What do you think?
Rate this book
Once Upon a Time in Fort Sumner
A serial killer who fancies himself a skinwalker,
a man who thinks he's Billy the Kid,
and a map to a lost canyon of gold...
The year is 1950, and old timers connected to the outlaw Billy the Kid are popping up dead in the sleepy town of Fort Sumner, New Mexico. It’s up to the local sheriff, Hondo Dumez, to figure out why. Matters become complicated upon the news that a man claiming to be a surviving Billy the Kid is about to meet with the current governor of New Mexico. Added to the mystery are whispers of a secretive organization known as the Santa Fe Ring and rumors of something called a Skinwalker haunting the area. As the case twists and turns its way from the haunted halls of Dorsey Mansion to the ice caves of the Malpais, Dumez won’t just need all the help he can get to solve the greatest mystery of the Southwest, he’ll be lucky to survive the investigation at all.
a man who thinks he's Billy the Kid,
and a map to a lost canyon of gold...
The year is 1950, and old timers connected to the outlaw Billy the Kid are popping up dead in the sleepy town of Fort Sumner, New Mexico. It’s up to the local sheriff, Hondo Dumez, to figure out why. Matters become complicated upon the news that a man claiming to be a surviving Billy the Kid is about to meet with the current governor of New Mexico. Added to the mystery are whispers of a secretive organization known as the Santa Fe Ring and rumors of something called a Skinwalker haunting the area. As the case twists and turns its way from the haunted halls of Dorsey Mansion to the ice caves of the Malpais, Dumez won’t just need all the help he can get to solve the greatest mystery of the Southwest, he’ll be lucky to survive the investigation at all.
261 pages, Paperback
Published December 8, 2022
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 20, 2024
“Once Upon a Time in Fort Sumner” mixes humor, horror, and high adventure in just the right proportions to produce a delectable prose double whopper.
Author LeMay is always in control of his story, one that brims with intriguing subplots—and then there’s that killer main plot, in which twin brothers attempt to solve a series of bizarre murders in a small New Mexico town. Along the way, they encounter mutilated corpses, supernatural assailants, and a man who just may or may not be the one and only Billy the Kid,
The atmosphere can shift on a hair-trigger from humorous to spooky to mysterious and back again, never missing a stylistic beat. Twins Hondo and Pancho make for intriguing heroes, just as likely to brawl with each other as put the hurt on the bad guys. In addition, the villains won’t disappoint, but I don’t want to reveal too much about them—it’s wonderful getting to know who (and in some cases what) they are as the story smartly unwinds.
Rife with cinematic detail, the novel slams into an exciting climax that will have you clutching the figurative (or perhaps literal!) edge of your seat. And fear not—you won’t be disappointed with the finale. Instead, you’ll want more!
Author LeMay is always in control of his story, one that brims with intriguing subplots—and then there’s that killer main plot, in which twin brothers attempt to solve a series of bizarre murders in a small New Mexico town. Along the way, they encounter mutilated corpses, supernatural assailants, and a man who just may or may not be the one and only Billy the Kid,
The atmosphere can shift on a hair-trigger from humorous to spooky to mysterious and back again, never missing a stylistic beat. Twins Hondo and Pancho make for intriguing heroes, just as likely to brawl with each other as put the hurt on the bad guys. In addition, the villains won’t disappoint, but I don’t want to reveal too much about them—it’s wonderful getting to know who (and in some cases what) they are as the story smartly unwinds.
Rife with cinematic detail, the novel slams into an exciting climax that will have you clutching the figurative (or perhaps literal!) edge of your seat. And fear not—you won’t be disappointed with the finale. Instead, you’ll want more!
August 6, 2025
Can you make a story compelling, when you know the outcome?
The short answer.....yes! I think one way John was able to write a sequel...which is really a pequel is not writing himself into any corners in book 1. Yes, perhaps we knew where the Dumez Brothers would end up, but so much of the world was still able to be fleshed out. Also the inclusion of Skinwalkers....big win! love seeing folklore finding it's way into books like these. I think it also subtlety changes genres from Action Adventure in book one, to Action with some horror aspects injected into this books DNA. You can also see John's growth as a writer between both books. Book one being so Action driven, it felt like the story was 0-60 and never let up. Book two let's the moments and characters breath and really connect with the readers. I enjoyed book one, but I think book two is better! Now with this trajectory he should really knock book three outta the park, I can't wait!
Also once more, the cover art from Logan Pack is awesome! I also can't help but feel like the character on the right looks like Dane Dehaan...but maybe I am watching "The Kid" too many times.
overall 8.6/10.0
The short answer.....yes! I think one way John was able to write a sequel...which is really a pequel is not writing himself into any corners in book 1. Yes, perhaps we knew where the Dumez Brothers would end up, but so much of the world was still able to be fleshed out. Also the inclusion of Skinwalkers....big win! love seeing folklore finding it's way into books like these. I think it also subtlety changes genres from Action Adventure in book one, to Action with some horror aspects injected into this books DNA. You can also see John's growth as a writer between both books. Book one being so Action driven, it felt like the story was 0-60 and never let up. Book two let's the moments and characters breath and really connect with the readers. I enjoyed book one, but I think book two is better! Now with this trajectory he should really knock book three outta the park, I can't wait!
Also once more, the cover art from Logan Pack is awesome! I also can't help but feel like the character on the right looks like Dane Dehaan...but maybe I am watching "The Kid" too many times.
overall 8.6/10.0
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews