Kiowa Trail: A Novel

This Louis L'Amour book is pretty good reading and deals with the hard life of a cowpuncher when he reaches the end of the line in a trail town. The only real kick I have is the fact it was written in first person, for I personally do not like that kind of prose; it can become quite overly dramatic and opiniionated at times. The real crux of the story is Tom Lundy is killed and his sister, Kate, the owner of the Tumbling B vows to wipe out the whole town if the killer isn't surrendered, using Conn Dury as her weapon of choice--he was ramrod of the outfit. There are additional troubles as well they have to face before they can head back to Texas.

Kiowa Trail is a quick read, but it resonates with a genuine sound of the Old West that only L'Amour can offer. The plot is somewhat generic (a group of rough-around-the-edges cowboys clash with peace-loving townfolk and a fight ensues), but what makes this one stand out from the pack is the fascinating back-story of Conn Dury and his voice as narrator. L'Amour was so immersed in the culture of the West, lines like, "Two men had fallen before Comanche rifles, but the Comanches sang their death songs in the light of a hollow moon, and the Kiowas mourned in their lodges for warriors who fell before the guns of the Tumbling B," roll so naturally off his tongue you get the sense that you are audience to the real thing - a true cowboy from the Old West. If you enjoy Louis L'Amour, this is one of his best. If you have never rode a trail with L'Amour, this is a great place to start.

It's difficult to give voice to characters in the Old West without making it sound almost like a parody. However, with his expertise and acumen actor Ron McLarty brings Louis L'Amour's characters to life with authenticity and vitality. Men of the Tumbling B were tough, having survived hardship and danger during a recent cattle drive. The town they came to is described thusly: "The town to which we had come was ten buildings long on the north side of the street, and seven long on the south, with stock corrals to the east, and a Boot Hill on the west, and in between an edging from the mills of hell. South of the street were the shacks of the girls, and north of it the homes of the respectable businessmen of the town, where no trail driver was permitted to go." In that last sentence lay the problem. Foreman Conn Dury had made that clear to his men - they were forbidden to go on the north side of town. However, temptation in the form of Linda McDonald, was too much for Tom Lundy, and he paid with his life. His sister, Kate, owner of the Tumbling B well knew that the townsfolk liked the money the cowboys brought in, but disparaged the men. That was one thing; her brother's murder was quite another. She determined to get revenge for his killing, but at what price? This is one more Western adventure as only L'Amour could write them. Enjoy! - Gail Cooke

Every time I read a novel by Louis L'Amour, I am reminded why he is the King of Westerns. His novels are not of the "cookie-cutter" variety and this novel is vintage L'Amour. It is a story of revenge, and the strength of one woman's resolve to avenge the death of her young brother. But it is L'Amour's skillful use of flashback sequences which defines this book. The tale is actually told from the point-of-view of a man whose parents were killed causing him to spend three years living with Apaches, as well as time in Europe and as a Union Officer in the Civil War. It is his story as much as hers and it should be obvious that this is a complicated plot. But L'Amour successfully pulls it off. L'Amour's storys are always "real" in that the locations are real places and many of the characters are historical. Few historians are as knowledgable of this era as L'Amour, and it shows in his novels. Enjoy reading Kiowa Trail!