Paso Run

A writer of pulp Westerns chases a lead to El Paso, where he meets Henry Putnam, an elderly man who may be the last living person who knows what happened in a killing from long ago. Henry tells the story himself, recalling the events that led up to that death. The novel draws on the conventions of classic frontier fiction, with romance, bloodshed, armed pursuits and vengeance driving the plot. Henry's account mixes truth and falsehood, so the reader is left to wonder which parts can be trusted.

The book fills its pages with hard-living cowboys, dancehall women who are easily tempted by trouble, sudden gunfights and chases across rough country. Its setting is the Chihuahua Desert and the rugged border region around El Paso, where the wind sweeps over open ground.

Readers who enjoy action-packed Old West adventures will find plenty to follow here.