What do you think?
Rate this book
The Last Outlaw
Cash McCall was destined to live outside the law. But after serving time in one of the most brutal prisons in the Southwest, he determines to hang up his guns and go straight. Cash soon discovers that a man cannot easily escape either his past or his destiny. Unable to find honest employment and saddled with a younger brother determined to pursue his own criminal path, Cash once again finds himself partnered with Steve Reno and his outlaw pack in a daring gold robbery. What follows becomes a trail of treachery and deceit, with Cash's younger brother unknowingly becoming the pawn in a deadly game between two former friends turned deadly adversaries. Now a wanted man, Cash must free his brother from the clutches of the vicious Steve Reno and his murderous gang while keeping himself one step ahead of the law.
279 pages, Library Binding
First published June 1, 2011
About the author
Stone Wallace
34 books6 followersStone Wallace has worked as a professional writer for over 30 years. He has published 20 books (novels and non-fiction), short stories, scripts/screenplays and written numerous articles for North American publications. He has conducted celebrity interviews with such legendary performers as Anthony Quinn, Coleen Gray, Lloyd Nolan, Robert Stack and 50s horror director Herbert L. Strock (I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, Blood of Dracula, How to Make a Monster). He attended Red River College, The National Institute of Broadcasting and Robertson Broadcast Academy.
He has held a lifelong fascination with the paranormal and the macabre, his early interest stimulated by the tales of Poe, Lovecraft and M.R. James. Later he discovered contemporary masters such as Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury and Richard Matheson. And then came his discovery of Stephen King and that was when Wallace determined that writing horror fiction was what he wanted to do. After graduating college, he wrote his first supernatural novel, the well-received CHILD OF DEMONS. This book was followed by the national bestseller BLOOD MOON and later GRAVEYARD. He returned to the horror genre with his latest works THE CHILDREN OF RESURRECTION GARDENS, followed by TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO SCREAM (THE REBIRTH OF ADAMM), and THE BATESVILLE GHOUL.
Along with his interest in horror, Wallace also is a huge fan of crime, gangster and noir films and is the author of GEORGE RAFT: THE MAN WHO WOULD BE BOGART. Ever since childhood he has held a fascination with the real-life mobsters and public enemies of the Roaring 20s and Dirty 30s, culminating in the writing of his historical book DUSTBOWL DESPERADOS: GANGSTERS OF THE DIRTY 30s. He is also the author of a fiction novel dealing with the post-WW2 New York underworld: REQUIEM FOR A GANGSTER.
His Western novels have brought him critical acclaim, with his second book MONTANA DAWN being recognized by Booklist as one of the “Ten Best Westerns of the Decade”. His other Westerns have likewise been critically noted.
Besides his books and articles which have appeared in many recognized North American publications, Stone has also taught classes in Creative/Copywriting and provided professional copy and editorial services for many local and national companies, both for print and website content. Below are some of the companies for which he has provided these services. A comprehensive portfolio is available on request.
He has held a lifelong fascination with the paranormal and the macabre, his early interest stimulated by the tales of Poe, Lovecraft and M.R. James. Later he discovered contemporary masters such as Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury and Richard Matheson. And then came his discovery of Stephen King and that was when Wallace determined that writing horror fiction was what he wanted to do. After graduating college, he wrote his first supernatural novel, the well-received CHILD OF DEMONS. This book was followed by the national bestseller BLOOD MOON and later GRAVEYARD. He returned to the horror genre with his latest works THE CHILDREN OF RESURRECTION GARDENS, followed by TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO SCREAM (THE REBIRTH OF ADAMM), and THE BATESVILLE GHOUL.
Along with his interest in horror, Wallace also is a huge fan of crime, gangster and noir films and is the author of GEORGE RAFT: THE MAN WHO WOULD BE BOGART. Ever since childhood he has held a fascination with the real-life mobsters and public enemies of the Roaring 20s and Dirty 30s, culminating in the writing of his historical book DUSTBOWL DESPERADOS: GANGSTERS OF THE DIRTY 30s. He is also the author of a fiction novel dealing with the post-WW2 New York underworld: REQUIEM FOR A GANGSTER.
His Western novels have brought him critical acclaim, with his second book MONTANA DAWN being recognized by Booklist as one of the “Ten Best Westerns of the Decade”. His other Westerns have likewise been critically noted.
Besides his books and articles which have appeared in many recognized North American publications, Stone has also taught classes in Creative/Copywriting and provided professional copy and editorial services for many local and national companies, both for print and website content. Below are some of the companies for which he has provided these services. A comprehensive portfolio is available on request.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 20, 2017
I love cowboy, outlaw westerns so I grabbed this at the library in passing. I was hopeful because the title seemed promising. I'm sorry to say, though, this was a flat read. I gave it two stars simply for the story line. The idea was there and that in itself was interesting, but the actually story telling part was poorly executed.
This book is a prime example of what they tell you NOT to do in writing: show, DON'T tell. Way too much telling. There was also a lot of forced, awkward metaphors. Almost all the dialogue ended with bland or unnecessary tag lines. Instead of people just "saying" what they needed to say, they were "remarking with wry contempt," "answering simply," and "replying with an ironic edge." What is "an ironic edge?" Can you see someone saying something with "an ironic edge?" Because I can't. That's one of the major problems with this book: there's a huge lack of concrete imagery. I didn't feel in the story because none of my senses were engaged. It felt like one really drawn out tale told by an elementary kid who likes to play cops and robbers after school.
And the characters were lifeless. They were there and their names were cool, but nothing gave me an emotional connection with them. I didn't cheer for them, or wish for them, or was sad when they died. I wasn't too compelled to turn the page and see what happened to them next. There was nothing. And when the last page came, it just came, uneventfully. That was only intensified by every page being full of cliche, vague terms. It was like the author wanted to make this a meaningful book but didn't have the proper vocabulary or didn't know how to put the words in proper order at the time. I could see there was an attempt at giving depth but, nonetheless, it stayed shallow.
Simply put, it's just amateur writing. Sorry, Wallace. Just keep practicing. You'll get there someday.
This book is a prime example of what they tell you NOT to do in writing: show, DON'T tell. Way too much telling. There was also a lot of forced, awkward metaphors. Almost all the dialogue ended with bland or unnecessary tag lines. Instead of people just "saying" what they needed to say, they were "remarking with wry contempt," "answering simply," and "replying with an ironic edge." What is "an ironic edge?" Can you see someone saying something with "an ironic edge?" Because I can't. That's one of the major problems with this book: there's a huge lack of concrete imagery. I didn't feel in the story because none of my senses were engaged. It felt like one really drawn out tale told by an elementary kid who likes to play cops and robbers after school.
And the characters were lifeless. They were there and their names were cool, but nothing gave me an emotional connection with them. I didn't cheer for them, or wish for them, or was sad when they died. I wasn't too compelled to turn the page and see what happened to them next. There was nothing. And when the last page came, it just came, uneventfully. That was only intensified by every page being full of cliche, vague terms. It was like the author wanted to make this a meaningful book but didn't have the proper vocabulary or didn't know how to put the words in proper order at the time. I could see there was an attempt at giving depth but, nonetheless, it stayed shallow.
Simply put, it's just amateur writing. Sorry, Wallace. Just keep practicing. You'll get there someday.
January 8, 2016
Ryder 1
Jack Ryder
Ms. Lamoreux
Honors American Lit, Pd. 1
7 Jan 2016
The Last Outlaw by Stone Wallace
Setting: Wyoming; Late 1800s
Major Characters: Cash McCall – protagonist; Steve Reno, Cash’s Brother and Mother, Lucinda
Conflict: Man vs. Fate – Cash McCall resolves to severe any connections to his life of crime and become a upstanding citizen, but due to a combination of circumstances now beyond his control and the consequences of this actions, he finds himself unable to do so. Cash McCall cannot fight fate: He is fated to become a criminal again; he is fated to meet Steve Reno again; he is fated to either defeat or be killed in a final confrontation with his friend-turned-enemy.
Themes: Difficulty of life after prison; Circumstances beyond your control; Fate
Plot Summary: The beginning of the book starts with Cash McCall facing certain death, and only then does chapter one start and he beings to recount his life. Cash McCall is asked by his friend Steve Reno to rob a bank and decides to accept his offer. Steve Reno wishes to become a infamous outlaw, dubbing himself “The Whiskey Kid,” while Cash McCall only want quick and easy money. The two successfully rob the bank and arrive at a rural cabin to stop for a day to make a decision regarding their future. Steve Reno expresses his continued interest in robbing banks and making a name for himself, while Cash McCall wants to head south, return to their home town, and cease any criminal activities. Steve Reno, noted to have a quick temper, tries to convince Cash McCall to continue their criminal partnership. Cash McCall refuses and the two part ways on decent terms without fighting. Cash McCall stays in the cabin in a week before he plans to head out. However, a bounty had been placed on the two of them and bounty hunters find Cash McCall in the cabin with his share of the money still on the table of the cabin. The bounty hunters bring Cash McCall to court where he is declared guilty and sentenced to six years in the Midwest’s cruelest prison. Steve Reno is found two years later and placed in the same prison after an encounter with a prostitute ended badly. When Cash McCall’s prison sentence is up, Steve Reno approaches him about renewing their partnership once his shorter sentence is over. While Steve Reno’s imprisonment convinced him further of being an outlaw, Cash McCall had found the resolve to severe all ties to criminality. Once out of prison he returns home and tries to find work to help support his mother financially. This fails as he finds no one wants to hire him. To make matters worse, his brother has turned to a life of crime. Inconveniently for Cash McCall, his brother joined Steve Reno’s new outlaw gang. Cash McCall then re-approaches Steve Reno about their old partnership. While Steve Reno is somewhat receptive, he makes it explicitly clear that their partnership is over and Cash McCall would be subordinate to him in this new arrangement. During this time Cash McCall meets and falls in love with a woman named Lucinda, and strengthens his vows to return his brother and finish any criminal activity for good. After making contact with his brother and robbing more banks and people, Cash McCall is left for dead by Steve Reno in a deliberate plan to get him killed. While Cash McCall showed concern for his fellow gang members over time, Steve Reno displayed nothing but ruthless ambition at his subordinates’ expense, finally leading to this act of destroyed friendship. Cash McCall and Steve Reno have a confrontation where Cash McCall fails to save his brothers’ life, and is then hunted by Steve Reno’s gang. Cash McCall finds Lucinda in a hotel in Wyoming and spend one last night together. Cash McCall wakes up, walks out into the town with nothing but his pistol on him, and resigns himself to fate as he leads one last confrontation with Steve Reno and his gang.
Reflection of American Thought: This novel was written in 2010, more than 200 years after the year in which it takes place. However it does include a few themes that allow it to become timeless and connect an older setting with a modern reader. These themes include friendship and betrayal, criminality, and fate. The uniquely American aspect of the book is the portrayal of America’s Wild West culture and society from the perspective of a fictional outlaw.
Assessment/Evaluation: The Last Outlaw by Stone Wallace was definitely an enjoyable read and I recommend it to anyone with an appreciation for its setting, the Wild West and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Spaghetti Western Films like Fistful of Dollars and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
Jack Ryder
Ms. Lamoreux
Honors American Lit, Pd. 1
7 Jan 2016
The Last Outlaw by Stone Wallace
Setting: Wyoming; Late 1800s
Major Characters: Cash McCall – protagonist; Steve Reno, Cash’s Brother and Mother, Lucinda
Conflict: Man vs. Fate – Cash McCall resolves to severe any connections to his life of crime and become a upstanding citizen, but due to a combination of circumstances now beyond his control and the consequences of this actions, he finds himself unable to do so. Cash McCall cannot fight fate: He is fated to become a criminal again; he is fated to meet Steve Reno again; he is fated to either defeat or be killed in a final confrontation with his friend-turned-enemy.
Themes: Difficulty of life after prison; Circumstances beyond your control; Fate
Plot Summary: The beginning of the book starts with Cash McCall facing certain death, and only then does chapter one start and he beings to recount his life. Cash McCall is asked by his friend Steve Reno to rob a bank and decides to accept his offer. Steve Reno wishes to become a infamous outlaw, dubbing himself “The Whiskey Kid,” while Cash McCall only want quick and easy money. The two successfully rob the bank and arrive at a rural cabin to stop for a day to make a decision regarding their future. Steve Reno expresses his continued interest in robbing banks and making a name for himself, while Cash McCall wants to head south, return to their home town, and cease any criminal activities. Steve Reno, noted to have a quick temper, tries to convince Cash McCall to continue their criminal partnership. Cash McCall refuses and the two part ways on decent terms without fighting. Cash McCall stays in the cabin in a week before he plans to head out. However, a bounty had been placed on the two of them and bounty hunters find Cash McCall in the cabin with his share of the money still on the table of the cabin. The bounty hunters bring Cash McCall to court where he is declared guilty and sentenced to six years in the Midwest’s cruelest prison. Steve Reno is found two years later and placed in the same prison after an encounter with a prostitute ended badly. When Cash McCall’s prison sentence is up, Steve Reno approaches him about renewing their partnership once his shorter sentence is over. While Steve Reno’s imprisonment convinced him further of being an outlaw, Cash McCall had found the resolve to severe all ties to criminality. Once out of prison he returns home and tries to find work to help support his mother financially. This fails as he finds no one wants to hire him. To make matters worse, his brother has turned to a life of crime. Inconveniently for Cash McCall, his brother joined Steve Reno’s new outlaw gang. Cash McCall then re-approaches Steve Reno about their old partnership. While Steve Reno is somewhat receptive, he makes it explicitly clear that their partnership is over and Cash McCall would be subordinate to him in this new arrangement. During this time Cash McCall meets and falls in love with a woman named Lucinda, and strengthens his vows to return his brother and finish any criminal activity for good. After making contact with his brother and robbing more banks and people, Cash McCall is left for dead by Steve Reno in a deliberate plan to get him killed. While Cash McCall showed concern for his fellow gang members over time, Steve Reno displayed nothing but ruthless ambition at his subordinates’ expense, finally leading to this act of destroyed friendship. Cash McCall and Steve Reno have a confrontation where Cash McCall fails to save his brothers’ life, and is then hunted by Steve Reno’s gang. Cash McCall finds Lucinda in a hotel in Wyoming and spend one last night together. Cash McCall wakes up, walks out into the town with nothing but his pistol on him, and resigns himself to fate as he leads one last confrontation with Steve Reno and his gang.
Reflection of American Thought: This novel was written in 2010, more than 200 years after the year in which it takes place. However it does include a few themes that allow it to become timeless and connect an older setting with a modern reader. These themes include friendship and betrayal, criminality, and fate. The uniquely American aspect of the book is the portrayal of America’s Wild West culture and society from the perspective of a fictional outlaw.
Assessment/Evaluation: The Last Outlaw by Stone Wallace was definitely an enjoyable read and I recommend it to anyone with an appreciation for its setting, the Wild West and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Spaghetti Western Films like Fistful of Dollars and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
August 14, 2011
My third book for this early part of the summer season is The Last Outlaw, published by my own publisher, Avalon Books, and written by Stone Wallace, a Canadian gentleman I have come to call a friend after spending many hours in email correspondence with him when I interviewed this writer of westerns who is on speaking-terms with Johnny Depp. Cash McCall is on a collision course with the law when, after his release from prison, law-abiding citizens won’t give him a break.
There’s no forgiveness in the hearts of the good folks of Wyatt City, Wyoming. Cash’s younger brother follows in his footsteps and to keep his brother out of more trouble and pay his mother’s hospital bills, Cash puts aside his resolution to go straight.
Wallace put this book in the realm of the ‘noir’ – the downward, unrelenting spiral of errors of judgment piled upon injustice stacked up on the misfortunes of birth and nurture. This book rates a 5Suns for blazing new trails in a much-loved genre. Other books by Wallace are Montana Dawn and Denim Ryder, both with high-ranking accolades to recommend them.
There’s no forgiveness in the hearts of the good folks of Wyatt City, Wyoming. Cash’s younger brother follows in his footsteps and to keep his brother out of more trouble and pay his mother’s hospital bills, Cash puts aside his resolution to go straight.
Wallace put this book in the realm of the ‘noir’ – the downward, unrelenting spiral of errors of judgment piled upon injustice stacked up on the misfortunes of birth and nurture. This book rates a 5Suns for blazing new trails in a much-loved genre. Other books by Wallace are Montana Dawn and Denim Ryder, both with high-ranking accolades to recommend them.
Want to Read
September 2, 2016"Risky daring conclusion that will stay in the readers' minds..." from review
Read
November 15, 2017truly enjoyed this ... sad ending ... great name for a main character in a western - Cash McCall
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews