The Legend of El Chivato

This is the "Kid" come alive as no one else has ever written it. His world, his lovers, his friends and enemies all walked off the page and filled my imagination as never before. Beautifully written, with a realistic portrait of his times and place, this book will live forever.

I have read just about everything about Billy and the Lincoln County War, and this book is the best, and in my opinion, most accurate portrait of those times. Ms. Fackler's use of dialogue is compelling and real. The characters in this story have never been more alive for this reader, and the author's ability to weave all of the complex elements involved truly puts this work on the level of masterpiece. John Henry Tunstall, Alexander McSween, Susan McSween, James J. Dolan, Pat Garrett, Billy, and even the "minor" characters, are all clearly drawn. A book of this size and scope is usually read over the course of days or weeks, but the flow of action and language the author skillfully constructs kept me riveted to my chair until I finished reading. This is, undeniably, not only a great work of historical fiction, but a great work of fiction. If you enjoy reading a great story told with the utmost skill and passion, you must read this book. And I guarantee, you'll read it more than once. It is that good! Bravo Ms. Fackler!

This is no doubt the best depiction ever of those gripping events in Lincoln County. She brilliantly brings Billy and the other complex and tragic characters alive, and makes us care about them all. She is a master storyteller and writes with a perfect honesty that makes everything real.

Ms. Fackler is capable of getting into the minds of those who lived in the past and making them come alive in the pages of her book. Not only does she create a fascinating character study of "the Kid", she gives an accuarate picture of all those events that launched him into infamy. Her account of the Lincoln County War was presented in a manor that made me believe that I was actually experiencing it as it must have happened. This book is not just for fans of western novels. It is for everyone who enjoys an intelligently written and highly entertaining novel. Pat Fitzgeral