When his wife is accused of murder after a dark secret from her past is unearthed, U.S. Marshal Lane Morgan must race against time to unmask the real killer and clear his wife's name. Original.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Edward Joseph Gorman Jr. was a prolific American author and anthologist, widely recognized for his contributions to crime, mystery, western, and horror fiction. Born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Gorman spent much of his life in the Midwest, drawing on that experience to set many of his novels in small towns. After working over two decades in advertising, political speechwriting, and industrial filmmaking, he published his first novel, Rough Cut, in 1984 and soon transitioned to full-time writing. His fiction is often praised for its emotional depth, suspenseful storytelling, and nuanced characters. Gorman wrote under the pseudonyms Daniel Ransom and Robert David Chase, and contributed to publications such as Mystery Scene, Cemetery Dance, and Black Lizard. He co-founded Mystery Scene magazine and served as its editor and publisher until 2002, continuing his “Gormania” column thereafter. His works have been adapted for film and graphic novels, including The Poker Club and Cage of Night. In comics, he wrote for DC and Dark Horse. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2002, he continued writing despite his illness until his passing in 2016. Critics lauded him as one of the most original crime writers of his generation and a “poet of dark suspense.”
With Relentless, Gorman transcends the Western genre akin to what writer Jack Schaefer did with Monte Walsh and film director Robert Altman accomplished with McCabe & Mrs. Miller. No mythological posturing between these pages but real individuals on the edge with seemingly no way out. Ernest Hemingway said, “When writing a novel, a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature.”
Ed Gorman writes living people. Their hopes and dreams and the high costs of turning a blind eye to social justice. Relentless doesn’t have a lot of action per se but that makes sense in this noir Western that eschews fabled clichés and instead builds strong, riveting passages in the formation of these desperate lives.
Ed Gorman knows how people feel and think and it really comes through in his writing. I very much enjoyed this book, which is more a mystery than an action tale. There's relatively little action, in fact, but it still made for a compelling read.
An outstanding western that concerns itself with small town corruption, politics, women with poor reputations, and murder. Gorman makes the story unique and his bad guys are realistic. Highly recommended.
Another solid, entertaining Western by the late Ed Gorman. Marshall Lane Morgan is about to testify against the son of Paul Webley, a man who pretty much runs the town. When bribes fail to work, Webley changes tactics. Soon, Morgan's wife is accused of murder.... A fast moving story that keeps you hooked.
Ed Gorman was a terrific story teller. His westerns easily define what makes the genre so exciting to read. Relentless is a great western that's also a great mystery full of excitement, humor, with great characters. Highly recommended.