Borden Chantry by Louis L'Amour

Besides the Sacketts, Louis L’Amour also wrote other family sagas with multiple books associated with them, most prominently, books featuring either the Chantry or Talon families.  In fact, all three families tie-in together through events, marriage, etc., making these books even more interesting.

Here, Borden Chantry has had some bad luck with ranching so has been working as town marshal to earn a little money to provide for his wife and son, Tom (who features in "North to the Rails"). Serving as marshal is not Borden’s heart’s desire but like most L’Amour heroes, he strives to do a good job and earn the money he is paid. So, when the body of a dead man is found shot to death, he is not content to merely chalk it up to a drunken brawl or a bad card game and simply have the man buried. He needs to find the killer. More murders occur and it becomes increasingly evident that Borden is also targeted.

The story turns into much more of a whodunnit detective novel than the typical L’Amour western novel although plenty of western action remains. When Borden eventually identifies the dead man, it turns out to be none other than Joe Sackett, younger brother of Orrin, Tell, and Tyrel. Later on, Tyrel makes a nice cameo appearance, developing a relationship with Borden. They would work together again in "Son of a Wanted Man". I love it when characters from other L’Amour books show up when I least expect it. Additionally, the character of Kim Baca is first introduced here.

All in all, I really enjoyed this one. The mystery elements are well handled as are the expected western gunfights. Borden is a likable character, a little less perfect and more like us than most of this author’s protagonists. Despite his skill with a gun, he doesn’t really think he’s cut out to be marshal, much less a detective, but he perseveres anyway.