Gunman's Song

The first in a series. Lawrence Shaw is a gunfighter, a man with the reputation of being the best. While away the Talbert gang kills his wife, Rosa. Now Fast Larry Shaw wants vengeance. Not only him though, Shaw is joined on the revenge trail by a man he grew up with, a man who also loved Rosa, would have married Rosa if she'd chosen him over Shaw, a man called Cray Dawson. Dawson has to struggle to come to terms with the gunfighters' lifestyle as everywhere they go men come out of the woodwork to challenge Shaw, to gain the reputation of being the man who killed Fast Larry Shaw. Other people, who want to be near him, yet are repulsed by him, admire him and idolize him. Women too who find it a thrill to be in his company. There's also the betting and each time Shaw kills the pot gets bigger. Dawson is no slouch with a pistol either and soon he gains an unwanted reputation of being a fast gun too. Ralph Cotton writes a gritty story filled with action that holds a couple of surprising revelations, a book that builds smoothly to the final gunfight. His characters are well drawn and fuelled my imagination, how can you not paint an intriguing image of an outlaw who paints his thumb nails blue? Cotton seem to enjoy giving his characters fancy names such as Fast Larry Shaw, Undertaker, Sammy Boy White and Blue Snake Terrill. Well worth a look and I'll be reading the follow up, Between Hell and Texas, very soon.

Greased lightning: both Lawrence Shaw, the story's main character, and the story itself. I'm a little behind in my reading with some Ralph Cotton books, so just getting around to this one from 2004. The usual cast of characters make their appearance, with the equal doses of comedy and black humor, with the good guys winning out, as usual, in the end. This one, however, has an underlying tone of pathos in that Larry and Cray are on the trail of men who not only abused but also killed Larry's wife. Though I truly enjoy the Sam Burrack ranger books, these books of Cray Dawson are very, very good; hope Ralph continues the saga into the future. As with all Ralph's books the main characters, even some of the bad guys, are very likeable, while the writing from this author is always top drawer. While "Fast Larry" may be just a mite too large for actual life concerning both guns and women, Dawson helps keep the action and story anchored in reality. And all of Ralph's books use the 'west' for background making them fictional reading at its best. If you enjoy a good western as I do, having hundreds on my shelves, then you will welcome Ralph Cotton books on your western shelf, too. Recommended! Semper Fi.

I just now finished reading Gunman's Song by Ralph Cotton, and wow! was I impressed. Seriously, I'm a writer myself and I love it when I find a new (new to me anyhow) writer whose work I'm crazy about. This is the first one of Ralph Cotton's books that I've ever read, and it certainly won't be the last. If you like westerns, if you enjoyed Louis L'Amour and you liked Lonesome Dove, then I can pretty well guarantee you'll love Gunman's Song. Cotton can flat out tell a tall tale, he can write like nobody's business. This is a story of a fast draw gun slinger, who is out for revenge....but it is way more than that. All the characters come alive on the page, the conversations they have are just too cool...I really can't say enough about this book. I've read a few westerns that are heads above all the rest, Lonesome Dove, The Searchers, and I'd put this one right up there with them. It's that good. One more thing: even if you don't normally read westerns...check this one out. The interplay between the characters is so clean, so sharply focused, the dialog so crisp and interesting, the action so hardnosed and true. You can't beat Gunman's Song...it's just one awesome good western, no two ways about it.

Lawrence Shaw, also known as Fast Larry, has come to the town of Somas Santos when he hears that his wife has been murdered by a group of killers including Barton Talbert and Blue Snake Terril. But Shaw won't be riding the vengence trail alone. An old friend, Cray Dawson, for reasons of his own, will be riding with Larry to see that Rosa's killers receive their due justice. To make matters worse for Shaw, a group of gamblers have put a price on Shaws head for any man who guns down Fast Larry and the price goes up with each man Shaw kills. On the trail Larry & Cray stop to help a group of traveler whose wagon wheel has busted. Now in addition to the two chasing the Talbert bunch is added Jedson Caldwell, an undertaker by trade, Della Starks and Dillard Frome. After fighting off a band of Comanchero's, the group arrives at the town of Eagle Pass where Sheriff Earnest Neff is holding Talbert's brother Sidlow in jail. Shaw lets Sidlow out of jail and baits him in to a gufight. With the killing of Sidlow, Larry hope to bring Barton to Eagle Pass for a showdown. Two of Talbert's men, Willie "The Devil" Devlin and Donald Hornetti, set up a gunfight between Fast Larry and another gunman in hopes that the gunny will kill Shaw. When this attempt fails, Devlin & Hornetti head out of town to Brackett Flatts to inform Barton Talbert. Shaw has asked Dawson & Caldwell not to back his play as he looks to extract his revenge on Talbert and his bunch at Brackett Flatts. Can one man, even Fast Larry Shaw beat these odds? After all, it's not always the fastest gun who wins, but the one that shoots the straightest. GUNMAN'S SONG is another action filled, fast paced book we have come to expect from Ralph Cottom and as usual, Ralph delivers.

Gunman's Song begins a new Ralph Cotton series, "Fastest Gun Alive". With Fast Larry Shaw on the vengeance trail, bodies are falling so quickly, he needs a full time Undertaker following him from town to town!Legends rides onto the pages, Fast Larry Shaw (fastest gun alive), Clayton Dawson (sidekick) and Undertaker Jedson Caldwell...When you order this book, if you haven't read "Blood Rock" best make it double order and get both!