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Page Murdock, US Deputy Marshal #3
Murdock's Law
Book by Loren D. Estleman
289 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1982
4 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Loren D. Estleman
316 books280 followersLoren 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 5, 2025
Deputy Marshall Page Murdock arrives in a Montana town hunting a specific outlaw but is sidetracked a bit when he's hurriedly assigned to replace the recently-deceased town marshall there instead. Gunplay happens right quick as he is looking into the prior marshall's living situation, thinking he may have been on the take, and then bullets fly and he's in a fist fight with a pretty lady.
Town dynamics play in with a budding range war and then things get violent when the range bosses start making their own justice against those they think are responsible.
"Murdock's Law" (1978) is the third in a series but I didn't feel like I had missed anything not having read the prior two. A focused close-ended western lawman adventure tale.
Verdict: "Murdock's Law" is a pretty standard, easy weekend western with some interesting characters and a focused close-ended lawman adventure tale.
Jeff's Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG-13
Town dynamics play in with a budding range war and then things get violent when the range bosses start making their own justice against those they think are responsible.
"Murdock's Law" (1978) is the third in a series but I didn't feel like I had missed anything not having read the prior two. A focused close-ended western lawman adventure tale.
Verdict: "Murdock's Law" is a pretty standard, easy weekend western with some interesting characters and a focused close-ended lawman adventure tale.
Jeff's Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG-13
April 27, 2021
In Loren D Estleman's third book of the Paige Murdock series we find Page appointed Sheriff of a wide open town with plenty of problems. The local rangers are on the precipice of a range war, pitting large outfits against smaller ones. On top of this Murdock's deputies are questionable.
This novel start out well, but things get a little muddled, with Murdoch racing from ranch to ranch not accomplishing or controlling much. Murdock also seems different from the first two books. The best way to describe it is to say he's more hardboiled. There is no indication of how much time has passed between books, but Murdock seems to borrow a page from one of the author's other series, Amos Walker.
Overall this is a good book, it definitely doesn't match the quality of the first to books in any way. If you like quick-read westerns you'll enjoy it. It seemed a bit rushed in the plot and character development. I almost thought I had an abridged version.
This novel start out well, but things get a little muddled, with Murdoch racing from ranch to ranch not accomplishing or controlling much. Murdock also seems different from the first two books. The best way to describe it is to say he's more hardboiled. There is no indication of how much time has passed between books, but Murdock seems to borrow a page from one of the author's other series, Amos Walker.
Overall this is a good book, it definitely doesn't match the quality of the first to books in any way. If you like quick-read westerns you'll enjoy it. It seemed a bit rushed in the plot and character development. I almost thought I had an abridged version.
May 8, 2017
"To hell with it. I'd been brained, drawn on, shot at and ambushed and I was tired of being careful. I filled my lungs and stepped inside. Right away I knew I'd made a mistake."
As my first western I must say I really enjoyed this. This book is part of Loren D. Estleman's Page Murdock series (#3). I didn't find any trouble jumping in randomly, I think the series just contains the main character, Page Murdock, but with different stories w/out any real carry-overs—making it easy to jump in at any point in the series.
There were some fun, although clichéd, dialogue and quotes throughout.
*"The fellow...looked inconsolable I took him for an undertaker. The richer they get the sadder they look."
*"Just how fast are you?"
"I snorted. 'That again. When I came out here, fast meant women and horses. Thanks to the writers back East it's become a contest to see who can get his gun out first. I've lost that contest six or seven times. They're dead. I'm not.'"
*"As someone you're throwing out I'm tempted not to give you the warning, but as a peace officer for the time being I'm obliged to remind you that snakes don't always come when you call them, and when they do, they don't always bite who you want."
☆Def recommend, and look forward to reading more.
As my first western I must say I really enjoyed this. This book is part of Loren D. Estleman's Page Murdock series (#3). I didn't find any trouble jumping in randomly, I think the series just contains the main character, Page Murdock, but with different stories w/out any real carry-overs—making it easy to jump in at any point in the series.
There were some fun, although clichéd, dialogue and quotes throughout.
*"The fellow...looked inconsolable I took him for an undertaker. The richer they get the sadder they look."
*"Just how fast are you?"
"I snorted. 'That again. When I came out here, fast meant women and horses. Thanks to the writers back East it's become a contest to see who can get his gun out first. I've lost that contest six or seven times. They're dead. I'm not.'"
*"As someone you're throwing out I'm tempted not to give you the warning, but as a peace officer for the time being I'm obliged to remind you that snakes don't always come when you call them, and when they do, they don't always bite who you want."
☆Def recommend, and look forward to reading more.
October 18, 2023
The action and suspense will keep your nose deeply embedded in this book. It's a great novel and my favorite of the Page Murdock, US Deputy Mashal series. But I highly recommend that you read all of them!
March 31, 2022
I enjoy Westerns from time to time for life is a lot simpler back then. Also I have lived in Montana and enjoy the history.
July 20, 2013
This is a damn good one right here, and I came THIS close to not reading it. I'd just finished the first book in Estleman's Amos Walker series, MOTOR CITY BLUE, and though I liked it well enough, I didn't think enough of it to be blown away. But I know Estleman is skilled in many styles and approaches, and figured his approach to writing a Western would be different from his approach to the hardboiled P.I. yarn.
I figured right. While the Amos Walker jaunt was fun but a bit predictable and cliche-heavy, MURDOCK'S LAW kept me guessing all the way through with a nice twisty plot, some finely drawn characters, and terrific action sequences. Murdock himself is a fairly realistic hero, pragmatic and direct, who's easy to get behind even when he sees fit to exercise a little brutality to get the job done. I'll definitely be reading more of Estleman's westerns.
I figured right. While the Amos Walker jaunt was fun but a bit predictable and cliche-heavy, MURDOCK'S LAW kept me guessing all the way through with a nice twisty plot, some finely drawn characters, and terrific action sequences. Murdock himself is a fairly realistic hero, pragmatic and direct, who's easy to get behind even when he sees fit to exercise a little brutality to get the job done. I'll definitely be reading more of Estleman's westerns.
Read
December 1, 2008LP WEst
January 20, 2016
Page Murdock is tough as they come. This is a love story hidden in a western.
Want to read
April 27, 2017I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14520935
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14520935
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews