Left-Hand Kelly

by Elisabeth Grace Foley

Practicing his quick draw seemed a harmless amusement...until the day a boys' quarrel exploded into gunplay.

Sixteen-year-old Lew Kelly grew up idolizing his enigmatic ex-gunfighter father. But his notion of following in his father's footsteps only led to disaster.

Three years later, Lew is withdrawn and bitter—and he still carries a gun. When an unexpected twist of events brings him face to face with the memories—and the consequences—of that ill-fated fight, will old wrongs finally be righted?

Or will there be a worse tragedy than before?

2015 Peacemaker Award Finalist for Best Independently Published Western Novel

Genres: Westerns, Historical Fiction, Novella

148 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2014

About the author

Elisabeth Grace Foley (that’s Elisabeth with an s) is the author of numerous works of historical fiction and historical mystery set mostly in the American West, including the Mrs. Meade Mysteries, short cozy mysteries featuring a lady detective in Edwardian-era Colorado, and the Western comedy A Sidekick’s Tale. Her most recent release, The Smoking Iron and Other Stories, is the latest of several collections of Western short stories.

She was a Peacemaker Award finalist in 2015 with her novella Left-Hand Kelly, and again in 2021 with her short story “Dakota Clothesline,” and won the Peacemaker for short fiction in 2025 with her short story "Valiant-For-Truth." Her historical mystery novel Land of Hills and Valleys was voted one of Readfree.ly’s 50 Best Indie Books of 2021.

When not reading or writing, she enjoys gardening, crocheting, digging further into her family tree, cheering for underdog European football teams, and watching old movies. She lives in upstate New York with her family.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another delightful, old-fashioned western story with fun characters. I just love Foley's books.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything that a Western should be, with a good mystery thrown in for bonus. My only complaint is that it's not longer! I would have liked this to be twice as long. Of course, I usually seem to have that problem with Elisabeth's writing, which is a good thing. I read an eBook ARC, and can hardly wait to get my hands on the hard copy.
Colvin is on the tramp from one place to another when he witnesses a duel between Lew Kelly and Bob Reeves--one that leaves Lew wounded and Bob on the run. When he heads on out of town, he thinks that chapter of his life is closed...but there's going to be much more of the story of his acquaintance with the private, warlike Kellys. Especially when he finds himself back in the Kelly hometown of Clemson just as Bob Reeves decides it's time to come back and face his one-time friend again...Bullets and excitement are sure to abound.

[Angie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My. Heart!!! This book. Just--speechless.

I don't remember how long ago I bought this, but I'll admit that I was a little scared to read it for a while. I rather enjoy westerns (thinking more of old TV shows; I haven't read that many books), but with a storyline like this, I was more than a little afraid I'd end up in the middle of a tragedy. But after reading a bunch of the author's short stories and seeing the way she handles plotlines that could go a multitude of different ways, I knew I had to come back to this one. And..It. Was. Fabulous.

I loved how what could have been an epically tragic storyline was redeemed with so much truth and beauty. That's not to say nothing bad happened or that I didn't question some of the choices or that my heart wasn't torn in two over certain things. But the way things ended and the growth we got to see and some of the motivations behind the actions--I am so very deeply in love. It'd be spoilers to talk about all of the characters I fell in love with, but can I just say...Matt. Kelly. From the moment of his second appearance in the book, I was GONE. Protective big brothers always have a special place in my heart, but Matt now owns one of the very best corners all to himself. So. Much. Love. <3

Overall, an absolutely exceptional story. 100% worth the read, and definitely one I'll come back to. 5 shining stars

Content--gunplay and people shot; mentions of wounds and blood (not graphic); mentions of drinking and smoking; a few uses of "Oh, Lord," etc. in tense situations that may or may not be prayerful

[Éowyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished it this evening and I have two things to say. . . The descriptions are tense and beautiful by turns. Second, Matt is pretty much the ideal Western man, and has taken a place on my list of Very Favorite Heroes. :)

[Elsie Stoltzfus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was caught up in this very quickly. The plot is not an ordinary one, and the characters aren't ones you meet in every western story you read. Mostly I'd say the whole book is thought provoking. You keep wondering if what a character did was right, what they did wrong, how they could have done it differently, etc. All in all, it's an enjoyable and interesting story, and very easy to read.

My Rating: Four Stars

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. Well-written!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to put down! This western tale is short, engaging, and well written. I would love to read a sequel! The characters are hard to leave at the end of the book!

[Lydia Willcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 stars

[Bethany Willcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't even begin to describe how much I was thrilled with this book! The whole story, plot, setting; the characters, from Dr Fairchild, to Matt Kelly down, were absolutely brilliant! The style of the story reminded me a little of some of John Buchan's books, especially 'Prester John' for some reason, and that just added to the excitement and thrilling adventure of the whole book from beginning to end.
I really liked Dr Fairchild, with his amusing ways and little habits, and I also felt sorry for all the Kellys, except perhaps the father, Jack Kelly. And, once again, Elisabeth Grace Foley's ability for painting vivid and clear pictures of people and settings, with such few words, had me spell-bound.
An excellent story, definitely something I'll read again soon!
I'd recommend this book to ages 13+.

[Martin Marais · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella is a very accessible read. While I was reading it I could almost imagine Foley sitting at a camp fire with a circle of friends, crickets rasping in the background and the logs popping gently. The audience, with cold beers to hand, listening as Foley told her tale. A story not in the typical Western mold. Not of fearless hard staring gunmen, but of ordinary folk living in hard times when men felt they had to act like men rather than as themselves and the unwanted consequences that this brought about. A great read.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the perfect book to read when I had a cold. Quick, fun, and great to read in little sections when I needed to sit down and rest for five minutes.

All in all, this is a charming western, with nary a bad word or hint of objectionable content. Should my kids get into westerns (with me as a mom, they have a good chance, right?), I'll gladly hand them this to read when they're old enough to understand it.

[David Cranmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Left-Hand Kelly’s main protagonist, Colvin, is the very definition of a man living by the golden rule. He’s in the town of Clemson, Oklahoma, when by chance, he alone observes a gun duel at close range between Lew Kelly and Bob Reeves. Reeves gets the drop, dashing his opponent to the ground, and then skedaddles, not realizing there was a witness to the event. Colvin recognizes the wounded as a member of the Kelly family that lives nearby, headed by an infamous patriarch known to have been a gunslinger in his younger days. The tight-lipped clan is barely appreciative when Colvin brings Lew home, though they offer him the courtesy of borrowing a horse to ride into town, where he bumps into Reeves who is drinking at the local saloon like there’s no tomorrow. Reeves is planning to get the heck ‘out of Dodge’ before the Kellys find him. It doesn’t seem to comfort him one little bit that Colvin would testify in his defense over the proceedings. The Kelly reputation is one of shooting first and not even caring about asking questions later. Reeves wisely departs.

Years later, Colvin encounters Claire Lester, the woman who originally provoked such strong emotions between Reeves and Kelly. Colvin suspects there’s much more to the story. When his train’s whistle announces its impending departure, he opts to stay in Clemson and heads to the Kelly farm with the intention of meddling a little deeper into the fabric of this community.

Foley has set the story around the turn of the twentieth-century, which has always been an interesting focal point in Western lore. By then, legend Bat Masterson was more newspaperman than lawman, and famed Wyatt Earp was just around the corner from offering advice to the moving pictures in sunny California. Lew Kelly’s dreams of gun-slinging fame were already outmoded. His century has passed him by. His bum firing arm only adds to his pathetic stature, opening him up to bullying and endless challenges.