4 stars Clavin does it again! A twist on the usual “bandit” book with the wrap-up of an era. Extensively researched with all the trivia a Wild West fan could ask for. Highly recommend.
I always enjoy a Tom Clavin book and this one does not disappoint. All the details you can ever want to read about bandit hideouts in the old Wild West. Who was where and why and what was going on all at the same time is pulled into a compelling page-turner. You know how much I love to look things up and I would read and then say hey, I didn’t know that and down the Google rabbit hole I would go-I loved this book!
Let’s not forget all the trivia–so much trivia! The little nuggets and tidbits that are a Clavin trademark. Not just about the heavy-hitters like Cassidy and Sundance; the reader is treated to a LOT of them; but about the bit players along the way. The extra folks that were either part of the ‘bandit’ life and helped or the ones who tried to put a stop to it. We get lawmen, politicians, railroad executives, and pinkertons.
The parts with Charlie Siringo and Tom Horn were really good. Clavin also gives readers a good sprinkling of the Logan brothers–we all know who they are but how they fit into the overall banditry and connected to the gangs was something I for one didn’t realize. It was an interesting bit of history that gets skipped over in the bigger mainstream stories. Just as an aside, I was amazed that here in Kansas City, Missouri, I regularly drive past the site of a farmhouse where…well, I won’t spoil it for you, dear reader. Rest assured, the next time I stop for gas I will be taking a good long look around and remembering that something happened right over…there!! I love it when history comes alive like that.
4 stars for the book and the cover art is awesome-kudos to whoever designed it. I was given a copy of Bandit Heaven to read/share my thoughts but, as always with Tom Clavin, I would have gladly forked over my very own money and bought a copy. I highly urge you to put this at the top of your ‘OTTER’ read list.