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With exhaustive research, Boutin gives the definitive life of Cut Nose, who took part in the Dakota Uprising of 1862 in Minnesota. Boutin shows him as a great leader in a war that could not be won. Cut Nose was one of the 38 Indians hanged in Mankato, Minnesota, after the uprising. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Worth a read- only because it's a short one.
This book does have some interesting information on Dakota life in general. But it's quite biased.For starters, according to the author (who deserves credit for his honesty) reads historical accounts "between the lines"... And this "book describes many events which have never been previously described anywhere. These events are merely the authors interpolations..." The authors interpolations is far from even handed -insteaddownplaying the Indian role and denigrating the whites role in what the author believes counteracts the bigots of the past.

Examples are astounding, even to the extent that all data on Cut Nose himself is not in this book, but great new information is. The young Cut Nose, as the author describes him "sneaking off with every girl in the village at one time or another" (sexually- and oh how the girls all loved him!) and yet four paragraphs later talks about how he would run off with women sexually "even if they were old enough to be his grandmother". Common sense about a young man doesn't jive here- if a young male can have virtually any woman he wants in an entire village, he isn't going to choose grandma!

There is no mention of Cut Nose's boasts of how many whites he killed- The authors even downplays Cut Nose's actions taking pains to explain that when Cut Nose killed women and at least a dozen children- he wanted it to be quick and merciful, and how he protected their bodies from being mutilated by other Indians after their death (to protect them in the afterlife)- being such a noble man that Cut Nose was in his murders.

To the authors credit, he does give accounts of Cut Nose being a known drunk who blames white people for his drunkenness and obviously taking advantage of him. Even though the main events was after he gave up alcohol altogether...apparently this helps to justify murders of unarmed families, and allowing a woman the horror of being gang raped (repeatedly), or as this book downplays the hideous act- "they indulged themselves sexually". But wait a few pages and you can read how horribly Cut Nose was to hang slowly to death. To which "there was no justice in" it.

At the end white accounts of murderous acts are "replete with exaggerations" but the author fails to show proof of any such thing- especially in Cut Nose's case in particular. Nor does he take on those accounts in any way other than in the beginning of the book by pointing out people were pissed about all the murders, and blamed all Indians for them. No mention that some chiefs such as Wabasha and Wacouta for example would say "only cowards shoot women and children" and that scalps brought back to them would be thrown into the fire, rather than honor the Indian who killed the children. But those two chiefs were not the crowd Cut Nose ran with...In the end the author simply has difficulty confronting the fact that monsters come in human form, and that doctors used Cut Nose's body for medical research.

On the positive side, the book is an OK general read of the 1862 war in which after broken treaties, loss of annuities and some Indians becoming farmers (which made other Indians mad at the loss of their culture partly by those traitorous farmer Indians) etc, so then *some* Indians tried to remove or kill all whites from southern Minnesota, but almost all *other* Indians took the rap for those actions. There is also a concise list of the 38 hanged in Mankato and their trials.

As to why people continue to make excuses for and "honor" such figures as Cut Nose is explained in "Memorial Controversies", by pointing out white people "honor" bad white guys too. Good to know tit for tat helps to justify poor behavior by all in this racially charged book.

Cut Nose
This book brings together information on this man which is scattered in many places. Granted there is not much to find, but at least it is all in one publication.
For those who are interested this book gives all the details that I have not seen elsewhere about the day to day activities dealing with the building of the scaffold to hang the thirty-eight Dakota, and events shortly after.

If you must read it, borrow don't buy it.
If you must read this book, borrow it don't buy it.In my opinion, it is not very well written.The author manages to make it last for 130 pages by being repetitive to the extreme.It perpetutates the myth of the noble red man and the horrible white man to the extreme.This might be tolerable if the book was better written.There are other books about this period of Minnesota history that do a much better job of treating it with tolerance and understanding.I personally recommend "Over The Earth I Come: The Great Sioux Uprising Of 1862" by Duane Schultz.

A fascinating close study of history and a recommended addition to Native American biography shelves.
Written by Loren Dean Boutin, Cut Nose: Who Stands on a Cloud is the true story Cut Nose, a Dakotah Native American who was a primary instigator and leader in a merciless uprising against white settlers that massacred hundreds of men, women, children, and the elderly. This uprising was eventually crushed with brutal retaliation, and in retribution the native population as a whole was forcibly relocated, with numerous casualties. Cut Nose and thirty-seven others were hanged, and buried at an unknown grave site that was subsequently desecrated and robbed. Thoroughly documented, Cut Nose: Who Stands on a Cloud recounts the desperate times and broken treaty promises that helped spark the rebellion; Cut Nose's youth, marked by promiscuity and a burning desire to become a great hunter; and his adult attitude that only complete extermination of white settlers was acceptable; and the terrible uprising as well as its outcome, including the decree to hang thirty-eight alleged prisoners signed by President Abraham Lincoln. A fascinating close study of history and a recommended addition to Native American biography shelves. ... Read more

Product Description
The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow. As anyone born in the Glamour Isles will tell you, what you see in the mists is not always what is really there. Whether on land or sea, there is a power more ancient than the Syrneth, a force that comes from the earth itself and can take a myriad of forms from bone-chilling horror to heart-stopping beauty. When you open this book, you will come face to face with the world of the Sidhe - not as the distant and aloof creatures you may have encountered in your previous travels, but as they truly are - a complex race of beings driven to experience Théah in every way possible. As you will see, the Kingdom of Bryn Bresail holds many surprises, not all of them pleasant . . . The history of the Sidhe and their relations with Théah. Details about the mysterious Sidhe kingdom of Bryn Bresail. New Sidhe swordsman schools, new NPCs and character templates, and a variety of new creatures (some old friends and some new enemies). Information on creating Sidhe characters and ideas for running campaigns. Fully compatible with both the d20 system and the classic 7th Sea system! To use this companion, a Game Master also needs a copy of Swashbuckling Adventures, and a Dungeons & Dragons Core Book. A player needs only Swashbuckling Adventures and a Dungeons & Dragons Core Book. ... Read more

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Chapters: Mark Hoppus, James Shaffer, George Swain, Sam Andrew, Larry S. Pierce, Dean Florez, Loren Cunningham, Ryan Shuck, 10HrsattheMachine, Dean Hartgraves, Jim Napier, Fran Florez, Tracy Rogers, Lacy Barnes-Mileham, Jay Carty,. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 61. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Mark Allan Hoppus (born March 15, 1972) is an American musician and record producer. Hoppus is one of the founding members and bass guitarist of the pop punk band Blink-182 and the alternative rock band +44. He plays bass guitar and provides vocals for both bands. As of late, Hoppus has produced albums for groups like Idiot Pilot, New Found Glory, The Matches, and Motion City Soundtrack. Hoppus will soon host his own weekly television series, A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus, beginning September 2010 on Fuse. Mark Hoppus was born in Ridgecrest, California on March 15, 1972. At the age of 15, Hoppus received his first bass guitar as a gift from his father Anthony R. and earned money for a set of amplifiers by helping him paint his garage. Hoppus never took bass lessons, instead he taught himself by playing to bands such as the Descendents, The Cure, and Bad Religion. Hoppus played by himself and sang in the band Pier 69, primarily covering songs by The Cure. He also played in a band called The Attic Children in 1988, during this time he lived in Washington D.C. In late 1988 Mark quit The Attic Children and formed the group War Torn Fields forever. Hoppus married his girlfriend, Skye Everly, on December 2, 2000. Hoppus met Everly at a rehearsal for the music video to the Blink-182 single "All the Small Things". According to a 2004 interview, Everly, who was then an MTV talent executive, initially said no to dating Hoppus: "Tom always used to embarrass me. Any girl he'd talk to, he'd say, 'Hey...http://booksllc.net/?id=183387 ... Read more

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Three full-size adventures bring the excitement of Fantasy Craft to your gaming table: protect the crossroads of Fels Cut from a new undead menace in The Darkest Hour; put to rest ancient horrors in the Cleansing of Black Spur; and face the ultimate dungeon challenge in The Vault. Sliding DCs and adversaries scale to challenge any level, allowing you to run all three adventures for new or veteran parties of any composition. ... Read more

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Rock n Roll comics issue #11. Aerosmith: Rock This Way!. May 1990. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Epoca, published by Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA) on September 24, 2000. The length of the article is 706 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: "Space cowboys".(TT: Space Cowboys.)(Reseña)
Author: Pedro Crespo
Publication: Epoca (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 24, 2000
Publisher: Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA)
Page: 70

Article Type: Reseña

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Siempre!, published by Edicional Siempre on September 3, 1998. The length of the article is 1118 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: El fin de la violencia.(TT: The End of Violence)
Author: Tomás Pérez Turrent
Publication: Siempre! (Refereed)
Date: September 3, 1998
Publisher: Edicional Siempre
Volume: v45Issue: n2359Page: p70(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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Working undercover in order to stop a consumer advocacy agency from putting Detroit auto companies out of business, ex-cop and car lover Rick Amery becomes involved in the conflagration of a black gang war. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Well done blend of history, mystery, and fiction
A Novel of Detroit.This one covers 1966, at the intersection where the children of Civil Rights and the children of Prohibition became the new drug runners, numbers runners, and heros of the streets.

Well done blend of history, mystery, and fiction, weaving in past and future characters of other Estleman Detroit books.He keeps the action moving with minimal description.

This book would make a good movie.

I like Estleman's Detroit novels, but as a group they are not up to par with the Amos Walker novels.Amos Walker is just such a great character, and Estleman is so comfortable with him that he has pared to writing down to minimalist perfection.The Detroit novels take a little more descriptive narrative, not Estleman's strongest suit. ... Read more

Product Description

"If I see my name in tomorrow's paper yours will be in the next edition.Bordered in black."

Marla Bernstein is a pretty, dark-haired teenager? who also happens to be the ward of Ben Morningstar-a semi-retired mobster who prefers to keep family business out of the newspapers.When Marla suddenly disappears, the gang boss is forced to call in private eve Amos Walker, who quickly learns his new employer doesn't take "no" for an answer when he offers a job opportunity.

Unfortunately, the only clue to Marla's whereabouts is a pornographic photograph that clearly proves that she's become part of a world that disgusts even her criminal guardian. .

The photo, in turn leads Walker into the seedy world of Detroit's porn shops and blue movies, where Marla's trail becomes even murkier?.and increasingly more dangerous to follow. .

As first cases go, Walker could have certainly asked for one less challenging?...

You can share your thoughts about Loren D. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

motor city blue
I am a loren estleman fan- The story is centered on Private Investigator Amos Walker. It takes place in a period of 24 hours. He begins the story acros from asubject's apartment building doing surveillence for an insurance company in which the subject has placed a disabilty claim.While doing his assignment he sees his former military service superior being forced into a car by goons. He reports it to the Police who later learn and tell him that the event he saw was a miltary service matter which he should stay out of.Upon returning to his office,a representative of the head of organized crime in Detroit was waiting for him and forced another investigative assignment on him.Amos walker's life becomes a roller coater ride from then on.It is a very good story and has a realistic quality to it.a good story that keeps you wanting more.

Pay the man
If you're looking for another more-than-capable writer and a more-than-compelling protagonist, here you go.

This is the beginning of a good series.Above all other things, this is a fun book.

The afterward explains a lot!
If MOTOR CITY BLUE sounds like an old movie, there's a good reason. Author Loren D. Estleman explains in an afterward that as a kid he was a fan of film noir.When he set out to make a living as an author, he wanted to imitate the writers whose books were made into movies: Dashiel Hammet, Raymond Chandler, Micey Spillane et. al. He picked the 1975 Chandler vehicle FAREWELL, MY LOVELY as an inspiration for MOTOR CITY BLUE.

Estleman's hero, Amos Walker, could pass for Phillip Marlowe or Travis McGee. He's a big lug who wears a snap-brim fedora, smokes too much, keeps a bottle of whiskey in his office drawer, and drives a Cutlass with a Cadillac engine. Like McGee, he gets beats beat up a lot; at one point two thugs pistol whip him. He also has a police connection on the force, detective John Alderdyce, the only true black man he's ever known.

The plot isn't much. Walker is hired to find the ward of ancient mafioso, Ben Morningstar. Estleman tries very hard to bend the stereotypes concerning organized crime, but in the end he choses an ex-hockey player as a bodyguard for Morningstar who looks more like a thug than a conventional hood.

There are too many characters in MOTOR CITY BLUE, more characters than in a Russian novel, Estleman says in his afterward. You would think you'd be able to remember the main ones at the end of the novel. I consistently found myself paging back a few pages to try to figure out who some of these people were.

Like Elmore Leonard, Estleman chose Detroit as a setting. I recognized a lot of place names like Grosse Point and Rouge Road, but that didn't help bring Detroit to life for me; the setting might as well have been Battle Creek for all the difference it makes in the plot.

