A bit of a departure from many of Louis L'Amour's stories with the title character lying on the ground in some town after surviving a gunshot that skimmed his head causing amnesia. Soon in the story he figures he MAY be someone called Ruble Noon who is known as someone who should not be trifled with. Over time, the main character finds even though he can't consciously remember who he is, where he came from and other details of his life and mission, his muscle memory and instincts are with him. Through many incidents, the main character comes closer to discovering who he actually is and by his instincts, lightning quick reactions and cunning eludes many people who want to kill him. In fact he manages to turn the tables on them and even shows compassion when none was expected. My only trouble with the story is that close to the end there seems to be more written than necessary causing the story to slow down and drag out instead of the typical flow Louis L'Amour's stories normally have. It's a trouble but a very tiny trouble. Other than that, it's an engaging story with more twists and turns than the average L'Amour novel. ( )

Ruble Noon has no recollection of his past. Is he the hired killer his skill with a gun suggests? Who is trying to kill him, and why? Suspense builds as Noon encounters more clues to his identity, all the while staying a step or two ahead of those hunting him.

I like L'amour's westerns, and the amnesia element adds an interesting element of suspense to this one. ( )

"Someone was trying to kill me." The opening line of this story grabs attention right away - especially when the next sentences reveal that the narrator has no idea who is trying to kill him, where he is, or even who he is. I am always interested in the search for self - and L'Amour does a pretty fair job of leading his main character through the labrynth of clues to discover what kind of man he really is. ( )