at www.sandbetweenthepages.wordpress.com

[Darnoc Leadburger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like a good western now and then, and while I'm normally drawn towards revisionist westerns because they put a little more emphasis on prose and characters than your average pulpier western, I was willing to give this book a fair shot because I really like L'Amour's *The Man From the Broken Hills*, which is part of this shared family history between the Sacketts and Talons and featured Milo Talon (who's clearly the protagonist of this book) to boot. I was hoping that this book would capture the engrossing ethos as that book, but it didn't quite succeed; nonetheless, it's a solid adventure with a thicker mystery streak than most novels of its kind, and I'd be wholeheartedly recommending it if it wasn't for some... things... that occur between its covers...

*Milo Talon* jumps right into the thick of it with Milo Talon taking a job from a rich man named Jefferson Henry. This arrangement is not born out of mutual appreciation - the two men don't like each other all that much - but Talon's all out of cash and is willing to go looking for Henry's missing granddaughter Nancy even though A) he's not usually the investigating type and B) more renowned investigators have failed with the same job. He goes back into town; rents a room; meets the chef of the local "diner" - German Schafer, an old trail cook Talon had actually met before; and encounters a young woman who just got into town named Molly who's in fresh clothes and is fresh outta money. Talon takes pity on her, flips her some dough, and suggests that she stays in town for a while and work with German while he goes through some information about Nancy. He becomes intrigued with this couple that he thinks was murdered, and starts to get suspicious when an infamous contract killer makes his way to town. On German's recommendation he ends up taking a train ride to a nearby town where an old lady who knows how to connect people lives; there, she gives him a briefcase from the dead couple full of more information. It takes him a while to get through this new trove, but even at first glance Nancy's case seems randomly scattershot. He goes through some of it back in town before finding a Mexican friend of his missing from his outer-skirts outpost. Talon ends up rescuing him from a puma; apparently ruffians had tried killing him, just like they'd liked a man who staggered out of Jefferson Henry's car screaming many nights before... it seems like someone is trying to stir up trouble...

His injured friend in tow, Talon seeks out an old "friend" of his named Anne, a woman he was sweet on when she passed through his Ma's ranch, finds where she's living now, and gets his friend Pablo momentarily fixed up and fed. She's with this strange group of people that seems to be hiding something, though, which made Talon nervous - but being a country guy, it's not his business. Talon moves on with a half-asleep Pablo, ends up encountering a couple of marauders and killing one of them, and arrives back in town only to find Molly kidnapped with no trace left but a note she hid in his room. He circles back to Anne's new place, where he finds Molly being hauled away on horseback. Anne, a criminal mastermind? Talon interrupts them and rescues Anne; once they get back to town they find Rolon Taylor's men after them for some reason, so they steal horses from an old woman named Maggie who's unwilling to give them up and they run away. Their luck comes to an end when they find an old couple who seem to help them out only to have the husband shoot Talon behind his back so that his wife can have Molly as a domestic slave. Talon survives and rescues Molly and then goes back to town and learns what's going on from Molly and a will + testament: her mother was the housekeeper for Nancy's mother's second husband, and since he always liked Molly more than his "daughter" (AKA Anne - AKA Nancy) because Nancy was nasty, he willed Molly the estate. That's what everybody else wants. Talon's Mexican friends have to keep Talon out of trouble, but he still ends up beating back one of Anne's goons when they show up, and then he has to kill John Topp in a shootout. Bythen the townspeople tell him that he has to leave because there's been too much shooting, so he proposes to Molly and they run off together. At the same time, Anne finds herself entrapped and enslaved by that crazy couple...

In some ways, Milo Talon stands for everything that the Wild West is depicted to stand for: he's a self-reliant man that might not be the richest or the most well-trained, but he's got a keg-full of determination that will propel him through any situation where his own an innocent woman's life is on the line. He's a humble soul who's even a bit naïve, as seen when he gives Molly - a young woman he barely knows - a large sum out of his down payment from Jefferson Henry. It was nice to read a book with a character conventionally noble like him, especially since I read a lot of science fiction where even the good guys' motivations can be dubious. It just made me feel kinda good about reading it, which is all you can really ask for. And the cast of supporting characters was memorable even if their places in the plots weren't quite solidified, whether it's Pablo the hombre rider who's seen his fair share of things, Maggie the bitter old woman who's hopelessly obsessed with her horses, which Talon + Molly must steal to survive, or stone-cold killers like John Topp or Boggart, even if they're not always given that much to do...

The book falls apart in the plotting department. It's got a solid base and takes the story in some unconventional routes (other reviewers say that this is as much of a noir novel as it is a western), but at the end of the day, it kind of overstuffs itself and goes in some directions that tear your attention away from Talon and Molly and what seems to be the point of the novel. First of all, I feel like L'Amour just puts too many characters into the same town - famous ranchers, famous contract killers, etc - that make the Wild West feel very small because everyone knows each other. And then some of these people are barely used, and while some characters like Boggart may have had their presence explained in one-liners, it sure wasn't impactful enough to help me remember as time goes by. And their appearances just feel... gratuitous. And speaking of gratuitous, in addition to sending Talon on some weird spirals to find information (like going to that one town where he thinks people are trying to kill him and there's this one woman who knows everyone and everything), L'Amour sends the plot on this weird and sadistic one-eighty in the final portions of the book. Like... is there any purpose to have those characters who like to do what they like to do? To some reviewers' points it seems like something you'd see in a crime novel that prioritizes shock value and torture porn above actual plot, and that's just not something I expected from L'Amour, even if it's used to give us a... um... "satisfying" ending. It just felt pointless, and even though L'Amour does give us a good conclusion to the book's mystery thrust, it did get kind of lost in the sauce of random cameoing and that weird stuff happening. To L'Amour's credit, I still found the primary resolution of the novel satisfying, and while it feels like his story's whims of self-importance ran away with the reins on occasion, he wrote well and competently. His prose was kind of smooth, and I never really found myself confused by physical action based on poor positioning like I sometimes can when reading a western of lesser quality. This isn't a bad book, just a... scattershot one.

Overall, I didn't like this as much as I liked *The Man From the Broken Hills*, but it was more satisfying than not. I'll give it a 6.5/10 with awareness that it probably could've held up better if it wasn't for those meddling creeps... I'll pick up some Sackett novels when I come across them, but as usual, I'll try to seek out more revisionist westerns than these pulpier ones. Stay tuned for what I can find on those, and I'll see you around the old Goodreads; until our paths meet again, happy reading...

[Dijon-15119]

if u like western books u will love this book

[Oleta Blaylock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish that Louis L'Amour had included a paragraph or something to give the reader an idea where the story fit into the overall series. I am guessing that this book is after the trouble Emily Talon had on the home ranch (RIDE THE DARK TRAIL). It would have been nice to have all the books that L'Amour planned in print but alas that was not to be. Anyway this is the last of the Milo Talon books.

Milo is hired to find a girl that has been missing for fifteen years. It isn't long before he starts to find trouble. First there is the girl he meets in the cafe. Molly Fletcher is alone and broke and has a secret that could get her killed. Milo likes the girl and goes out of his way to help her. It isn't long before Milo realizes that there is more going on than he was told and it is getting hard to keep track of the players in this deadly game of a rich dead man and all the players that want his estate.

This is a little different from the other books have read in this series. It is very much like Borden Chantry only the man that is dead has been so for a some time and there are a number of people interested in what he had. I think that is always the way when a lot of money is involved. Those that have no claim try to find a way to get some of the pot. Milo has to tread lightly and be vigilant or he is going to cash in his chips.

This was an interesting story and again there are plenty of descriptions of some beautiful territory, mostly in Colorado. There is something about the mountains that just bring a peace to the trouble mind of a person. I love the mountains and I would much rather spend time there than on a beach somewhere. This is another story filled with gunfights, chases through rough country, greed and in the budding relationship of the two main characters. I loved the ending.

[John Reis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Milo Talon is a drifter. He is hired by Jefferson Henry to find his granddaughter, Nancy. Along the way, he meets Molly Fletcher and stakes her in a restaurant. He wanders around a lot. He sits around and wonders why he was hired. He wonders if there is something in his past that might be a clue. He meets people. He is attacked several times. He helps people. He decides Molly is somehow a part of this. He wonders how she could be involved. He wonders why he was hired. He finds the missing girl and she is a handful.

This was a slow, meandering mess. Talon has no ambition; he says so several times. He has no direction. Several of the characters have similar sounding names: Nathan, Newton and Nancy. I could never get Nathan and Newton straight. There are also Molly and Maggie.

[David Braly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Milo Talon knew the territory and the good men from the bad. He had ridden the Outlaw Trail and could find out things others couldn't. That was why a rich man named Jefferson Henry hired Milo to hunt down a missing girl. But from the moment Milo began his search, he knew something wasn't right. Three people had already died, an innocent woman was on the run, and a once sleepy town was getting crowded with hired guns. Suddenly, Milo Talon realized that there were still things he had to learn?about the woman he was trying to find, the man who had hired him, and the murderer who wanted him dead. But most of all, Milo had a few things to learn about himself. And he would have to work fast, because one mistake could cost him his life.?

[Jjohn_galt · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is definitely not one of L'Amour's better books. He tried to write a mystery novel, and it falls flat. The protagonist spends far too much time mentally reviewing the limited facts in his possession, dragging the pace down. There are coincidences that strain the suspension of disbelief (the hero just happens to have met the missing woman when he was younger, which no one knows until the big reveal, since she's been using a different name). And while this book isn't in the Sackett series, it's Sackett-adjacent (Milo is the son of Em Talon, who was born a Sackett) and tries much to hard to cram in Sackett references.

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first I have read of the Talon family, but I loved the Sackett series and Milo is the son of one of the Sacketts. He took a job finding a girl (Anne/Nancy) and found himself in the middle of bad guys hunting for millions in gold as well protecting Molly. He insists that he is not made for being a gunslinger but does admirably well at it. He has the help of German Schafer, Pablo, Felipe and others. In a little surprise ending Molly and Milo have the Will wherein Molly inherits, and Anne/Nancy gets what she deserves.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this quite a bit. I enjoy Milo Talon's character both in this book and in "The Man from the Broken Hills", although here he becomes annoyingly forgetful and totally ignores major clues he knows he has until it's almost too late to use them the book is about to be over.

The inclusion of a couple of unexpected villians straight out of a Stephen King book was quite fun as well!

[Blake B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Milo Talon by Louis L'Amour is one of my top favorite books.The book is about Milo Talon in the book he is hired by a wealthy man named Jefferson Henry. Mr Henry wants Milo to track down a missing girl.Milo agrees to his terms to track her down.But soon the small town they are staying in is getting crowded with hired guns.
I found this book in the library how I found is because the author is one of my favorites. If u like a good mystery book with some action then this is the book for you.

[Shubes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely NOT the best Louis L’Amour book I’ve read. I was expecting a lot more action due to it being one of the Talon/Chantry novels but this was slow, plodding…think “cowboy detective novel”. It was hard to get through, and I didn’t care for the ending AT ALL. I was glad to get through this one, glad to finally close the back cover, and sorely disappointed at how dull and UN-captivating this one was.

[MICHAEL A. PARD]

Another great western!!

I really like a story that pulls you in, holds your interest and keeps you holding on to the edge of your seat. This one does. It has twists and turns that surprise you and when you think you have it figured out, around another corner you go. I really like the way Louis L'Amour takes you one a wild ride, right up until the end.

[Barker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with most reviewers that gave a low rating. It was confusing and hard to keep up with the story. Also it isn't his best work but I think it is because fans of L' Amours work put him on a high level. If this was written by a lesser known author it would have been given more stars. Unlike some I did like the creative ending.

[Heather Burdge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy COWWWW. this book was SO GOOOD.

The ending literally blew my socks off. I didn’t expect it to get so wild. And not shooting cowboy wild. Like old creepy serial killer wild. It was not expected. This is for sure a slow starter. Takes a long time. But then BAM. WHAT DID THEY JUST SAY?

Hats off to you Mr. L’amour another amazing adventure.

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad per se, but definitely the weakest L’Amour book I’ve read so far. This book is like a combo of a western and a mystery novel, which I think would’ve been cool if it wasn’t so confusing and meandering. Honestly, the weird dark ending was my favorite part of this book, it genuinely caught me off guard.

[Michael D. Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, greatness in prose, Mr Lamour at the top of western stories

Again greatness in prose, Mr Lamont surpasses most writers in western lore! Admire and sad of his passing would have been amazing to meet him in person, my loss!

[Brenton Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this first as a young boy. More of a detective story than I remembered. My impression, perhaps largely on the iconic "go in shooting and let the Devil count the dead", was that this was more violent, more gun fighting.

Overall mostly enjoyable.