I've rarely read a western that was so well done. This is an amazing story driven by very believable, imperfect characters set in a small, post Civil War, western town. There are no super heroes or villains, no showdowns between lightening fast gunmen or any of the clichés you'd expect in a western, but it is as perfect a western novel as you'll ever read. The people drive the plot in such a believable way that I never even managed to dislike the bad guys that much, nor was I ever all that thrilled with most of the good guys, although I felt a lot of empathy for the hero, a man haunted by a tough decision in the past. (He didn't do what you think.) This past along with the entire story unfolds subtly throughout the book, too. It's shown with an unbelievable grace.

As always, Hamilton does a wonderful job with the guns. There isn't any real technical talk about them, but their use & limitations are essential to the story. Hamilton obviously knows them well & doesn't take any great pains to prove his knowledge, he just does so in a perfectly natural way. ( )