WESTERN NOVELS—GUNSIGHTS

WESTERN NOVELS

GUNSIGHTS 

ELMORE LEONARD

REVIEWED BY TIM DEFOREST 

In 1887, Dana Moon was an army scout and Bren Early was a calvary officer--both tasked to rescue a woman captured by Apaches. This mission violently plays out in a way that makes them famous--and also makes them a deadly enemy. In 1893, the two men find themselves on opposite sides in a range war between a mining company and homesteaders.

Reporters covering the events expect the two men to meet in battle. But Dana and Bren have no intention of killing one another. Violence ensues anyways, caused both by their mutual enemy and by a thuggish, dishonest deputy sheriff.

This is a fun novel. Not surprisingly for an Elmore Leonard novel, it's full of unique characters and sharp dialogue. The story is puncuated with violence while unexpected and (in one case) bizarre plot twists zigzag throughout. All this comes together to form a very entertaining Western.