Western Annotation

Butler's Wager by Robert J. Randisi

Series: The Gamblers
Genre: Western
Pages: 295

Summary:

Butler's Wager is about Ty Butler, a man from the East that escaped to the West at his father's orders. His father and all of his family were murdered by an unknown person, who now has a bounty out on Butler. This enemy is someone who had problems with his father. And until he can find who is after him Butler must keep one step ahead of the bounty hunters. Butler is a professional gambler, who is very skilled at his job. He is quick with a gun, but he isn't a gunfighter. His travels take him to Dodge City, where he walks into a hot bed of simmering trouble.
Shortly before he arrived in town the mayoral race voted out the current mayor and the new mayor fired the city marshal, his deputy, and the sheriff. The former city marshal is Jim Masterson, brother of the famous Bat Masterson, and the new powers of the town want him gone, but he won't be chased off. As Ty Butler arrives in town two gunfighters try for Jim and Butler helps save his life. This one action ties Butler to Masterson and brings more trouble than he ever expected to find in Dodge City. Butler's luck runs hot at the gaming tables, where he also befriends a couple of other gamblers. But his luck outside the tables is tested by a bounty hunter, a newspaper woman, and the several attempts on his live. As the trouble in Dodge City comes closer to a boil Butler plays an ace nobody sees coming by anonymously sending for Bat Masterson. So all Butler can do is wait to see if which will arrive first the final showdown between Jim Masterson and his business partner or Bat Masterson.

Characteristics of Western

Frame/Setting- "Westerns take readers back to a time and place in which life is set against a dangerous but beautiful backdrop (Saricks, 2009)." This western is set in 1881 Dodge City. The town is in a way as must a part of the novel as the characters are.

Characterization- Westerns can have characters that are real historical figures; also secondary characters are important in Westerns (Saricks, 2009). Butler's Wager has both of these aspects. The big name historical figures are Jim Masterson and Bat Masterson. An important secondary character in this novel is Jim Masterson's former deputy Neal Brown, who goes out of his way to protect and look after his friend Jim.

Story Line- Westerns can be about good fighting evil, justice being restored, survival, or revenge to name some of the western story line themes (Saricks, 2009). The book contains a couple of these story lines. Survival applies to Butler, who is trying to keep ahead of the bounty hunters on his trail. Good fighting evil can apply to the fight between Jim Masterson and the people who are trying to run him out of town.

Tone/Mood- "Westerns are imbued with a nostalgic tone, full of memories of and longing for another time (Saricks, 2009)." Westerns contain the element of the wild west, exploration, and a different way of life. This book talks about a way of life that no longer exists today, but that many people still are fascinated by.



Book Read-a-likes from NoveList

Gunman's Rhapsody by Robert B. Parker
May There be a Road by Louis L'Amour
Six Bits a Day by Elmer Kelton
The Long High Noon by Loren Estleman
Galloway's Gamble by Howard Weinstein
The Lawman by Lyle Brandt

Series Read-a-likes from NoveList

Caleb York novels by Mickey Spillane
Trail West series by William W. Johnstone
Byrnes family ranch westerns by Dusty Richards
John Henry Cole novels by Bill Brooks
Bounty novels by Paul Colt
Tucker Ashley by C.M. Wendelboe

Saricks, J. (2009). The Reader's Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: American Library Association