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Have Gun, Will Play
Two gunslingers, one little girl, a big bag of toys... and murder. Mick and Casey McKee aren't exactly your average gunslingers. He's young and inexperienced, and has much too sunny a disposition for a gunman. She's younger, meaner, less experienced, but a much better shot. When they get a job protecting the daughter of a stagecoach king--and her grand collection of toys--it seems like an opportunity to go someplace new. But after the wrong kidnapping, a murder, another wrong kidnapping, a couple of jewel heists and a few knocks to the head, Mick and Casey are left holding the bag of toys. Mick, however, is not as dumb as he seems, and as for Casey...nobody steals her gun and gets away with it. HAVE GUN, WILL PLAY is a western whodunnit for fans of both puzzle mysteries and light adventure. (approx. 65,000 words)
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2010
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 24, 2010
Rating: 5 out of 5
I pride myself on being someone who will read – and enjoy – anything that comes my way. So when “Have Gun, Will Play” came up on my TBR list, I was struck by the awareness that, outside the Lone Ranger adventures my mother would read to me as a wee lad, I have never read a western. Ever. Not that I’ve been actively avoiding them – “Blood Meridian” has intrigued me, given my adoration of Cormac McCarthy – they just haven’t come my way, and I haven’t searched them out. Consider westerns my “lost genre”.
So into my realm of personal unawareness comes this quaint and fun little book by Camille LaGuire. “Have Gun, Will Play” is the story of Mick and Casey, a pair of young gunslingers traipsing through the old west after having severed ties with a famous lawman. They come upon the small ramshackle mining town of Newton and are immediately thrust into a gunfight with invading outlaws. In the aftermath of this conflict, they meet up with a banker named Montel Addley, whose brother is a paranoid land owner who basically runs the town and its surrounding area. Mick and Casey are hired to usher the more important Addley’s daughter, Laurie, and her aunt Clara, to a safe haven, far away from the range war that is being waged.
Along the way there are numerous betrayals, schemes, a couple kidnappings, and a mysterious bag of toys. The story is told through Mick’s eyes, and we are held in mystery as to what’s going on because Mick, in his own adorable and earnest way, is a bit clueless. The tale twists and turns and captures the reader’s imagination by never lingering too long on any single plot point. This is done pretty expertly, and with Mick being such an endearing character, we don’t mind looking at the world through his point of view. In fact, there are many instances of comedy that come about simply through his tendency towards self abasement.
The background information of both Mick and Casey is a slow development. When we meet them at the beginning, they are simply thrown into our laps. Their history is presented to us in a slow trickle throughout the novel, so much so that even in the last paragraph we are given tidbits that let us greater understand their character. This was skillfully executed, and flaunts the author’s impressive mastery of character development.
It is within these characters that some of the more interesting aspects of the novel are uncovered. Along with the mystery and intrigue of the plot, this same mystery and intrigue surrounds them, as well…especially Casey. She is portrayed as a precocious yet troubled young (VERY young – it’s in question whether she is even 17 years old, which to us modern-day Americans is a bit disturbing) girl who married Mick the day they met. She is grumpy and damaged, a scowling mess of a young woman, who, despite the hardships of her past, is not yet jaded enough to turn her back on the world or the people who inhabit it. In many ways, despite her rough exterior, she is still an innocent. She struggles with the mores of right and wrong. She wants compassion and love yet often rejects it. She’ll act the mature lady one moment and the young girl she is the next – which completely fits with a girl her age. She constantly questions the motives of others, and even her own, and it isn’t until she meets a like soul in the character of Laurie that she starts to lower her walls and come out of her shell.
The whole of the novel kept this reviewer captivated throughout, and it is a really fun read. The structure is sound, the characters are sufficiently likeable (and contemptible), and there is enough action to keep me feeling eager to turn the page. It really is very good, and despite my earlier stated lack of knowledge of the genre, I found myself not thinking at all about the setting. It felt as if these dilapidated towns, dusty settings, and men and women on horseback were the most natural things in the world. That, in itself, is an accomplishment.
Every part of me wanted to give this book a four-star rating. Initially, that’s what I’d placed in the header. However, after going back and reviewing what I’d written, I realized that I can’t justify knocking off a star. There is really nothing wrong with the book. It’s highly entertaining and a nice little mystery. Add to that the fact it kept me intrigued and entertained, and I realized that the urge came about simply because I feel I’ve given too many books that ultimate honor…and it’s time I understood there is no shame in that. I’ve been lucky, and I’ve chosen well when picking books to review.
This book is just another one of those good choices. It gets a hearty recommendation from me.
I pride myself on being someone who will read – and enjoy – anything that comes my way. So when “Have Gun, Will Play” came up on my TBR list, I was struck by the awareness that, outside the Lone Ranger adventures my mother would read to me as a wee lad, I have never read a western. Ever. Not that I’ve been actively avoiding them – “Blood Meridian” has intrigued me, given my adoration of Cormac McCarthy – they just haven’t come my way, and I haven’t searched them out. Consider westerns my “lost genre”.
So into my realm of personal unawareness comes this quaint and fun little book by Camille LaGuire. “Have Gun, Will Play” is the story of Mick and Casey, a pair of young gunslingers traipsing through the old west after having severed ties with a famous lawman. They come upon the small ramshackle mining town of Newton and are immediately thrust into a gunfight with invading outlaws. In the aftermath of this conflict, they meet up with a banker named Montel Addley, whose brother is a paranoid land owner who basically runs the town and its surrounding area. Mick and Casey are hired to usher the more important Addley’s daughter, Laurie, and her aunt Clara, to a safe haven, far away from the range war that is being waged.
Along the way there are numerous betrayals, schemes, a couple kidnappings, and a mysterious bag of toys. The story is told through Mick’s eyes, and we are held in mystery as to what’s going on because Mick, in his own adorable and earnest way, is a bit clueless. The tale twists and turns and captures the reader’s imagination by never lingering too long on any single plot point. This is done pretty expertly, and with Mick being such an endearing character, we don’t mind looking at the world through his point of view. In fact, there are many instances of comedy that come about simply through his tendency towards self abasement.
The background information of both Mick and Casey is a slow development. When we meet them at the beginning, they are simply thrown into our laps. Their history is presented to us in a slow trickle throughout the novel, so much so that even in the last paragraph we are given tidbits that let us greater understand their character. This was skillfully executed, and flaunts the author’s impressive mastery of character development.
It is within these characters that some of the more interesting aspects of the novel are uncovered. Along with the mystery and intrigue of the plot, this same mystery and intrigue surrounds them, as well…especially Casey. She is portrayed as a precocious yet troubled young (VERY young – it’s in question whether she is even 17 years old, which to us modern-day Americans is a bit disturbing) girl who married Mick the day they met. She is grumpy and damaged, a scowling mess of a young woman, who, despite the hardships of her past, is not yet jaded enough to turn her back on the world or the people who inhabit it. In many ways, despite her rough exterior, she is still an innocent. She struggles with the mores of right and wrong. She wants compassion and love yet often rejects it. She’ll act the mature lady one moment and the young girl she is the next – which completely fits with a girl her age. She constantly questions the motives of others, and even her own, and it isn’t until she meets a like soul in the character of Laurie that she starts to lower her walls and come out of her shell.
The whole of the novel kept this reviewer captivated throughout, and it is a really fun read. The structure is sound, the characters are sufficiently likeable (and contemptible), and there is enough action to keep me feeling eager to turn the page. It really is very good, and despite my earlier stated lack of knowledge of the genre, I found myself not thinking at all about the setting. It felt as if these dilapidated towns, dusty settings, and men and women on horseback were the most natural things in the world. That, in itself, is an accomplishment.
Every part of me wanted to give this book a four-star rating. Initially, that’s what I’d placed in the header. However, after going back and reviewing what I’d written, I realized that I can’t justify knocking off a star. There is really nothing wrong with the book. It’s highly entertaining and a nice little mystery. Add to that the fact it kept me intrigued and entertained, and I realized that the urge came about simply because I feel I’ve given too many books that ultimate honor…and it’s time I understood there is no shame in that. I’ve been lucky, and I’ve chosen well when picking books to review.
This book is just another one of those good choices. It gets a hearty recommendation from me.
July 18, 2012
This is an example of stumbling across an author in an entirely different setting, checking her out, and for purely non-literary reasons picking up one of her books.
I’m glad I did, for this book was a charming read. It’s about a young married couple of gunslingers (certainly a unique premise) that had been mentored by a famous lawman and who now offered their services - to the good guys. The relationship between Mick and Casey is marvelous.
