What do you think?
Rate this book
Gunfighter's Reputation #4
Bad Day at Willow Creek
Gun-for-hire Fast Larry Shaw, haunted by the brutal murder of his wife, has the notorious Katlin Gang on his tail after he kills one of their men, while dealing with the legendary William Bonney, who wants Shaw to fight beside him in a cattle war. Original.
- GenresWesterns
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 5, 2006
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
November 9, 2019
I have been a fan of westerns most of my life.
I think Mr Cotton has been one of the better contemporary writers.
Have many of his books.
Yet this one not one of his best.
In fact it was not easy to get through.
Most of the main characters, you have little or no sympathy with.
The main character, lack of morals and self control. Is glossed over.
By the fact he previously had lost his wife. Usually that can be understandable.
Yet that card played way to much. Every time he crosses a line.
Then it goes into poor him. This is why you should be sympathetic to him.
Sorry, part way through it. I was hoping he would be shot and killed.
A doctor and wife couple. Also no real cause to support them either.
Just way to many of the interactions in this one.
Just did not seem to ring true.
As well as the storyline in general.
Nice that he tried to bring in, mix real life characters from history.
It all in all, though was not an enjoyable or believable read this time.
I think Mr Cotton has been one of the better contemporary writers.
Have many of his books.
Yet this one not one of his best.
In fact it was not easy to get through.
Most of the main characters, you have little or no sympathy with.
The main character, lack of morals and self control. Is glossed over.
By the fact he previously had lost his wife. Usually that can be understandable.
Yet that card played way to much. Every time he crosses a line.
Then it goes into poor him. This is why you should be sympathetic to him.
Sorry, part way through it. I was hoping he would be shot and killed.
A doctor and wife couple. Also no real cause to support them either.
Just way to many of the interactions in this one.
Just did not seem to ring true.
As well as the storyline in general.
Nice that he tried to bring in, mix real life characters from history.
It all in all, though was not an enjoyable or believable read this time.
April 11, 2018
when it comes to westerns, ralph cotton is where it's at. These books aren't for easily offended old timey Louis L'Amour fans. there is foul language, sex, and lots of violence and that's what I love about them. they aren't about a romanticized old west where the good guy is flawless and the bad guys are pure evil. Much like in real life their is often a grey area. Fast Larry has flaws and makes mistakes but he is still a hero.
if you're looking for calm clean gunfights and a romantic interest that you can talk to your preacher about this isn't it. if you want snappy dialogue and bullet holes that bleed and 3 dimensional characters with more than one motivation here ya go.
if you're looking for calm clean gunfights and a romantic interest that you can talk to your preacher about this isn't it. if you want snappy dialogue and bullet holes that bleed and 3 dimensional characters with more than one motivation here ya go.
October 18, 2017
to make up for lack of imagination the author uses profanity and porn. The story line was horrible as well as character development.
February 16, 2016
I was going to wait to review A Bad Day at Willow Creek, until I read the sparse reviews on Goodreads, and one in particular, which I completely disagree with. Nothing about this Western is "dumb," and none of the violence is pointless or unnecessary. On the contrary, as the fourth book in this Gunman's series about Lawrence Shaw, this novel's storyline is interesting, moving at times, and, after two novels that focused exclusively on Shaw's friend and partner, Cray Dawson, gets this series back on track in a successful way. The focus on this fourth installment is on Shaw, as he brings a pregnant prostitute he "may" be the father of, to Willow Creek so she can give birth. Here, Shaw begins to question the point of his existence. Known as the fastest gunman alive, Shaw attracts trouble wherever he goes, though he never seeks it out. Foolish and braggart young upstarts consistently challenge him for his title and reputation, and all of them end up with bullets in their heads. Shaw is a good, caring, ethical man, though he doesn't believe this about himself. He feels fated for trouble and violence, and in this novel in particular, we see a deeply troubled man who is tired of the life he either chose, or was thrust upon him. He longs to be with his murdered wife, Rosa, again, and several times in the novel, he sees her face while deciding whether or not to stay in the realm of mortality, or join her in eternity. So far, she has chosen the former, because he cares about the people he knows he can protect. Shaw is the classic knight in shining armor. I absolutely love this character, and despite the dozens of Western novels I've read, cannot think of a character I have related to and admired more than him. This novel has, I believe seven or eight more books in the series, and I'm so excited to continue reading about his adventures, and those of his friend, Dawson, who I have to believe he will be reunited with in one or more of the coming novels. For now, this is a solid addition to the series. Cotton is one of the better Western writers I've read. His prose is interesting and engaging, and his portrayal of these men who lived during a time when just surviving the day was an accomplishment, is inspiring to those of us today who take each day for granted.
April 22, 2011
Really dumb western with lots of needlessly violent gunplay, but very little in the way of plot or character development.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews