Stamping Ground

Page Murdock, US Deputy Marshal #2

by Loren D. Estleman

Deputy U.S. Marshall Page Murdock isn't happy when Judge Blackthorne decides to send him on an assignment to north Dakota. He passed through the territory once before and is not eager to return to a land of sudden blizzards and spring floods. And to make matters worse he has been handed the nearly impossible job of apprehending the renegade Cheyenne leader Ghost Shirt, who is responsible for several massacres in the area.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction

Paperback

First published September 1, 1980

About the author

Loren D. Estleman is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He writes with a manual typewriter.

Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.

Series:
* Amos Walker Mystery
* Valentino Mystery
* Detroit Crime Mystery
* Peter Macklin Mystery
* Page Murdock Mystery

Reviews

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This copy is signed by Loren D. Estlemann.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second installment of the Page Murdock series is a very good western. Page is loaned to another judge to help bring in a renegade Cheyenne leader and must go through many harrowing adventures. Recommended to readers of westerns.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3-3.5

I’m reading these out of order, they are actually sort of hard to find. Anyway, I enjoyed Murdock’s Law better. But, this was good enough and I finished it in a few hours.


*recommend for Estleman fans, western genre fans, or someone like me — who just wanted to get away real quick, with little to think about.

[Calvin Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 4.5. Just a fine western from start to finished. Very enjoyable read.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#2 in the Page Murdock series. 1980 series entry by author Loren D. Estleman is engrossing but many references to activities in the prior series entry The High Rocks (1979) cause me to strongly suggest the reader enjoy the books in sequence. Atmospheric look at law enforcement in Montana and Dakota of the post civil War era.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Page Murdock isn't happy when Judge Blackthorne decides to send him on an assignment to northern Dakota, a land of sudden blizzards and spring floods. And to make matters worse he has been handed the nearly impossible job of apprehending the renegade Cheyenne leader Ghost Shirt, who is responsible for several massacres in the area.

[Éric Kasprak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the first person point of view in this series. This author is well known for his noir/detective novels and you can feel a definite style crossover into his western. Estleman he's a very talented author with AAA writing, AAA pacing and interesting characters that are three dimensional. This classic escort story is made fresh by the first person POV and the strong detective elements that Estleman injects into it. But in the end, it really comes down to personal preference in storytelling style for me to appreciate a book and M. Estleman his right there as one of my favorites. Highly recommended.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent Western by Estleman in his Page Murdock series. The action, pacing, and story were mixed - sometimes quite strong, at other times a bit disorganized. Not my favorite Estleman but definitely enjoyable.

[M. Sprouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
It's hard to believe this book was written 40 years ago. With it's action, wit, and twist it holds up very well. To me it has action, brutality, twist and humor, kind of a cross between "Lonesome Dove and the Maverick TV Show." The reader really gets a feel for the Dakota Territory in the 1970s. I'm not sure what more this book could have done, maybe I should have given it five stars?

[Cws]

LP WEst