I think she was seventeen. She wouldn’t tell me her birthday, but she’d said she was sixteen a year ago, when we’d met. And she looked younger, even with all the gear she wore: a little hazel-eyed girl with a dark braid, wearing two silver pistols on a big silver gunbelt, and a big hat and spurs. Me, I was twenty, and looked maybe a little older, which was fortunate because nobody wanted to hire a pair of kids as gunslingers. And no outlaw was ready to respect a kid as a bounty hunter. At least not until Casey had put a couple of holes in his hat. She was good at that. A regular sharpshooter. . . .Case and me do things kind of backwards sometimes. First we got married, then we introduced ourselves, then we commenced to fighting, then we had the honeymoon, and now we’re courting.
They have been hired to accompany a young woman on a journey as her protectors (of her body and the large collection of toys she has.) Needless to say numerous adventures result and Mick and Casey are left holding the bag, so to speak. I won’t recount the plot as I’d have to stamp “spoiler” all over this note.
Chinese lady came in with some lemonade and some little walnut tarts, which I was glad of because breakfast had been thin. They were spiced and sweet and gooey, and I could fit two in my mouth at one time, although I didn’t because then Casey would try it and then I’d have to fit three in, and then Montel would call us unprofessional. Which shows how little he knew about gunmen.
Read this book. It’s just plain fun.
I’m glad I did, for this book was a charming read. It’s about a young married couple of gunslingers (certainly a unique premise) that had been mentored by a famous lawman and who now offered their services - to the good guys. The relationship between Mick and Casey is marvelous.
I think she was seventeen. She wouldn’t tell me her birthday, but she’d said she was sixteen a year ago, when we’d met. And she looked younger, even with all the gear she wore: a little hazel-eyed girl with a dark braid, wearing two silver pistols on a big silver gunbelt, and a big hat and spurs. Me, I was twenty, and looked maybe a little older, which was fortunate because nobody wanted to hire a pair of kids as gunslingers. And no outlaw was ready to respect a kid as a bounty hunter. At least not until Casey had put a couple of holes in his hat. She was good at that. A regular sharpshooter. . . .Case and me do things kind of backwards sometimes. First we got married, then we introduced ourselves, then we commenced to fighting, then we had the honeymoon, and now we’re courting.
They have been hired to accompany a young woman on a journey as her protectors (of her body and the large collection of toys she has.) Needless to say numerous adventures result and Mick and Casey are left holding the bag, so to speak. I won’t recount the plot as I’d have to stamp “spoiler” all over this note.
Chinese lady came in with some lemonade and some little walnut tarts, which I was glad of because breakfast had been thin. They were spiced and sweet and gooey, and I could fit two in my mouth at one time, although I didn’t because then Casey would try it and then I’d have to fit three in, and then Montel would call us unprofessional. Which shows how little he knew about gunmen.
Read this book. It’s just plain fun.
November 29, 2010
I loved this entertaining and well-written book. This is not a typical western where a lone hero rides into town and saves a rancher's daughter from someone who's trying to steal water rights. Have Gun, Will Play features a pair of unlikely guns for hire. There's a mystery plot involving stolen jewels and the kidnapping of a little girl. Mick and Casey, the gunslingers, are a young married couple. The story is told from Mick's point of view. Though Mick is young and naive, he's actually a lot shrewder that he likes to let on. The criminals underestimate him and this eventually leads to their downfall. Mick makes mistakes along the way, but he doesn't give up. Even after he figures out that they are not going to be paid for their services, he reminds himself and Casey that they are working for the little girl and they will not let her down. Casey--as seen through Mick's eyes--is tough, a great shot, and not someone you cross. Mick is sweet and prides himself on being honest. He does what has to be done.
The plot had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing, and the fast pace kept me turning pages. Vivid details brought the setting to life. I especially like that their horses had names and personalities. My only complaint about the book is that there wasn't enough background about Mick and Casey. For example, Mick said they met and married on the same day, but that fact was never explained, nor do we find out why they are gunslingers. I came away with the impression that this book was the second of a series.
This mystery western is a very good read. Recommended.
The plot had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing, and the fast pace kept me turning pages. Vivid details brought the setting to life. I especially like that their horses had names and personalities. My only complaint about the book is that there wasn't enough background about Mick and Casey. For example, Mick said they met and married on the same day, but that fact was never explained, nor do we find out why they are gunslingers. I came away with the impression that this book was the second of a series.
This mystery western is a very good read. Recommended.
