The Last Notch

by Gant, Matthew

A prescient western about a black gunslinger, written before popular histories of black cowboys were widely available.

216 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1958

Reviews

[Steve Hockensmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's not a lot of plot or action in this slender paperback: A gunman in the Old West is hired to assassinate a territorial governor, then spends the next 175 pages or so wondering if he should go through with it and brooding about his tragic past. But that's O.K., because not only is Matthew Gant (a pen name for Arnold Hano) an extremely good writer, he's a daring one, too. There's a twist I won't reveal that makes "The Last Notch" unlike any other Western of its time. Combine that with its fatalistic, noir-ish tone, and it's actually kind of surprising to me that the book got published at all. I'm grateful it did. If you like Westerns that break out of the genre's cookie cutter mold, you will be, too.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent western noir. Great characterization. Reminded me of Charles Willeford.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great western, written by Arnold Hano under one of his pseudonyms. Another noir western, up there with Hano's classic Flint.

[Chris Haynes · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is definitely a different kind of western. It is very well written with interesting characters. But, it was a little too left wing, preachy, anti-gun violence for my taste.