From the archive...
Author Eric Beetner continues the
excellent The Lawyer series published by Beat to a Pulp
with his entry Six Guns At Sundown. The Lawyer, who
used to go by the name of J. D. Miller, is on a quest to find those responsible
for the brutal murders of his entire family. He now delivers justice by way of
the gun and no longer relies on the courts to provide justice to those wronged.
He moves from place to place on his
mare, Redemption, as he follows the trail of those responsible. He is currently
pursuing a man known far and wide as “Big Jim Kimbrough.” The trail seems to be
leading him to the decrypt town of Sundown where every building seems to lean a
different way as if the entire town was created by drunks. At least he can find
a place for his horse and roof for the night. The Westward Railroad might be
coming there to build not only the rail line and their headquarters, but for now
the place is clearly in a bad way.
So is the man dragged in on a rope
behind a horse early the next morning. The Lawyer had planned to move on until
the unfolding spectacle put his plans on hold. According to a Mr. Buchanan who
dragged the unfortunate man by way of a rope tied to his horse he is to be
lynched. The black man’s crime was that was that he ate a piece of cherry pie
Buchanan’s wife made right out of the pan and using Buchanan’s own silverware.
Not that dragging the hogtied man on the ground behind the horse the entire way
from the ranch to town wasn’t enough Buchanan intends to hang him as fast as
possible.
The lawyer hates bullies and won’t
stand for them. He also believes in the rule of law and wants to know the full
details of the situation. Not only is what the man did not a hanging offense in
this period after the Civil War, Buchanan’s attitude seems to be illustrative
of a town attitude that needs to change. The hunt for Big Jim Kimbrough
will have to wait as the lawyer is going to prevent a hanging in Six
Guns At Sundown.
Picking up the mantle laid down by
Wayne D. Dundee in The Lawyer: Stay Of Execution followed by The Lawyer: The Retributioners author Eric Beetner has crafted
a very good western tale. The Lawyer: Six Guns At
Sundown is a western tale of mystery and racism that resonates
strongly with events of today. The read does not preach as the storyline moves
over a couple days period in the Old West. The result is another excellent tale
in the series and yet another very good read from Beat to a Pulp.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4dFNFxB
I picked this up by way of funds in my
Amazon Associate Account in late February 2016.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016, 2026
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