Read
June 27, 2010Camille Laguire's Mick and Casey are one of the most unusual, and charming, couples I've ever read. These stories are set in the wild west. Mick and Casey sometimes ride the edge of the law . . . which is an amorphous thing, as sometimes the "law" is merely who has the most force. They solve mysteries, some of which are very funny, as well as adventurous. The stories are told in a deceptively laconic style yet are quite cinematic. In fact, Mick and Casey's adventures would make a very good television series.
March 8, 2014
Well. That was three or four hours of my life utterly wasted. When you look back on the books you’ve read over the year, there is undoubtedly one, if not two, perhaps even three, that stand out because they’re outstanding and one (or more) because they are…not so outstanding. This one was the lemon for my year so far.
It’s a western. Two young (very young) gunslingers, Mick and Casey, are hired to keep a rather precocious little girl, Laurie, and her aunt safe, as her Daddy is an unpopular bigwig in town. Needless to say, the job doesn’t go too well and there’s a lot of shooting, dead guys, deceit, betrayal and sore heads. Moreover, there’s something very unusual about a certain box of toys that belongs to Laurie, that seems to cause quite a lot of interest.
The whole thing is confusing and a mess. The characters are like cardboard cut-outs: the story is so ‘told’ (not one bit of ‘show’), I got no emotion from any of them and couldn't, therefore, afford them any in return. The story was poorly written: it lacked maturity (or experience), there were a number of typos and missing words, and the author seems to have no grasp on how to use the correct tenses.
This was unputdownable for all the wrong reasons: I couldn’t wait to finish it and get on to a good book. The only commendation I can give is that the author sat down and had a jolly good try.
It’s a western. Two young (very young) gunslingers, Mick and Casey, are hired to keep a rather precocious little girl, Laurie, and her aunt safe, as her Daddy is an unpopular bigwig in town. Needless to say, the job doesn’t go too well and there’s a lot of shooting, dead guys, deceit, betrayal and sore heads. Moreover, there’s something very unusual about a certain box of toys that belongs to Laurie, that seems to cause quite a lot of interest.
The whole thing is confusing and a mess. The characters are like cardboard cut-outs: the story is so ‘told’ (not one bit of ‘show’), I got no emotion from any of them and couldn't, therefore, afford them any in return. The story was poorly written: it lacked maturity (or experience), there were a number of typos and missing words, and the author seems to have no grasp on how to use the correct tenses.
This was unputdownable for all the wrong reasons: I couldn’t wait to finish it and get on to a good book. The only commendation I can give is that the author sat down and had a jolly good try.
January 11, 2012
Like other reviewers, I am not a big reader of Westerns. I've read a grand total of zero of them before Have Gun, Will Play. It's not because I've avoided them; my interests generally tend towards old books. 14th century or before.
What drew me to this book was the promise of mystery and the playfulness of its description. I needed a book to get me to fall in love with novels all over again. This was the book.
The main character, Mick, is a young, brash hero. He makes for an interesting narrator. He's not your usual hard-drinkin', hard-lovin', hard-feelin' cowboy. Instead he's more like a detective who happens to be okay at shooting, and who has more than enough guts to keep him neck-deep where he doesn't belong.
Mick & Casey made an excellent pair, and I look forward to reading their next adventure soon. I'm hooked on this series.
What drew me to this book was the promise of mystery and the playfulness of its description. I needed a book to get me to fall in love with novels all over again. This was the book.
The main character, Mick, is a young, brash hero. He makes for an interesting narrator. He's not your usual hard-drinkin', hard-lovin', hard-feelin' cowboy. Instead he's more like a detective who happens to be okay at shooting, and who has more than enough guts to keep him neck-deep where he doesn't belong.
Mick & Casey made an excellent pair, and I look forward to reading their next adventure soon. I'm hooked on this series.
March 7, 2013
Fun mix of western and mystery featuring the adorable young gunslinger couple Mick and Casey McKee. The mystery was well-done, but my favorite parts were getting to know Mick and Casey and their unlikely relationship better (they also star in some short stories and a novella, which I had already read) and watching their reactions to their first puppet show and the fancy toys belonging to the little girl they've been hired to guard.
March 8, 2012
"The town was full of donkeys."
The opening sentence sets the tone for this quirky and very entertaining western mystery.
The opening sentence sets the tone for this quirky and very entertaining western mystery.
November 5, 2010
Excellent! I'm always surprised when I enjoy westerns. This was short, sweet and humorous. Finished it in a day.
June 29, 2011
Loved this western-mystery. Mick and Casey have become one of my favorite couples.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews