The Stranger from the Valley

by Oscar William Case

Marshal Chappie Wesford, recalled to active Army duty, arrives in Altaveel to give a Civil War Award to Roger Proudmire and Calvin Fedderson. He talks to Bishop Thorneycraft and others about the two honorees regarding their honesty and worthiness, but the Henberry family thinks he has come to take over their business and land, and proceed to make his life difficult. Chappie meets Esther Bigknife, a widow, but there is a relationship between her and Milt Henberry. Milt doesn't like him interfering, and he and Oakley, his young brother, try to kill him. It all comes to a head on the Fourth of July, when Wesford delivers the award at the big Fourth of July celebration and asks Esther to marry him. Chappie returns to Altaveel a few months later on the trail of outlaws who held up the bank in Price, and Milt Henberry is his deputy. One of the outlaws is Obadiah Henberry, Milt's uncle, who was invited to do a job for the elder Jim Henberry and to bring a couple of friends. Wesford and Milt track the outlaws down, and there is a shootout on the Six-Mile Road as they bring the robbers to justice.

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2009

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a western mystery, with emphasis on the mystery. It's set in a small, primarily Mormon town in Utah. A stranger shows up in town and begins asking a lot of questions. His name is Chappie Wesford, but we don't find out what his job is and why he's there until later in the book.

The book is a kind of exploration of the lives of the folks who live in the town and along the way we get a lot of information about how folks made their living in those days. It's rich in historical information and the settings are spot on. The author grew up in that area and has clearly done his homework on the history.

I don't know if the author intended this, but the main character, Chappie Wesford, reminds me a bit of Columbo. He seems so easy going and is just asking questions, but he sure does seem to get under people's skins, and beneath the folksy exterior he's got a long streak of toughness. He's less bumbling than Columbo but there's a kind of similar feel.

All in all, I much enjoyed this story.