Desperado - Special Edition

by Clifton Adams

The Legendary Lost Tale!

Tall's temper is hotter than forked lightning with the cinch off; and the only thing faster is his gun. With those two things working for him he finds himself outside the law, a target for every gunslinger trying to build himself a killer's name in the canyon country. Here is a real western, as authentic as sage brush, as crammed with action as a man-fighting bronc, and a story that will hog-tie and hold your interest from the first paragraph.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1950

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastically taut, pulply, hardboiled western crime noir. The protagonist is a heartless bastard, who sees all the things he cares about, along with his soul, stripped away, step by step. He excels at justifying every rotten thing he does, believing other people are always unfairly getting up in his business and deserve the cruel fate he feels obligated to deal them. Everyone, I guess, is the hero of their own story. Adams' prose is lean and mean, packed with pithy gems and a surprising amount of sap-free, hardboiled emotional resonance.

[L J Field · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t read many westerns, but I’ve been reading books published by Stark House lately and this is one of its offerings. Stark House specializes in Noir, Mystery and Thriller/Suspense books. Their website described this book as a Noir Western. That seemed unlikely, but it proved to be the case. The story illustrates a young man of 18 who moves from innocence to being a wanted killer. He has help from another man wanted for murder, Pappy, but his quick reflexes and steady hands places him amongst the most dangerous people of the old west. I enjoyed this thoroughly and will read the second, and closing, story—Noose for the Desperado—very soon.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very compelling read. I finished it in one sitting. That this version was large print helped, and that it was written in first person. I could identify with the main character but I didn't really like him. That turned out to be intentional as you go through the book because it is the character's flaws that drive the ending. The style is terse, and although this is a classical western tale it had elements of noir in it that I liked.

This is the first book I've read by Clifton Adams, although he did have some pseudonyms so it's possible I've come across one of those. These include Clay Randall, under which he wrote the Amos Flagg western series, and Matt Kincaid, also for westerns. He apparently wrote crime novels under the name Jonathan Gant. I'll be looking for his name(s) now. I understand there is a sequel to this book but have heard both positive and negative comments about it. It's called "A Noose for the Desperado." I'll have to give it a try.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great coming-of-age, noir western. Full of surprises along the way.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good western of the gun fighter type. Tall was just a 17 year old boy when he was forced to flee his home because of what someone else did. From there he learns and is trained to be a gun hawk. When Texas goes back to the people, he finds his girl now with the one who started everything. His partner is killed and he is then alone

[Chris Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good western noir

This was my first Clifton Adams western. I wasn't expecting the level of grittiness, violence and the sense of hopelessness in the book.

Overall I thought it was a very good book.

[Still · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the sequel to this novel 1st and loved it.
That said, this one is far superior.
Tough, bleak, and as hardboiled as a psychotic on horseback with two six-guns blazing could be expected to get.

[Ron Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

"... a beautiful piece of killing equipment."

I’ve read several Clifton Adams noir novels, but “Desperado” is the first western of his I’ve read. I have not been much of a western novel fan, but I sure enjoyed this one. Adams maintains a tension and suspense throughout and it was very hard to step away from the book.

Set in the post-Civil War Reconstruction era when Texas was overrun by carpetbaggers, white trash, scalawags, bluebellies, and turncoats, the formerly Confederate Texans were living in occupied territory. Eighteen-year-old Tal Cameron is wanted for clubbing a carpetbagger with a rifle stock and takes off on an adventure that involves multiple killings as he becomes an accomplished gunfighter.
Tal pairs up with Pappy Garret who comes across as the Yoda of gunfighting. Pappy, while teaching young Tal, offers much wisdom, such as: “One mistake is all a man is allowed when he's on the run,” or “You don't develop a fast draw all at once. . . You cut away a piece of a second here, a piece of a second there, until you've got rid of every bit of motion and friction that's not absolutely necessary," and "...knowing how to shoot and draw isn't enough. Boothills are full of men who could outdraw and outshoot both of us."

Cameron, as a young outlaw, makes interesting observations of his own: "It's almost worth getting killed just to be a part of the excitement of dying." When he first sees Pappy’s carbine: "It was a beautiful piece of killing equipment. You could almost imagine that a man would be glad to get shot with a gun like that, if he cared anything for firearms."

Tal, who had been fortunate to attend Professor Bigloe's Academy for Learning and Culture when he was younger, turns 19 during this coming of age story in which he loses his father, the girl he loves, and the only person he can trust. It is fast moving, action packed, very well-written, and seems historically accurate. I could become a western fan with a few more like this.

[Sean Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly typical and predictable in plot structure but well executed and somewhat brooding makes it a solid western and worth the price of admission so to speak.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

[Deepak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid Western. So many great action set pieces .

[Warren Stalley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Desperado by Clifton Adams is a classic western but also a great read for anyone wanting to try a different book from their normal tastes. An innocent young man reluctantly goes on the run with another youth to keep out of local trouble but the events that follow plunge Tall into a whole heap of danger. Soon his world is turned upside down and he reluctantly transforms into the life of an outlaw. Along the way he meets a wise old bandit Pappy who teaches him the skills needed to survive the wild life. It’s this father-son relationship that binds the novel together and ultimately makes the work sparkle with life. The novel keeps building its pace until you’re absolutely gripped by the events unfolding. You can taste the dust and hear the pounding of horse’s hooves, feel the danger and excitement of potential gunfights and horseback chases. To summarise this is a western with action, romance and shoot-outs. What more could you want? Enjoy.

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first western and I was a little disappointed. My dad was always reading them so I thought I would give one a try. I liked this author's pulp fiction better. My next. Try will be a western by a real western writer.

[Andy Oerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Often described as western-noir, I quibble only in that the character arc is more Scarface than Walter Neff.

[Demetrios Dolios · Rating 5 out of 5]

clifton does it again