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Talon and Chantry #4
Borden Chantry
The marshal's name was Borden Chantry. Young, lean, rugged, he's buried a few men in this two-bit cow town—every single one killed in a fair fight. Then, one dark, grim day a mysterious gunman shot a man in cold blood. Five grisly murders later, Chantey was faced with the roughest assignment of his life—find that savage, trigger-happy hard case before he blasts apart every man in town... one by bloody one.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
396 people are currently reading
1119 people want to read
About the author
Louis L'Amour
995 books3,467 followersLouis 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".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
February 7, 2023
A Sackett is murdered. Borden Chantry the town Marshal investigates who is the murderer. The body count rises, attempts are made on Borden’s life. In the end he gets his man who mistakenly thought Joe Sackett was hunting for him.
The story is a bit clumsy with Borden failing to see key people early on and for a while forgetting he has the previous Marshals hidden notebook. Still an enjoyable read.
The story is a bit clumsy with Borden failing to see key people early on and for a while forgetting he has the previous Marshals hidden notebook. Still an enjoyable read.
October 10, 2023
I just might have me a new favorite L'Amour book. A murder mystery set in the Old West? Yes, please!
Borden Chantry himself is just the sort of hero I love best -- quiet, calm, watchful, honorable, steely. Yup, totally love him. (His wife, on the other hand, I am not a fan of. Sigh.) Now I kind of want to reread parts of Son of a Wanted Man just to see all the ties to this.
Although this is not considered one of the Sackett novels, it has Sacketts in it, in minor roles. As a writer who relishes tying different books together in small ways herself, that really pleased me :-)
Borden Chantry himself is just the sort of hero I love best -- quiet, calm, watchful, honorable, steely. Yup, totally love him. (His wife, on the other hand, I am not a fan of. Sigh.) Now I kind of want to reread parts of Son of a Wanted Man just to see all the ties to this.
Although this is not considered one of the Sackett novels, it has Sacketts in it, in minor roles. As a writer who relishes tying different books together in small ways herself, that really pleased me :-)
November 8, 2015
An other great story of the west by the Master story teller.
Full review will be coming shortly.
Enjoy and Be Blessed.
Diamond
Full review will be coming shortly.
Enjoy and Be Blessed.
Diamond
May 29, 2018
When I started this book I figured I'd enjoy it as I had the few other Louis L'Amour books I have read. I didn't expect to be trying to solve the murder myself and getting worried anytime a certain character came into the picture. At first I wasn't sure who was the murderer, as there were so many possibilities, but it turned out that my first hunch was correct.
Borden Chantry was a great marshall, and I wouldn't mind living in a town where he was the law.
My all time favorite part though was the judge's talk with the banker.
"That young man is all that stands between us and savagery. He's the thin line of protection, and when he walks out there on the street his life is on the line every minute he wears that badge. . . . Laws are made to free people, not to bind them–if they are the proper laws. They tell each of us what he may do without transgressing on the equal liberty of any other man."
As with the other books by this author that I've read there is swearing, mostly using the "d" word.
Borden Chantry was a great marshall, and I wouldn't mind living in a town where he was the law.
My all time favorite part though was the judge's talk with the banker.
"That young man is all that stands between us and savagery. He's the thin line of protection, and when he walks out there on the street his life is on the line every minute he wears that badge. . . . Laws are made to free people, not to bind them–if they are the proper laws. They tell each of us what he may do without transgressing on the equal liberty of any other man."
As with the other books by this author that I've read there is swearing, mostly using the "d" word.
December 2, 2020
Besides the Sacketts, Louis L’Amour also wrote other family sagas with multiple books associated with them, most prominently, books featuring either the Chantry or Talon families. In fact, all three families tie-in together through events, marriage, etc., making these books even more interesting.
Here, Borden Chantry has had some bad luck with ranching so has been working as town marshal to earn a little money to provide for his wife and son, Tom (who features in North to the Rails). Serving as marshal is not Borden’s heart’s desire but like most L’Amour heroes, he strives to do a good job and earn the money he is paid. So, when the body of a dead man is found shot to death, he is not content to merely chalk it up to a drunken brawl or a bad card game and simply have the man buried. He needs to find the killer. More murders occur and it becomes increasingly evident that Borden is also targeted.
The story turns into much more of a whodunnit detective novel than the typical L’Amour western novel although plenty of western action remains. When Borden eventually identifies the dead man, it turns out to be none other than . I love it when characters from other L’Amour books show up when I least expect it. Additionally, the character of Kim Baca is first introduced here.
All in all, I really enjoyed this one. The mystery elements are well handled as are the expected western gunfights. Borden is a likable character, a little less perfect and more like us than most of this author’s protagonists. Despite his skill with a gun, he doesn’t really think he’s cut out to be marshal, much less a detective, but he perseveres anyway.
Here, Borden Chantry has had some bad luck with ranching so has been working as town marshal to earn a little money to provide for his wife and son, Tom (who features in North to the Rails). Serving as marshal is not Borden’s heart’s desire but like most L’Amour heroes, he strives to do a good job and earn the money he is paid. So, when the body of a dead man is found shot to death, he is not content to merely chalk it up to a drunken brawl or a bad card game and simply have the man buried. He needs to find the killer. More murders occur and it becomes increasingly evident that Borden is also targeted.
The story turns into much more of a whodunnit detective novel than the typical L’Amour western novel although plenty of western action remains. When Borden eventually identifies the dead man, it turns out to be none other than . I love it when characters from other L’Amour books show up when I least expect it. Additionally, the character of Kim Baca is first introduced here.
All in all, I really enjoyed this one. The mystery elements are well handled as are the expected western gunfights. Borden is a likable character, a little less perfect and more like us than most of this author’s protagonists. Despite his skill with a gun, he doesn’t really think he’s cut out to be marshal, much less a detective, but he perseveres anyway.
February 26, 2022
Some random thoughts:
-Totally called the identity of the mystery killer, though not due to poor or predictable writing. The vibes were just Off. I feel very proud of myself. XD
-Borden Chantry needs a good sleep and a wife who supports him.
-Someone name-dropped Tom Sunday and I was Not Okay.
-I hope Kim Duca sticks around town as deputy.
-A very good L'Amour novel in general. He writes so well. I got anxiety near the end, even though I knew everything would turn out all right.
-Totally called the identity of the mystery killer, though not due to poor or predictable writing. The vibes were just Off. I feel very proud of myself. XD
-Borden Chantry needs a good sleep and a wife who supports him.
-Someone name-dropped Tom Sunday and I was Not Okay.
-I hope Kim Duca sticks around town as deputy.
-A very good L'Amour novel in general. He writes so well. I got anxiety near the end, even though I knew everything would turn out all right.
March 19, 2022
3.5 stars. A pretty darn good murder-mystery that is also frankly a Western, a combination I like to see well done. I tend to increasingly find L'Amour's style a bit stilted, but I thought the story was well plotted, even though I did have a hunch about the killer fairly early more because of their behavior than any specific clue.
February 4, 2018
A historical western murder mystery sounded really good and I wanted to snatch up more Louis L'amour Audio stories so it was a win-win.
Borden Chantry, the young town sheriff, comes back from bringing in a horse thief only to have a dead body on his hands. Everyone thinks the guy is just one of the many drunken cowboy shootings that occur on any given night, but Chantry isn't convinced when little details don't jive.
I enjoyed following along as Chantry, whom I connected with from the first, sifted through the clues to learn who the dead guy was, why he came to their town, and why he was killed. Borden is strong and capable, but he's also vulnerable. He feels the pressure of providing for his wife and son after losing his stock from bad luck and weather so that he had to take the town marshal position and knowing that his wife wants to move back east because she doesn't like this rough life while this is what he knows, loves, and is very good at. He also feels the pressure of replacing a good man who was a top-notch lawman and knowing that a few doubt he's the right man for the job.
There is an interesting philosophical discussion between the judge and the town banker about the necessity of a strong man who wears a gun like Chantry, knowing when and when not to use it, putting his life on the line so that others can live quietly, safely, and at peace that felt poignant to me in the face of our own day when its very tough to be a good lawman/woman as well.
The murder mystery was a cunning one since the dead man is unknown around the area and there is little on him to give Chantry clues. Many people he talks to know more than they will say and he can tell. The killer thinks Chantry is getting closer than he is so he has his own near death experiences including the hiring of a paid killer to hunt Chantry down. He doesn't give up and I was rooting for him when things got pretty gritty.
The blend of authentic western and the murder mystery were great. This is definitely a western in flavor and I enjoyed feeling right there in the moment with Chantry, the town, and the surrounding western frontier area.
The narrator was a first-time for me with Erik Singer. I found parts really good and parts moderately good. I liked how he told a story and found his sense of tone and pace were really good. It was some of the western accents that felt overdone. Sometimes, it was just right- or at least, in my opinion- while at others, it sounded thick and ponderous so I was distracted. I think I got used to his way of voicing the western accent after a time because the distractedness was gone by the end of the book.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and am keen to listen to more of Louis L'amour's westerns particularly if they include a mystery like Borden Chantry.
My thanks to Penguin-Random House Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
Borden Chantry, the young town sheriff, comes back from bringing in a horse thief only to have a dead body on his hands. Everyone thinks the guy is just one of the many drunken cowboy shootings that occur on any given night, but Chantry isn't convinced when little details don't jive.
I enjoyed following along as Chantry, whom I connected with from the first, sifted through the clues to learn who the dead guy was, why he came to their town, and why he was killed. Borden is strong and capable, but he's also vulnerable. He feels the pressure of providing for his wife and son after losing his stock from bad luck and weather so that he had to take the town marshal position and knowing that his wife wants to move back east because she doesn't like this rough life while this is what he knows, loves, and is very good at. He also feels the pressure of replacing a good man who was a top-notch lawman and knowing that a few doubt he's the right man for the job.
There is an interesting philosophical discussion between the judge and the town banker about the necessity of a strong man who wears a gun like Chantry, knowing when and when not to use it, putting his life on the line so that others can live quietly, safely, and at peace that felt poignant to me in the face of our own day when its very tough to be a good lawman/woman as well.
The murder mystery was a cunning one since the dead man is unknown around the area and there is little on him to give Chantry clues. Many people he talks to know more than they will say and he can tell. The killer thinks Chantry is getting closer than he is so he has his own near death experiences including the hiring of a paid killer to hunt Chantry down. He doesn't give up and I was rooting for him when things got pretty gritty.
The blend of authentic western and the murder mystery were great. This is definitely a western in flavor and I enjoyed feeling right there in the moment with Chantry, the town, and the surrounding western frontier area.
The narrator was a first-time for me with Erik Singer. I found parts really good and parts moderately good. I liked how he told a story and found his sense of tone and pace were really good. It was some of the western accents that felt overdone. Sometimes, it was just right- or at least, in my opinion- while at others, it sounded thick and ponderous so I was distracted. I think I got used to his way of voicing the western accent after a time because the distractedness was gone by the end of the book.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and am keen to listen to more of Louis L'amour's westerns particularly if they include a mystery like Borden Chantry.
My thanks to Penguin-Random House Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 27, 2017
4.5/5
Louis L'Amour certainly was, and still is, the King of the Western genre.
Louis L'Amour certainly was, and still is, the King of the Western genre.
November 30, 2021
This one’s a murder mystery and Borden Chantry is the detective. A lot of suspects, a lot of possibilities, but the killer thinks Borden is figuring it out.
February 22, 2023
Really two and a half stars.
October 30, 2022
This was a very winning read from Louis L’Amour. It wasn’t a typical western though, as it was also a murder mystery. I thought it was pretty clever of L’Amour to be so innovative as an author to combine the two genres which worked very well together. While today historical mysteries are common place, but in the ‘70s when this was written, he was well ahead of his time.
Borden Chantey is a small town marshall, thrust into a job he can do but doesn’t love because his ranch has failed. Then several killings happen in town that clearly are murders, which he is responsible for solving. The book was well written and a fast-paced — a very good read.
Borden Chantey is a small town marshall, thrust into a job he can do but doesn’t love because his ranch has failed. Then several killings happen in town that clearly are murders, which he is responsible for solving. The book was well written and a fast-paced — a very good read.
October 5, 2008
Louis Lamour adds 2 things to all his westerns (on top of being a fine story teller who writes in an economic, easily read script, of course!)
He likes to spend time with historic characters, places, and events from those times; and
He always like to make a suitably moral message, which he drums in just enough to dig in under your sub-conscious
So here we find little cameos for Billy the Kid, Pat Garret, Buffalo Bill and others from the East; the town of Durango in Colorado, and a famous old hotel or two. Along with the True Meaning and Value of the Law :).
All of which adds just enough flavour and colour to put substance to what is a very nice little murder mystery, and a very satisfyingly self-effacing hero ...
Good for an hour or two's feet-up reading.
He likes to spend time with historic characters, places, and events from those times; and
He always like to make a suitably moral message, which he drums in just enough to dig in under your sub-conscious
So here we find little cameos for Billy the Kid, Pat Garret, Buffalo Bill and others from the East; the town of Durango in Colorado, and a famous old hotel or two. Along with the True Meaning and Value of the Law :).
All of which adds just enough flavour and colour to put substance to what is a very nice little murder mystery, and a very satisfyingly self-effacing hero ...
Good for an hour or two's feet-up reading.
November 22, 2017
I love Louis L'Amour books and am also a fan of mystery novels, but this Louis L'Amour mystery just didn't do it for me. The identity of the murderer was obvious from the beginning, the main character blunders into one incredibly dangerous situation after another (let's check out this dark and ominously quiet mine shaft!), and ignores obvious clues for several chapters until he suddenly remembers them. That being said, there are plenty of positives here. I particularly enjoyed the interaction between Borden Chantry and the criminals Kim Baca and Boone Silva, probably as that was more western and less mystery than much of the rest of the book. Recommended for someone who absolutely must read all of L'Amour's work, but this is far from his best effort.
September 30, 2021
As so often with L'amour stories this book has more plot holes, basic logic and passage of time errors than a book can take without falling apart.
Its like a picture puzzle with all the border pieces in place (for a standalone book) but everything within just wrong and with missing pieces.
Then again the border pieces don't really all make for a cohesive whole from the greater perspective of Borden Chantry being I take it of the Chantry family line. What information one can glean about his character here does not truly mesh with the overall arc of prior history, there being no substantial mention of his background, nor familial tie ins, it is truly very sloppy. Knowing that Louis L'amour was writing about the west from the perspective of three interconnected families just makes it worse since from all the books of his that I have read, he truly in my opinion, was not doing well at it.
With proper editing this book could have been rather good. I do not know maybe its just the authors process that torpedoes his stories. If someone would just have put the work in to go through the finished work checking for logic errors and smoothed out the edges of the obvious forced patchwork parts this story could have as I said, been good.
Its like a picture puzzle with all the border pieces in place (for a standalone book) but everything within just wrong and with missing pieces.
Then again the border pieces don't really all make for a cohesive whole from the greater perspective of Borden Chantry being I take it of the Chantry family line. What information one can glean about his character here does not truly mesh with the overall arc of prior history, there being no substantial mention of his background, nor familial tie ins, it is truly very sloppy. Knowing that Louis L'amour was writing about the west from the perspective of three interconnected families just makes it worse since from all the books of his that I have read, he truly in my opinion, was not doing well at it.
With proper editing this book could have been rather good. I do not know maybe its just the authors process that torpedoes his stories. If someone would just have put the work in to go through the finished work checking for logic errors and smoothed out the edges of the obvious forced patchwork parts this story could have as I said, been good.
May 7, 2022
One of my absolute favorite novels by Louis. A mystery that takes place in a western town, with a scene of Tyrel Sackett riding into town? Yes, please.
I love Borden and Bess' relationship, even though we see very little of the married couple. And the fact that this novel had a cameo of one of my all-time favorite Louis L'Amour characters just made it all the better.
Borden Chantry accepted the position of marshall simply because he wanted to keep his ranch. He couldn't say he hated his job, but neither did he love it. It was something that had to be done, and he was the man to do it. When a murder takes place in his generally sleepy little town, it's up to him to try and find the killer. Things are not always what they seem, and the deeper Borden digs, the more he realizes that everyone is a suspect.
Highly recommend this one for anyone wanting to give Louis L'Amour a try!
Mild language, as most of Louis' novels, but not too bad. I just keep a pen handy and mark out any words so that my future children will be able to enjoy his books. ;)
I love Borden and Bess' relationship, even though we see very little of the married couple. And the fact that this novel had a cameo of one of my all-time favorite Louis L'Amour characters just made it all the better.
Borden Chantry accepted the position of marshall simply because he wanted to keep his ranch. He couldn't say he hated his job, but neither did he love it. It was something that had to be done, and he was the man to do it. When a murder takes place in his generally sleepy little town, it's up to him to try and find the killer. Things are not always what they seem, and the deeper Borden digs, the more he realizes that everyone is a suspect.
Highly recommend this one for anyone wanting to give Louis L'Amour a try!
Mild language, as most of Louis' novels, but not too bad. I just keep a pen handy and mark out any words so that my future children will be able to enjoy his books. ;)
September 13, 2024
Wow, I absolutely loved this!! Murder mysteries are always a super fun genre, and one set in the wild west?? SIGN ME UP! It was a serial killer too, one murder after another kept happening, and I was left wondering time and time again who the real killer could be until the reveal at the end.
I also really enjoyed the writing style. This one was rather dialogue heavy and in third person. And I really preferred this over the other L'Amour books I'd read in first person—I don't know, it's just worked better for me! Helped with my enjoyment liking the writing style, along with the intriguing mystery. Love how this ties in with the Sacketts series too.
I also really enjoyed the writing style. This one was rather dialogue heavy and in third person. And I really preferred this over the other L'Amour books I'd read in first person—I don't know, it's just worked better for me! Helped with my enjoyment liking the writing style, along with the intriguing mystery. Love how this ties in with the Sacketts series too.
July 5, 2023
Another good Louis L'Amour story. If you enjoy western stories you will enjoy this book and you will enjoy many other Louis L'Amour stories. He wrote over 100 books; nearly 90 novels and several collections of short stories. Most of his books were western stories but he did write several good books not set in the west.
July 13, 2025
Every once in a while I get in the mood for a Western. This was a decent murder mystery, but predictable. As usual, L'Amour shines by making the western setting come to life.
October 28, 2021
I loved this book. Old west. Unsolved murders. One tough marshall. Fantastic.
March 26, 2020
Second book in the Chantry series follows, you guessed it, the story of Borden Chantry.
He used to be a rancher but a frost wiped out his herd and so he is now a Sherriff in a small town.
With his wife and a young son, they are making it work, even though she doesn’t approve of his profession, because she thinks it’s too dangerous.
One morning he finds a dead man in front of a saloon and something doesn’t seem right. As he investigates deeper, he finds out that other seemingly unconnected killings start to add up to a pattern and he won’t let it go until he finds out who is behind it or gets himself killed in the process.
*****
Definitely worth your time. The story was well nuanced and thought out. It holds you until the very end.
He used to be a rancher but a frost wiped out his herd and so he is now a Sherriff in a small town.
With his wife and a young son, they are making it work, even though she doesn’t approve of his profession, because she thinks it’s too dangerous.
One morning he finds a dead man in front of a saloon and something doesn’t seem right. As he investigates deeper, he finds out that other seemingly unconnected killings start to add up to a pattern and he won’t let it go until he finds out who is behind it or gets himself killed in the process.
*****
Definitely worth your time. The story was well nuanced and thought out. It holds you until the very end.
September 1, 2025
This is a detective story set in the old west. Great mystery.
February 28, 2023
Borden Chantry is a local marshal in a small town. He was a rancher but ran out of funds. He is married and has a son. One morning a dead man is found in the street. That is not unusual. Men come to town to drink, start to fight and maybe one of them dies. But this man was shot in the back. So, it's murder.
Chantry starts an investigation. It's a small town; someone must have seen the stranger. Someone must have seen his horse. Chantry finds the dead horse and it's brand has been carved out of its hide. Someone takes a shot at him.
Then a local man is shot and killed. Chantry goes to see the widow of the last marshal who was investigating another death. Chantry decides that the old marshal’s death was murder and that all of the deaths are connected.
Another attempt is made on Chantry's life. But he continues to gather facts. A gunman who's hired to kill him, but Borden gets the drop on him and throws him in jail.
And the pace picks up and death and mayhem ensue.
I was looking to read another western and I found a mystery. Early on I made a guess as to who the murderer was.
Chantry starts an investigation. It's a small town; someone must have seen the stranger. Someone must have seen his horse. Chantry finds the dead horse and it's brand has been carved out of its hide. Someone takes a shot at him.
Then a local man is shot and killed. Chantry goes to see the widow of the last marshal who was investigating another death. Chantry decides that the old marshal’s death was murder and that all of the deaths are connected.
Another attempt is made on Chantry's life. But he continues to gather facts. A gunman who's hired to kill him, but Borden gets the drop on him and throws him in jail.
And the pace picks up and death and mayhem ensue.
I was looking to read another western and I found a mystery. Early on I made a guess as to who the murderer was.
July 26, 2010
A good one. I like the Marshall Borden Chantry character, whose stories mix a bit of the detective story with the western setting. Good stuff.
February 1, 2025
A great crime-suspense/western! Better to read after becoming well-acquainted with the Sacketts.
February 1, 2021
Marshall Borden Chantry must seek a town resident who has left a well dressed dead man in the street. Soon other victims occur. His efforts set him up as the next victim.
September 24, 2024
I Read This on Paperback Format. This is a Great Short Story About the Sacketts.
October 23, 2019
.
