What a joy this book is to read! Yes, the plot is pure formula, although Whittington does go to the trouble of blending two standard plots into one. What makes it so entertaining is the rapid-fire, stripped-down prose and the noir-ish tone of the book. Whittington puts his characters through both emotional torment and physical torture. Clane doesn't heal overnight from his wound but is bothered by it throughout the entire book. Nor is he immune from the psychological effects of not only the violence he endures but also that he's forced to dish out. Like an earlier version of Ed Gorman, Whittington's Westerns are often crime stories populated by more realistic, fallible characters than are sometimes found in Westerns. SHADOW AT NOON is probably too formulaic to be considered one of Whittington's best books, but I had a wonderful time reading it anyway.
6 comments:
I really liked this one, too! I wrote about it as well a couple years ago on my blog. Completely agree about Whittington's economic style and the noir tone.
I like this one a lot, but then I'm a sucker for Whittington's style and plotting expertise.
It's always fun to read a Harry Whittington novel. The man knew how to write a compelling story with interesting characters.
As described, it does have the feel, in every way, of a GUNSMOKE radio episode...and that's a compliment. Whittington sure liked variations on his own name, didn't he?
if the formula works, it works.
An earlier version of Ed Gorman. High praise indeed.
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