Another absolutely brutal Western from a master of the form. This novel follows the members of The Tall Boxer Gang years after having disbanded.

Three of the gang, Oswell and Godfrey Danford, and Dicky Sterling must travel to attend the wedding of the fourth man, James Lingham, not for celebratory purposes but because they have been summoned by an old, betrayed associate who has his revenge well planned.

The book is a slow burn to begin with. Zahler takes his time in letting us get to know the characters as they travel to, and prepare for, the upcoming nuptials. They are well rounded characters and likable. The gang member's pasts have been well buried and they just want to get on with their lives. This, however, is not to be.

The tension mounts quickly as the three reach the Montana Territory and meet up with the groom who apprises them fully of the threats they are facing. As we move with them through the days leading up to the wedding, the looming danger reaches a fever pitch.

And then The Wedding Day comes and from there the book fucking ( )

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review!

I'm not a fan of westerns, but this was an outstanding book! Well-written, well-plotted, and shocking in its execution. There are some surprising plot twists, too. This is not a feel-good book by any means, but it's probably closer to what the Old West was like in reality rather than some other, more popular books/movies/TV shows. ( )

I guess I break with the pack on this one but I disliked this book from start to finish! And I like westerns.

To me this was more of a modern take on the western but it goes too far into the bleak story and incredible acts of senseless violence. In fact I would say that there wasn't much plot for a story's sake, more of a plot to get to one gory act of violence to the next.

I don't have a problem with stories that have no heroes. This one managed to have only two semi likeable characters. I will also give it that the premise was interesting on the surface and the first few chapters started off strong. Good writing, good plotting, and it was interesting.

But there was a bait and switch. Suddenly it became an action book full of violence. Each act without much point other than to shock or disgust. I would say it also had a touch of the horror/sci-fi genre in it also. In the end it all made the story seem pointless.

I had to really struggle to finish this, and when I did I felt that it had been a total waste of my time. I am giving it half a star for the opening chapters. ( )

I received this ebook free from the publisher through LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. This is a dark and brutal western with some real bad dudes out for revenge. They are bitter and sadistic. The other guys were part of a gang that did some bad things and hurt people in the past and have mended their ways though they never were apprehended and made to pay for the wrongs they committed. Both groups have crossed paths in the past with a bad outcome. This is an exceptionally written dark western with an amazing plot that held my interest right up until the very end. The author does an excellent job of character development. This story will stick with you long afterward. This is the book for you if you like reading about the brutal and lawless West. ( )

Great read, builds to a believable if horrible conclusion. Wonderfully paced, not boring. Part western and part horror story I found it unique, as I'm sure you will too. Thanks to the author and publisher for the chance to read and review. ( )