Castle Butte

by John D. Nesbitt

Seventeen-year-old Alden Clare has plenty weighing on him: an ailing father, a restless older brother, and an impatient girlfriend. His brother argues with their father and leaves. His girlfriend, Claudette, decides she doesn't want to wait any longer, so she goes to live with Alden's friend, Cash. Alden meets a pretty nester girl named Bonnie Wilcox, who has an irascible father. Before long, Alden learns that Cash has joined a band of ruffians who harass Jack Wilcox. Then Cash turns up dead. Alden's brother, Grant, comes back to town, takes up with Claudette, and goes to work with the same band of ruffians. As Alden tries to find out the motive for the harassment, the ruffians kill Jack Wilcox, and their leader becomes obsessed with Claudette. Alden then has to defend himself against the henchmen and to have a showdown with their boss.

235 pages, Hardcover

Published May 16, 2018

About the author

John D. Nesbitt is the author of more than forty books, including traditional westerns, crossover western mysteries, contemporary western fiction, retro/noir fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

He has won the Western Writers of America Spur Award four times–twice for paperback novel, once for short story, and once for poem. He has been a finalist for the Spur Award once as well as for the Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award twice and the Will Rogers Medallion Award four times. He has also received two creative writing fellowships with the Wyoming Arts Council (once for fiction, once for nonfiction).

John has had a distinguished career as a college instructor, most notably for thirty-eight years at Eastern Wyoming College. He lives in the plains country of Wyoming, where he stays in touch with the natural world and the settings for his work. He writes about lifelike people in realistic situations, people who deserve justice and a fair shake in life.

Recent works include Castle Butte, a young adult novel; Dusk Along the Niobrara, a frontier mystery; and In a Large and Lonesome Land, a CD of western songs for which he wrote all the lyrics.

Reviews

[Susie James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new book shine from the section featuring newer books at the Carrollton library: "Castle Butte" by John D. Nesbitt. I wondered if, as it's touted as a "coming of age" novel (a Western) if it oughtn't be in young adults, to give that group an option other than fantasy and bloodsucking themes, but no, I was advised! I really enjoyed this Western and its main character, who had his head on straight and endeavored to keep it that way through his struggles to stay alive, fed, housed, in touch with the world around him. I learned that the author, displayed in a small photo on the dust jacket, has written other published works and teaches English and Spanish at Central Wyoming College. Cheers for him and for the teenager-man who's the main character in "Castle Butte". Hope we learn more -- while I reminisce also of Western authors of my younger years, such as Zane Gray.

[Donia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I truly enjoy a beautiful tale such as this one but regrettably I struggled throughout the story trying to make sense of what was being described at times. Something about the writing seemed fractured. I understood the general plot but had trouble moving from one scene to the next; at times having to flip back and re read something.