I’m in the middle of Arabian Nights right now, a long slow slog (though there are gems of wisdom scattered throughout). While trying to get Early ReTyrement seated at a local bookstore, I ended up picking up a couple of used novels, including this old 1988 western by Doyle Trent.

I’m not going to review Winchester Law as much as I’m going to review the lost passion of Western writing. I read through the yarn and found long periods where nothing happened. Bill Williams staked out his land. He bought wire. He strung it up. He worried about where the cattle he’d ranged here had wandered to. He looked for them and found them. Yes, during all this, there was the growing threat of land barons, hired guns, Comanche raiders, even rattlesnakes. But overall, the pace was slower than most books but in keeping with his contemporary writers. Lots of big skies, lots of routine, lots of time to think.

I really rather enjoyed it.

I was grinding through a software load this weekend, up at 3am on meetings or running the checkouts, lots of kick-back time, perfect for a novel of this caliber. And that’s the take-away of this – don’t allow yourself to get stuck with vampires or boy-wizards. Go to a used bookstore (in Orlando, “BookWorm” and “Maya Books” are two good ones) and browse the shelves for something new.

Even if you end up stringing wire under that hot plains sun, looking nervously over your shoulder for Comanche.