Rabid Reader's Reviews

Publication Date: September 1, 2014

Rondo (first met in “Confessions of a Gunfighter—Landon Saga Book 1) is ready to settle down and commit to one town where he has hopes of putting down roots and raising a family. His dreams seem unattainable when a friend is killed and Rondo again faces the reality, brutality and violence of the Wild West.

The author, Tell Cotton, gave me a copy of this novel in exchange for my review.

When we meet Rondo in this fourth novel of the Landon Family Saga, he’s an old friend. We remember him from his early days in [easyazon_link asin=”1481806297″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Confessions Of A Gunfighter[/easyazon_link] and saw him from time to time in the intervening two books. He’s a grown up when we meet again. He has a solid value system and a way of doing things. He’s looking beyond the next day and seeing a future involving love and family and the sort of stability he’s never experienced. Peace is a happy dream and one sure not to last. His past haunts him. Rondo introduces himself to the reader as a killer. Cotton conveys Rondo’s genuine surprise when his sweetheart’s father expresses approval for him as though the world can see every thread and layer of his past and rejection is a given. Readers who have read the prior books will find Rondo’s shift from a person of questionable morals to a good-guy logic in that we’ve seen him, however briefly. He has grown as well as the West and the people that he encountered have shaped him.

The novel opens with the death of Jeremiah at the hands of the son of a man looking to acquire property at any cost. The father isn’t as happy to see the man dead as his son thinks he might be, but he’s not a man to look a gift horse in the mouth. When we shift to Rondo’s perspective, we know what he suspects. Writing in Rondo’s voice is a clever device on the part of the author as it invites the reader into emotion and insight we may not normally have into the stoic alpha males of the old West.

Cotten gives us character; he knows in a setting he knows and the story rolls like butter. There is humor, tragedy, danger, love and pain. As much as it’s the story of the old West, Cotten is giving us the continuing story of a human succeeding against incredible odds at a time of incredible temptation. [easyazon_link asin=”B00N4E5J0U” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Rondo (The Landon Saga Book 4)[/easyazon_link] is set in its place in history giving the reader a framework of the lawlessness of the West. When Rondo settles into the position of sheriff, citizens are tired of being run over and looking for heroes. Cotten is a master of writing the reluctant hero.

The introduction of Virgil Carson, a man bent on killing Rondo is delightfully bizarre. I really enjoyed the candor and unpredictability of this character and the confusion he caused. Bad guys are something of a strong point for Cotten in that they always have depth. There is not a Snidely Whiplash tying Nell to the train tracks. They are motivated by money or revenge, but there are always hidden depths and lines they won’t cross. Ike, the cattle baron, seems truly bothered by Jeremiah’s death and his potential gain of his property in that way. He would have preferred not to go to that extreme and finds his son lacking for having gone there.

The author has clearly taken a series that started very strong and polished his craft. Where [easyazon_link asin=”1481806297″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Confessions Of A Gunfighter[/easyazon_link] was a five star read, [easyazon_link asin=”B00N4E5J0U” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Rondo (The Landon Saga Book 4)[/easyazon_link] eclipses that novel. The story is action packed, well crafted and fast paced. Continuity and flow with the first novels were strong but [easyazon_link asin=”B00N4E5J0U” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Rondo (The Landon Saga Book 4)[/easyazon_link] can easily stand on its own. [easyazon_link asin=”B00N4E5J0U” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Rondo (The Landon Saga Book 4)[/easyazon_link] is a fresh voice in a traditionally awesome genre.

Standing alone, [easyazon_link asin=”B00N4E5J0U” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Rondo (The Landon Saga Book 4)[/easyazon_link]” is a very good read. Combined with the rest of the series, it’s an epic masterpiece. If you like Westerns, I will recommend Tell Cotten before just about any other author. Pick this series up today and don’t forget to let me know what you think.

Read an excerpt and buy Rondo (The Landon Saga Book 4) by Tell Cotten on:

Amazon U.S. • Amazon U.K. • Amazon Canada

Tell Cotten is a seventh generation Texas and raises cattle in West Texas. Cooper (The Landon Saga) (Volume 3) is his third novel and was reviewed on this site. Also, check out a review of his first novel, Confessions Of A Gunfighter that won a number of awards including the honor of  Best New Western in the Laramie Awards.

For more information about Tell Cotten and his work, visit his website. You can connect with him on Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter @TellCotten.