Estleman spends so much time trying to sound like Chander that it interferes with the flow of the novel. But, remarkably, he succeeds. Listen to this: "The air was as bitter as a stiffed hooker and smelled of auto exhaust." And this, "Together they led him to the car like a whipped spaniel."

MOTOR CITY BLUE was published in 1980. For once I thought I'd try an author at the beginning of his career.Estleman has a new one out entitled, NICOTINE KISS, that I plan to read. I look forward to comparing the two.

motor city blue by loren d. estleman
this story is well writen,You get more than your money's worth Amos Walker private Eye is the main character in this novel,, He is in the rythm of investigating a client from the front of an apartment building when he sees his old seargent from army days accosted by two Secret service men who warn him to butt out when he attemps to inquire,he is still curious so talks with a newsbuddy of his Barry Stackpole.Later he talks with his Police buddy who hates to see him coming and explains what he saw.In the same day he is grabbed by goons from the head of the detroit underworld Old Ben Morningstar who happens to be jewish and to be retired,he is about 80 years old.Ben Morningstar forced another assignment on him,he is to search through the Detroit Porno industry and find Old Ben's niece.In the course of his search he is beatten up and almost killed in his search.At appropriate times Amos Walker gives the history of detroit as well as his cynical view of humanity,he confronts Old Ben at the appropriate time with his findings,A number of people end up dead before he is able to reach thembut he finds the girl who does not want to be found.

Excellent P.I. Series Debut
Loren D. Estleman has talent to burn and it shows in his first novel featuring private detective Amos Walker (originally published in 1980).Like any good P.I., Walker doesn't work the streets of his native Detroit, he INHABITS them.Also like any good P.I., Walker drinks a little too much despite his cynicism, cares a little too much and his personal life leaves a lot to be desired.The plot is more complex than is the norm with such stories, and perhaps it pushes credibility a bit towards the end.Nevertheless, Estleman has both talent and style to burn.He is among the best at using metaphors to describe the action.

Fans of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee, Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder, George Pellaconos's Nick Stefanos and Johnathan Valin's Harry Stoner will love Amos Walker. ... Read more

Product Description

'I'm going to disappear, Mr. Walker.Very suddenly and very soon.' .

Ann Maringer is a go-go dancer with a problem: her life is in danger, and she is certain that her end is coming soon.Her only hope is Amos Walker-a hot-tempered, Detroit based private eye with a caustic wit and a talent for getting into trouble.A guy who 'sticks like nuclear fallout,' according to a former client. .

When Ann disappears, Walker is hot on her trail.But this is no ordinary case, as the private eye soon learns-not when a union boss, a corrupt judge, a vengeful son, and a concerned mistress are just some of the players involved. .

And not when all of them want him dead?...

You can share your thoughts about Loren D. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Good Plot, Excellent Characterization...
I listened to the unabridged audio version of this novel, and I really enjoyed it: with two caveats: the narrator read the novel WAY too fast, so that sometimes I felt myself wanting to ask him to SLOW DOWN. The second problem I had with this novel, was the recording. Either I received a flawed version, or there was something wrong with the print run. When it said to reverse to the other side, and adjust the balance control, sometimes, the side which I reversed to would be incorrect. (This appeared to be only on one tape, and the others functioned perfectly, so I was STILL able to enjoy the book, it just was a mite confusing to figure out which side I needed to be on).

Onto the plot: This is a typical Amos Walker novel. Amos is a tough-talking, one-liner spewing Private Investigator living in Detroit. He is hired by a blue-eyed stripper to investigate her own disappearance (?). Yes that's right.What follows is a series of events involving a pair of evil policemen, a Union Boss, and a corrupt ex-judge. In typical Amos form, Amos bulldogs his way through the mystery with some unexpected results.

A great addition to your Amos Walker collection... Boy I wish I could have as much imagination as Loren D. The one-liners alone make this story!

Plodding private eye yarn
This is the second volume in the Amos Walker series and begins exceptionall well,when Walker is engaged by an exotic dancer in a seedy Detroit club to investigate a missing person-herself.She is in fear of her life and hires Walker,paying him with an expensive diamond ring.He gets involved in an altercation when someone tries to take it away from him and who turns up dead in the now missing dancers apartment.Walker is soon up to the neck in bodies,union politics and missing judges,coorupt investigators and policemen who hate his guts.There is abreak from city sordidness with a trip to bucolic Huron but even here death and the curse of gentrification and urbanization looms large.

