"MATT BRAUN IS A MASTER STORYTELLER OF FRONTIER HISTORY."
―Elmer Kelton
On a fierce frontier
In 1878, a struggling prospector found silver in the jagged mountains of Arizona. Within a year the town of Tombstone was filling up with merchants, tradesmen, gamblers, whores, gunslingers…and, eventually, Wyatt Earp.
One town earned a legend of its own…
When Earp arrives in Tombstone, nothing is ever the same. Along with Doc Holliday and a band of thieves, he turns the Arizona territory into his personal stomping grounds―until Wells Fargo puts an end to a string of savage stage robberies. With the legend of the OK Corral shoot-out fanning out across the frontier, private detective Luke Starbuck is sent to Tombstone on a To learn the truth about Wyatt Earp. And to lay his legend to rest…
A good detective story, a likeable, flawed hero, but oh the profanity. This book would be about half the size if all the profanity were taken out! Probably won't read any more of his due to this, a shame.
Westerns are not my usual cup of tea, but I found this one in our Airbnb, and it sucked me in. The hero is a complete cliche, the lawman who’s perfect in every way, but it’s more the exploration of Wyatt and the rest of the Earps as complete and unconstructed villains that’s interesting. Not to mention, good action.
I like the character Luke Starbuck. It is interesting to see how he interacts with famous characters of the Old West. Surely there are liberties taken in the story telling, but I found it to be a total joy and a quick read.
I'm a huge fan of historical fictions that surround Tombstone, Arizona in the late 1800s. I'm a big fan of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, and the gang. I love their story and the history of that era. This book uses the facts of the case and takes liberties with the rest (most of the good stories do) and I can appreciate that. It's a different take on the tale, for sure, but one I enjoyed.
Recommended for fans of westerns or Tombstone tales.