I have read all of Louis L'Amour's books at least once, and some of them I have read several times. They have become, for me, a vacation. After weeks and months of reading things for work--or even pleasure--there's just nothing like settling in for a couple evenings of a Louis L'Amour story. The writing is so crisp, the storytelling so straightforward.So a few nights ago I was looking for something to read and the library was closed, so I went over to my Louis L'Amour shelf (all of them in hardback!) and started looking for a title I hadn't read in a while, I settled on "Showdown at Yellow Butte".Tom Kedrick, soldier for hire, had been brought in by a friend to help a respectable company clear out the squatters on their land. When Kedrick gets there (NE Arizona and NW New Mexico), he discovers that the "team" he is to lead against the squatters is made up of killers, cutthroats and general, all-around, nasty people. Kedrick begins to suspect he has been hired for a job he doesn't want to do. As he begins to learn who the nesters really are, he is convinced that they are in the right and the company is trying to a] drive out honest, hard-working people; and b] defraud their own government.While this novel contains many of the familiar L'Amour archetypes, it varies from form in that one of the cardinal virtues of a Louis L'Amour story is to "ride for the brand". Kedrick, however, is willing to go against that maxim in obedience to a higher calling on his conscience.
Good story. L'amour deserves the following he has. If I knew more about guns, some of this would make more sense to me. I just can't tell, from a description of the guns they carry, which fighter has the advantage. This was fun, and the next time I'm in the mood for some light reading, I may pick up another L'amour.I finally borrowed this book from a friend, since I couldn't find it in bookstores. I'm about halfway through. So far, so good. Never having read a western before, I was surprised to find that the plot reminds me of other authors I've read--a little romance, a little political intrigue, a little adventure, and a LOT more gunfighting than I'm used to.
