These last four entries for 2020's 'Western Queue' include some heavy-hitters: Mary Doria Russell's Epitaph, sequel to her Doc: A Novel (which I read earlier this year) was an excellent and historical treatment of the shoot-out at the O.K. Corral. She's written several other books, notably science fiction, and I plan on reading those, as well. Ron Hansen's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford has been made into a movie, and I'd like to watch it. Hansen, as usual, captures the atmosphere of the Wild West, making it relatable and picturesque while remaining gritty and down-to-earth. His dialogue is on point, as well. Louis L'Amour's Sackett's Land was, if I'm honest, a disappointment. While I used to really enjoy L'Amour, the discovery of western writers much his superior has been a dent in my enjoyment of his literature (he's been called the 'Harlequin Romancer' of the western genre). Craig Johnson's The Cold Dish, on the other hand, was phenomenal. I've wanted to start the Longmire series since the wife and I devoured it on Netflix years back. There's a slew of books in the series, and I've added a couple to next year's Western Gauntlet.
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