The problem is the plot revelations that are handled clumsily and in an almost parodic way and that undercut fine writing and sharp characterization Estlemnan got way better at this later in his career and I would urge those eager to discover Walker to enter at a later point in the series

Its not his best by a long chalk.

Disappointing early entry from a strong writer
A number of the later books in Estleman's Amos Walker series are really great, but the second volume in the series is a disappointment.The characters and plot are hard to keep straight, the hardboiled narration is so exaggerated and incessant that it comes off almost as parodic (clearly not the author's intent), and I found myself having to force my way through the second half of the book even though it's only 240 pages long.On top of everything else, the iBooks edition is full of embarrassing typos -- did no one proofread it?

Buy THE WITCHFINDER if you want a good Walker novel.This one is a dud.

The "Eyes" Have it
The second entry into the Amos Walker private detective series is not quite as strong as the debut, "Motor City Blue."Still, there is plenty of good stuff for fans of the genre.Walker is a wise cracking tough guy and Estleman writes with the immediacy and poetry of masters such as Raymond Chandler and John D. MacDonald.Walker is a much a part of his native Detroit as the Tigers.This entry in the series takes Walker on a sidetrip to a sleepy bedroom community that adds more fun to the storyline. Overall, Walker is one of the best hardboiled P.I.s around.

A word about the i-books publications that are reprinting Estleman's Walker novels.These are fine quality paperbacks, each of which features bonus material, in this case a short essay by Estleman about the novel and how he came up with his ideas.It is like the cherry on a fine dessert.

Good Harboiled Private Detective Story
"Angel Eyes" is the second novel in the excellent Amos Walker private detective series.Though it doesn't hit with quite as much impact as the series debut, "Motor City Blues," it still packs a hefty wallop.Once again, Walker finds himself at odds with the police and mixed up with rough company as he tries to find a stripper who hired him to find her BEFORE she disappeared.Once again, the bad streets of Detroit are the setting for the story, though Estleman takes Walker on an effective side trip to a sleepy bedroom community.Walker is just what a great P.I. ought to be; a lonely, cynical, alcoholic who nevertheless cares a bit too much.

Walker is one of the best hardboiled P.I.'s working the genre.Fans of Travis McGee, Matthew Scudder, Harry Stoner and Phillip Marlowe should get themselves acquainted. ... Read more

Product Description
Peter Macklin, contract killer--retired--has found himself the perfect woman. He's convinced young, beautiful, innocent Laurie that he is simply a salesman from Detroit, and they're passionately honeymooning in Los Angeles. . . . until the phone call. Peter tells Laurie he has to go to Sacramento to take care of business, and he'll be back in a day. After a day passes, though, a man called Abilene shows up with a note from Peter saying Abilene will take care of her until his return.

Macklin's retirement seems to have been premature, and Laurie's innocence is about to end . . .
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

One of the best thrillers ever. Couldn't put it down.
I loved this book it was just perfect. I went and searched out all the "Peter Macklin" books even buying a ,"Kill Zone (Peter Macklin, The Nine-to-Five Killer, Book 1" for $10 for a torn up paperback, worth every penny.

I am not a heavy reader but I love a book that you can not put down. You read with a flashlight so your wife will not tell you to go to sleep. All of the Peter Macklin novels are like this. As good as "Black Sunday" by Thomas Harris (The Silence of the Lambs etc. )or Stephen Kings at his best.

I just wish he would write more of them. "Little Black dress" is a Macklin novel which is easy to find.

Loren D. Estleman is one of the most under appreciated writers of our times.

It Isn't Bad, It Isn't Good
I picked up this wispy-thin hardcover out of the bargain bin at Books-A-Million just because the title sounded unbelievably cheesy.I had no expectations from it.The story started out dumb, then got interesting, then ended up dumb again.In a nutshell:A retired mafia hit man from Detroit marries a sexy young woman.On their honeymoon in LA he is spotted by an old mob boss who forces him back into the business for one more job:Kill a bookie in San Antonio.To insure that the hit man does the job, the mobster sends one of his own pet psychopaths to keep an eye on the pretty young wife.The story jumps between California and Texas from one chapter to the next.Also, something about the hit is not quite right; it could be a setup ... but if you want to find out more, read the book.It won't take you very long to finish.

Only two things stood out for me:Number one, lots of Texas-bashing, which I approve of.Having lived in Texas for about 6 years, I know what kind of lousy place it is.Number two, lots of unnecessary Midwestern vulgarity.Having never read anything by Loren Estelman, or even heard of him, I could tell right away that he was from one of the Great Lakes states.There's a certain reflexive crudity, a gleefully indiscriminate use of degrading slurs and profanity that Midwesterners seem to find endearing, but makes people from other parts of the country think they are either crazy or mildly retarded.Its presence throughout this book was a major turn-off for me.

To sum up, this book is worth reading if you can find it for cheap.It's the kind of thing to read at an airport or train station while waiting for something else to happen.Disposable entertainment, not fine literature.It has a purpose, which it fills adequately, but it's not a "keeper."

Too formulaic--try other Estlemans first
Not very good thriller about a retired hit man, newly married, who gets drawn back into the business for one last hit to save his life and his marriage.

Too slim, too formulaic, unlikable characters, very different from most of the other Estleman's I've read.

Go with these instead

A Smile on the Face of the Tiger (The Amos Walker Series #15)
Thunder City (Detroit Crime Series #7)
King of the Corner (Detroit Crime Series #3)

which I rated 5 stars.

something borrowed something black by loren d. estleman
this story revives the character Peter Macklin-detroit hitman.Pete Macklin now lives in Los Angeles California and has married a young lady in her twenties,he is now 44 years old.He has given up the world of organized crime and is attempting to lead a clean Married life. Charles Maggiore former acting head of Detroit's Mafia has been released from prison and warned to stay out of detroit but he has scoped out a new potential base of operation in San Antonio Texas which has a weak mafia.He has tracked Pete Macklin to California and knows of his marriage,and laid out an elaborate plan to use Macklin in helping him set up his texas base.He invites Macklin to a meal and at the same time has his wife held hostage and forces Macklin who hates his guts to Asassinate two key San Antonio racketeers setting the stage for a hostile takeover in San Antonio.Macklin's wife begins to question who he is due to the fact that he was private about his past,the kidnapper attempts to rape her,she escapes and attempts to find him.Pete Macklin tried to kill Maggiore by shooting him in his chest in [anyman,s death] but could not kill him because his heart was in the hump on his shoulder,Maggiore tried to kill him at the same time but only wounded him[this was in detroit] Charles Maggiore had turned Macklin's son into a hitman in the three prior books to kill Macklin's spirit.Charles Maggiore kept up to date about Macklin's targets in texas and was ready to move in when Macklin is finally able to cut his ambitions short with a knife across his throat.Pete macklin's wife was able to kill her kidnapper and Pete finds her safe at an agreed rendesvous.

Hopefully, It Won't Be Another 10 Years Before The Next One!
This book chronicles the welcome and overdue return of Estleman's character Peter Macklin, here a retired hitman for the Detroit mob.A newlywed on his honeymoon, Macklin is spotted by an associate of Carlo Maggiore, "Carl Major", an old acquaintance and onetime target, who presses him into doing one more job.Macklin's young bride is monitored by Abilene, a pseudo-cowboy associate of Maggiore's and during the course of his duties, he lets slip who Macklin is and also shows off his own psycho tendencies, leading Laurie Macklin to attempt to slip his clutches.

The book switches back and forth from San Antonio, the site of Macklin's hit, to Los Angeles, and is very effective in building suspense, and supplying the viewpoints of several characters, including a detective transplanted to Texas from the Midwest and concerned about becoming too much of a Texan.

Macklin is a hard, tough character who previously appeared in Estleman's _Kill Zone_, _Any Man's Death_, and _Roses Are Dead_.He's reminiscent of Richard Stark's tough guy, Parker, though Parker is a thief who only kills when he has to, while Macklin is a killer, first and foremost.Hopefully, we won't have to wait another 10 years or more for the next Macklin book. ... Read more

Product Description
Ordinary people do not understand Oscar Stone. Everything he does, he does impeccably. He is a profound student of his art, completely versed in its traditions over the centuries. He is a student of ropes and their properties, a master of the latest scientific knowledge about the human neck, a careful calculator of weights and drops, and an exacting observer of results.

For more than a quarter of a century he has worked to create a reputation as a man peerless in his craft: the master executioner.

Yet he is utterly alone: His devotion to his work costs him his marriage. Suddenly, one day, a piece of his past catches him unawares, and Oscar comes to a moment of devastating truth and for the first time knows himself.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Western, but not historical!
I have read most of Estleman's fiction but this appears to be the first "Historical" western novel.I haven't finished it yet, but just wish to comment on the publication of novels as "historical" when they usually aren't.
Very few Western authors actually include much that is historical.Oh, they may include some vague reference to a landscape, type of horse (as a barb!), or similar things which add nothing to the story or plot.
My annoyance with "historical" in this book began on Page 6, were the hangman "...hoped to spot a frontier legend tying into a chicken-fried steak."
Chicken-fried steak in 1897?In Idaho?Give me a break!This type of "fake" historcal comment doesn't bother me as long as the publisher doesn't label the work as historical.I never saw a Louis L'Amour western labeled historical, but they were beyond any doubt.
I enjoy reading for escapism from the "real" world, so I would prefer to see fiction labeled as such.If I want authentic history, I'll buy a history book.
Norm

Disturbing But Well-Composed Novel About A Hangman, His Work, His Life, His Times, His Fondness For Knots
This is an unusual novel written by a someone who possesses true expertise in the craft of storytelling. Oscar Stone, the "master executioner" of the title, is an enigmatic man. He opposes capital punishment, and yet has hanged all manner of men and women over the course of his long career. Stone, a somewhat aesthetic figure who eschews the consumption of meat or strong drink, undertakes these acts of societally-sanctioned homicide on the basis of conscience, stating to those who make the inquiry that he does not subscribe to the law of an eye for an eye, but if executions are to take place, he is there to see the condemned die a quick death. Stone's life has frequently been an unhappy one. Unlucky at love, often blatantly shunned for the nature of his profession, this intelligent man lives alone, spends most of his time traveling from one place of execution to another, and as soon becomes obvious, has no real friends or close family. His is an almost monastic existence, monochromatically bleak even as the author takes time to present color and happiness being nearby him, once or twice even within his grasp. The presentation by Estleman of Stone as this sort of person is what raises to fascination what could have become a rote tabloid-esque account of crime and punishment in the old west: something The Master Executioner definitely is not. Yes, there are tales of sanguine misdeeds, some domestic, others carried out for profit by criminals as dark and brutal as could be imagined, but this novel is at its heart a character study, and a good one at that.

A Great Read
I really liked this book.It was well-written and very informative.I had no idea that there was so much science involved in hanging.After you read the book, you understand how it was that Saddam was decapitated during his hanging. He would have been better served had the protagonist of the novel been there.

A Master Writer
No one writes a better western than Loren D. Estleman. In The Master Executioner, Estleman tells the story of a hangman in the middle of the 19th century. As is always the case with this author, the reader is treated to incredible dialogue and characters that are immediately drawn with a few expert lines and details. I will not give away the ending, suffice to say this is a terribly sad novel about a complex and very unique man. Estleman is too fine a writer to pull at your heartstrings in a clichéd or obvious way. The man character, Executioner Oscar Stone, is not the sort of character that would easily win a reader's sympathy. He is, first and foremost, a hangman. He is also a hard, cold individual never at ease among his fellow humans. Yet, in Estleman's expert hands, this character lives and breaths and, finally, effects the reader very deeply.

Estleman is also the master of the authentic western. This book contains rich, detailed portraits of western towns, both large and small, from this time period. He is always accurate in the details, and I always feel Estleman gives me the most accurate portrait of how things really must have been in the West, more so than any other author. For the best taste of this, one should read Bloody Season by this author for the best account of the Shootout at the OK Corral.

Fascinating characters and great, original writing. Buy this book. You will not regret it.

Hell's Bells!
What I really want to know is why, how, why do they turn to the left a half turn? They are just hanging from a rope. How does the rope know?

Tom Horn had a perfect hanging in Steve McQueen's movie. "... he joined the others in that graceful half turn to the left."
"The rope caught with a quivering twang, a gentle bass note heard only by Stone...The rope creaked, rotating a half turn to the left."

"The rope creaked and the body turned halfway around to the left, a pendulum drifting to a halt."

"The platform twitched...then it swayed in accompaniment with the creaking of the rope as the body completed its semi revolution to the left."

The "Tombstone Epitaph," writer was surprised by the ending of the "Master Executioner." Nevertheless, the ending was foretold about a hundred pages in when Rudd revealed, "Hell's Bells, you could fill a book with them.. ... Read more