Borden Chantry
By Louis L'Amour
(The Chantry Series, pub. 1977, over 200 pages)
OVERVIEW:
A wild west murder mystery: who killed the well-to-do stranger in town? The killer tried to make it look like a typical drunken gun duel--staging the body out in the street. The strangers exceptional horse was found buried in an arroyo. The unlikely investigator is the new town marshal, 24-year-old Borden Chantry who's a born-and-bred cattleman. Recently he lost his ranch and livestock to a big freeze. The town voted him in as marshal and he accepted the job to support his wife (Bess) and young son (Tom).
The previous marshal (George Riggin) had been murdered and his death was staged to look like an accident--a rock slide. He had been investigating the murder of Pin Dover, a cowpuncher from Mora. Soon a number of others are killed as well and shots are fired at Marshal Borden. The hired-gun Boone Silva arrives in town, hired to end the marshal: he fails.
The stranger turns out to be Joe Sackett. (The 17 book Sackett series is another frontier collection by author Louis L'Amour and concerns generations of a pioneer family, originating in England and making their way west in America). When Joe's brother Tyrel from the town of Mora shows up, marshal Borden learns what the victims have in common. They were all silenced by a man named Ford Mason who thinks he's being hunted for his past crimes.
In this town he owns the store and goes by the name Langdon Adams, a trusted pal of Borden Chantry. He's actually an army deserter, bank robber, stage robber and sometime ago he shot the rancher Cunningham and his daughter when they discovered his criminal legacy. The Cunninghams survived and didn't press charges, so no one was hunting Adams. He now rides west fleeing the six murders he committed and marshal Borden is in pursuit. When the marshal locates him in a saloon Adams won't go quietly, forcing his former friend to end him.
•
Mostly an engaging who-done-it.
It's not clearly layed out how the marshal deduced that his pal Lang was the killer. Additionally the motive for some of the (five or six) killings doesn't seem clearly spelled out.
The time period and location are vague: somewhere in the wild west and after the war between the states.
.
Some Story Details:
Borden has been a competent cattleman since the age of 11, riding herd and taking his pay in cattle to build up his own stock and brand. He did recently loose his herd to the big winter freeze, but so did others. Hired as the law in town, mostly due to his gun skills and common sense. He can bring in a horse
thief without firing a shot, knows when not to pull his gun and arrests the occasional drunk, so he can sleep it off in safety.
It's a peaceful town of a few hundred residents, but cowboys, minors and drifters from the surrounding area sometimes engage in drunken brawls, knife fights and gun duels. This results in a dead body occasionally found lying in the street. Borden loves it here. His wife Bess wants to go back east (Vermont) and raise their boy Tom in a violence-free, gun-free world. Borden plans to get back to cattle ranching out here in the wonderful west, ASAP.
Now he's called upon to be a detective, gathering evidence, talking with suspects etc. Pin Dover was first killed some time ago and the former marshal George Riggin was investigating when he too was murdered. Joe was killed because the paranoid Lang thought he was being hunted by Sackett. He was actually in town to give money to Mary Ann Haley, sick with lungfever, and needing to move to the better climate of San Diego.
Johnny McCoy was shot dead. He had stabled Joe's horse and had something he needed to tell the marshal. Ed Pearson was in his mine outside of town and was shot. A booby trap bomb sealed up the entrance to the mine when marshal Borden went in. He survives and Ed's dog leads him to an escape route at the back of the mine. They all had some connection to Mora or maybe clues to Joe's killer. It's not layed out clearly and the marshal does a lot of speculating, further muddying the facts of his case.
The Chantry Book Series in Chronological Order
Fair Blows the Wind (1978)
• Borden Chantry (1977)
North to the Rails (1971)
Over on the Dry Side (1975)
The Ferguson Rifle (1971)
..
Borden Chantry
By Louis L'Amour
(The Chantry Series, pub. 1977, over 200 pages)
OVERVIEW:
A wild west murder mystery: who killed the well-to-do stranger in town? The killer tried to make it look like a typical drunken gun duel--staging the body out in the street. The strangers exceptional horse was found buried in an arroyo. The unlikely investigator is the new town marshal, 24-year-old Borden Chantry who's a born-and-bred cattleman. Recently he lost his ranch and livestock to a big freeze. The town voted him in as marshal and he accepted the job to support his wife (Bess) and young son (Tom).
The previous marshal (George Riggin) had been murdered and his death was staged to look like an accident--a rock slide. He had been investigating the murder of Pin Dover, a cowpuncher from Mora. Soon a number of others are killed as well and shots are fired at Marshal Borden. The hired-gun Boone Silva arrives in town, hired to end the marshal: he fails.
The stranger turns out to be Joe Sackett. (The 17 book Sackett series is another frontier collection by author Louis L'Amour and concerns generations of a pioneer family, originating in England and making their way west in America). When Joe's brother Tyrel from the town of Mora shows up, marshal Borden learns what the victims have in common. They were all silenced by a man named Ford Mason who thinks he's being hunted for his past crimes.
In this town he owns the store and goes by the name Langdon Adams, a trusted pal of Borden Chantry. He's actually an army deserter, bank robber, stage robber and sometime ago he shot the rancher Cunningham and his daughter when they discovered his criminal legacy. The Cunninghams survived and didn't press charges, so no one was hunting Adams. He now rides west fleeing the six murders he committed and marshal Borden is in pursuit. When the marshal locates him in a saloon Adams won't go quietly, forcing his former friend to end him.
•
Mostly an engaging who-done-it.
It's not clearly layed out how the marshal deduced that his pal Lang was the killer. Additionally the motive for some of the (five or six) killings doesn't seem clearly spelled out.
The time period and location are vague: somewhere in the wild west and after the war between the states.
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Some Story Details:
Borden has been a competent cattleman since the age of 11, riding herd and taking his pay in cattle to build up his own stock and brand. He did recently loose his herd to the big winter freeze, but so did others. Hired as the law in town, mostly due to his gun skills and common sense. He can bring in a horse
thief without firing a shot, knows when not to pull his gun and arrests the occasional drunk, so he can sleep it off in safety.
It's a peaceful town of a few hundred residents, but cowboys, minors and drifters from the surrounding area sometimes engage in drunken brawls, knife fights and gun duels. This results in a dead body occasionally found lying in the street. Borden loves it here. His wife Bess wants to go back east (Vermont) and raise their boy Tom in a violence-free, gun-free world. Borden plans to get back to cattle ranching out here in the wonderful west, ASAP.
Now he's called upon to be a detective, gathering evidence, talking with suspects etc. Pin Dover was first killed some time ago and the former marshal George Riggin was investigating when he too was murdered. Joe was killed because the paranoid Lang thought he was being hunted by Sackett. He was actually in town to give money to Mary Ann Haley, sick with lungfever, and needing to move to the better climate of San Diego.
Johnny McCoy was shot dead. He had stabled Joe's horse and had something he needed to tell the marshal. Ed Pearson was in his mine outside of town and was shot. A booby trap bomb sealed up the entrance to the mine when marshal Borden went in. He survives and Ed's dog leads him to an escape route at the back of the mine. They all had some connection to Mora or maybe clues to Joe's killer. It's not layed out clearly and the marshal does a lot of speculating, further muddying the facts of his case.
The Chantry Book Series in Chronological Order
Fair Blows the Wind (1978)
• Borden Chantry (1977)
North to the Rails (1971)
Over on the Dry Side (1975)
The Ferguson Rifle (1971)
..
March 1, 2022
Overall, I enjoyed this Western murder mystery, but I never really warmed up to the main character, Borden Chantry.
Chantry is the marshal of a little Western cow town where, one day, the dead body of a stranger appears in the street. Chantry assumes the man was killed "in a fair fight" (a drunken shootout), so the death isn't his responsibility. Soon, however, clues begin to point in another direction--cold-blooded murder.
In some ways, this book has the feeling of a locked-room puzzle. Of course the town isn't a locked room, but it's a small place where everybody knows everybody. As it becomes more and more obvious the killer is one of Chantry's neighbors, and it's up to Chantry to figure out which one, the tension rachets up to quite an impressive degree.
Since I enjoyed the mystery, why didn't I like Chantry himself?
Simply put, I found him callous. I didn't like his initial reaction to the dead body ("obviously a fair fight, nothing to worry about, dead bodies turn up on Main Street all the time.") I didn't like the way he responded to the woman who alerted him to the problem; he was kind of laughing at her, "hasn't she ever seen a dead body before?" I didn't like his continued declarations that the frequent drunken shootouts which do litter the streets with dead bodies are perfectly normal and nothing to be concerned about. And I REALLY didn't like his response to his wife Bess saying "hey, have you thought about raising our kid in a place where dead bodies don't show up in the street on a regular Wednesday morning???" Because Chantry was all like "you married me, so this is what you get." Which of all the asinine things men say in fiction (and in real life), has got to be among the Top Ten Most Asinine.
