Review: Die with the Outlaws - 5 star

One of the best known names in writings in the westerns by William Johnstone is Jensen.  In this case it is Matt who is the star of the book, Die with the Outlaws; he is a drifter who travels to various places where there is a need for someone to act and ends up helping folks live better lives, . The storyline of the book is not exactly the norm,  although there are parts that are found in almost every western novel.  There are certainly good guys and bad ones.  But here we have a person of color being introduced into the western story.  This was not at all unheard of to find a black man in the west but is a bit unusual in books of this genre and time.  This man is named Isaac and to add some intrigue, he was trained as a lawyer but basically prejudice prevents him from practicing.  He will play a pivotal role in setting things right.

The good guys in this story are ranchers in a valley in Sweetwater, Wyoming that is being harassed by two wealthy and influential men.  Their sole purpose seems to be to take over the entire valley and drive out, through any means the rest of the ranchers and farmers in the area.  This includes murder, even though they would not deign to get their hands dirty with that business.  Through a series of calamities that causes several of the valley inhabitants to leave, the one man and his wife are faced with some difficult decisions as their horses are being rustled.  The sheriff is not a bad man but is cowed by the two powerful men to the extent that he has deputized a gang of ruffians called the Regulators to enforce the peace. These are a bunch of ne’er-do-wells led by a disgraced former policeman from Missouri. 

A letter to a sister leads to a good friend who contacts Matt Jensen for help.  Jensen is a really fast gunman but one who uses his skill and speed for good, unlike some gunfighters of the day.  A series of incidents that are interspersed with in the normal day to day life lead some of the people to decide to pack up and leave and some are guilty and executed by the “legally questionable” Regulators.  This type of going on does not sit well with Matt and he inserts himself into the fray.  This does not earn him any good will from the wealthy ranchers or their hired-hands, the Regulators.  A couple of gunfights establish Jensen’s supremacy and this leads to fear on the wealthy ranchers part and causes them to hire a tough gunslinger nicknamed the Undertaker.  Obviously the story revolves around the upcoming gunfight between these two.

The power of the press comes into play as does former friendships.  The story builds to a climax that sees killings, erstwhile bad people converting, marriages, and in generally folks setting up to live happily ever after.  In this regard the book follows the traditional western genre – bad men, good men, conflict, setbacks for the good guys, evil is overcome, and good triumphs.  But even in triumph, there is loss and pain.

The book is a good read and a quick one.  The character development shows complexity and strength and weakness all rolled together in the storyline.  An enjoyable way to spend a couple of lazy afternoons on the sofa reading and enjoying what is developing.