Violence at Sundown
by
Frank O'Rourke

Ballantine, 1953, 184 pp.
ISBN: Unknown

Genre: Western
Reviewed: 5/8/2001

Reviewed by: Conan Tigard

Book Cover

Read Part of the Book

Lockland's Store

Two punchers came up the steps and into the store, and Goodlove pointed to the body and said, "We'll take Red along, boys. Carry him gentle."

They advanced on Travis, shoulders touching, and at the last step split and went around him, the wild anger riding high in their faces, but the presence and his right hand holding them down.

"Inquest at nine tomorrow, Doctor?" Travis asked.

"Yes," Doctor Stevens said. "Agreeable, Judge?"

"Nine," Judge Clark said. "Courthouse. You have the witnesses, Marshal?"

"They'll be present," Travis said. "All right, Goodlove. There's nothing more we can do tonight. The street is closed."

He felt the words coming, the outburst that was certain to fall upon them all. Goodlove backed deliberately toward the door and stopped there, big and bent and gray. "Everything nice and legal! It won't settle with me, Travis, not this time. I'll see you again, late this summer. I'll come back down the trail with the biggest crew this god-forsaken town ever saw. We'll ride into your town on our way home, and then we'll wipe this town off the map."

"I'll be here," Travis said.

Review

Travis is sheriff of a small town. When one of Goodlove's men is shot in Lockland's store, but is found to have been the instigator, Goodlove swears to come back and take care of business after he sells his herd.  Sam Thompson is Goodlove's right-hand man. Here are two witnesses to the shooting, Mexican Joe and Lea Ferguson, a young lady. Both testify, for some reason, that they didn't not see anything. Everyone can tell that they are both lying. After the hearing, Mexican Joe takes it on the lamb knowing that Thompson has stayed behind, after Goodlove has left, to kill him for what he saw. Johnny Cork, a young bronco buster, is in love with Lea, and has to try to raise enough money to buy a piece of land on so that he can support her, but she doesn't want anything to do with him. Travis starts hunting for both Mexican Joe and Thompson, hoping to find Thompson before Thompson finds Mexican Joe. All this while Travis wants to retire and start farming himself.

 This is a western story about a man who wants to get out of law enforcement and settle down, but is trapped by a good situation gone bad. He is man that does things by the book. He is patient, wary and smart. The story revolves around a few characters, but mostly focuses on Travis. He is an interesting character, and probably more realistic than the main characters in Louis L'Amour books. But does that mean that this is a better story. I don't think so. I like the rough, tough men in L'Amour's books. Travis is more real, and therefore, more fallible.

 This is a good story. I did like this story, but never really got deeply involved in it. The characters are all very well written, and quite believable. But I got a little lost at the beginning with who was who and who did what. But this all worked out later as I read on. The main problem that I had with this story is that it was incredibly slow for more than the first half of the book. Only when Travis started hunting for Thompson and Mexican Joe did it get more interesting for me. This is a story about people, rather than and action western. Me…I prefer a little more conflict, which of course, generally leads to more action. But this is a good story told in an old-fashioned manner, which fits with the time that it was written...1953. So, if you'd like to sit down to a story about the Old West that was written almost half a century ago, when the Old West wasn't all that long ago, pick up this book. You'll probably have to find it at a used book story, since it isn't being published anymore.

 I rated this book a 6 out of 10.