I don't know... I'm probably being too harsh on the guy, when it's really more a matter of the author's worldview and what he wishes to present as "normal" vs. "abnormal." I think L'Amour felt he needed to glorify the "Western way" of face-to-face shootouts in order to contrast it with stab-in-the-back type murders. But killing a man in a shooting match isn't necessarily any more moral than stabbing him in the back. Sure, it CAN be, but it very much depends on the circumstances. Mark Twain brilliantly satirizes this type of thinking in Huckleberry Finn.
For me, L'Amour's best novels are the ones where he interrogates and challenges the Western code; where his heroes are self-aware about the moral pitfalls of the violent society in which they live. It's why To Tame a Land ends with It's why The Daybreakers ends with I would have liked to see a little more of that same self-awareness from Borden Chantry.
Anyway... the mystery was still cool, even if the main character disappointed me, so I'm glad I read it.
Chantry is the marshal of a little Western cow town where, one day, the dead body of a stranger appears in the street. Chantry assumes the man was killed "in a fair fight" (a drunken shootout), so the death isn't his responsibility. Soon, however, clues begin to point in another direction--cold-blooded murder.
In some ways, this book has the feeling of a locked-room puzzle. Of course the town isn't a locked room, but it's a small place where everybody knows everybody. As it becomes more and more obvious the killer is one of Chantry's neighbors, and it's up to Chantry to figure out which one, the tension rachets up to quite an impressive degree.
Since I enjoyed the mystery, why didn't I like Chantry himself?
Simply put, I found him callous. I didn't like his initial reaction to the dead body ("obviously a fair fight, nothing to worry about, dead bodies turn up on Main Street all the time.") I didn't like the way he responded to the woman who alerted him to the problem; he was kind of laughing at her, "hasn't she ever seen a dead body before?" I didn't like his continued declarations that the frequent drunken shootouts which do litter the streets with dead bodies are perfectly normal and nothing to be concerned about. And I REALLY didn't like his response to his wife Bess saying "hey, have you thought about raising our kid in a place where dead bodies don't show up in the street on a regular Wednesday morning???" Because Chantry was all like "you married me, so this is what you get." Which of all the asinine things men say in fiction (and in real life), has got to be among the Top Ten Most Asinine.
I don't know... I'm probably being too harsh on the guy, when it's really more a matter of the author's worldview and what he wishes to present as "normal" vs. "abnormal." I think L'Amour felt he needed to glorify the "Western way" of face-to-face shootouts in order to contrast it with stab-in-the-back type murders. But killing a man in a shooting match isn't necessarily any more moral than stabbing him in the back. Sure, it CAN be, but it very much depends on the circumstances. Mark Twain brilliantly satirizes this type of thinking in Huckleberry Finn.
For me, L'Amour's best novels are the ones where he interrogates and challenges the Western code; where his heroes are self-aware about the moral pitfalls of the violent society in which they live. It's why To Tame a Land ends with It's why The Daybreakers ends with I would have liked to see a little more of that same self-awareness from Borden Chantry.
Anyway... the mystery was still cool, even if the main character disappointed me, so I'm glad I read it.
October 13, 2017
Louis L'Amour, is a ok book, the book at first is hard to get into but once you read more of it you understand it more. This book is filled with a western style noble. This book is filled with adventure and a little bit of mystery. The main characteris Chantry he is a cowboy\sheriff. He is young, lean, rugged and he has buried a few men in his cow town. Then one dark night a mysterious man was shot. Then five murders later, Chantry faced one of the hardest things in his life.
Characters: I enjoyed reading this book as Chantry goes through his murder case. I also enjoyed some of the other characters, like a lot of of the characters their are ropers and good ol country boys in it. It seems like a lot of the stuff in this book seems like a lot of of it the things in the books seems like it has a lot of real life things like some of the gun fights outside of bars and some of the little fights that they had out in the country.
Plot: The summary of the book has a very western blot. The marshals name was borden chantry. Yung, lean, rugged, and he has buried a few men in his two-bit cowtown. Every single one was killed in a fair fight. Then, one dark, grim day a mysterious gunman was shot in cold blood. I enjoyed the events in the book, the only thing i would change is make another book that leads up to the end of this one. `
Conflict: The major conflict is one night when a man died from someone shooting him and it wasn't regular for someone to be shot in this small town. Everyone is worried about getting hurt or shot because they didn't know what happened to this guy that is the main conflict in the book.
What I learned: something that I learned in this book is it doesn't matter how hard it gets don't ever give up. Especially when your hometown loves you and loves what you do. Something else I learned is that dont blame someone for something that they didn't do.
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