Putnam writes a
straight-up traditional western, with good guys, villains, gunplay, and a
little romance. Instead of ranches and open range, it is set on the flanks of
the Sierras during the California gold rush. The story is told by its
16-year-old narrator, Tom Marsh, alone in the world after the death of his
father and brothers. Events in the novel, as they involve him, make it a
coming-of-age story.
The plot makes apt
use of the genre’s well-established conventions. A pretty girl, Lacey Lawson,
arrives in a mining camp ominously called Hangtown. She is looking for her
father, who has gone missing. Rivalry for her affections with a hard-drinking
miner gets Tom on the wrong side of the novel’s villain, known as K.O., the
“devil” of the title.
Tom narrowly misses
being shot dead in an ambush, and the danger for him mounts as he determines to
search for Lacey’s father. Right away there’s a mystery. Who is her father and
what is he doing in the gold fields? Is he investigating criminal activity or
is he a criminal himself? Is he dead or alive? And who is the mysterious K.O.?
Putnam takes us on a
ride on a fast horse through the ins and outs of the plot as it swiftly
unfolds. Against the wishes of older and more sensible men, Tom
attempts to pursue the villain single-handed and gets in way over his head. The
novel is a sequel to Putnam’s previous gold rush novel, Hangtown Creek.
Into the Face of
the Devil is currently
available in paperback and ebook formats at amazon.
Coming up: Political correctness
I definitely want to read more traditional westerns.
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