Wednesday 27 November 2013

The Afterlife of Slim McCord

By Jack Martin
Hale, November 2013

Blackman and Tanner have seen it all, but nothing has prepared them for what they find in the town of Possum Creek: the mummified remains of notorious outlaw Slim McCord, in a travelling carny show.

And Slim McCord, long after his death, is now involved in the most lucrative bank robbery of his outlaw career. The three men, thrown together again in the most unlikely way, must face this dangerous turn of events head on, as the bullets fly….

Having followed Jack Martin’s western writing career since the beginning I have to say this is his best book so far. The use of a mummified outlaw adding an unusual touch to this fast moving tale. Blackman and Tanner are well crafted heroes that will have you hoping they achieve their aims.

The use of the long dead outlaw adds thoughts of the supernatural to those who try to figure out how a bank can be robbed without any sign being left as to how it was done. All this adds to the legend of Slim McCord.

Alongside the bank robbery storyline, Jack Martin also includes some flashbacks that show how McCord meet Blackman and Tanner, this also leads to an explanation as to how they became wanted men.

Jack Martin also had me grinning when a reporter and dime novelist is discovered walking towards town. His name Gary Dobbs, which is Jack Martin’s real name. The fictional Dobbs will also have a small part to play in building the legend of McCord.

If you’ve never tried one of Jack Martin’s books then this could be the perfect place to begin.

The Afterlife of Slim McCord is officially released on November 29th, but is already available from the usual Internet booksellers.

3 comments:

Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin said...

I'm so pleased you liked this book because I was worried about the offbeat nature of the story. Would it work with fans of the traditional western? Still if a western guru like yourself enjoyed it then I must have done something good. Thank you for your kind words...they mean a lot.

Jo Walpole said...

Nice to see Gary's still going strong and getting better and better. :-)

Nik Morton said...

Good to see this release, Gary, and an excellent review. Maybe Mr Dobbs could be McCord's 'ghost writer'...? Best of luck with this title!