Customer Reviews

The Gunsmith 333: Virgil Earp, Private Detective (Gunsmith, The)

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Colton, Southern California

Post Tombstone OK Corral shootout

Post murder of Morgan Earp

Wyatt is now living in San Diego while James, Virgil, and their father, Nick, are all settled in Colton, California. Nick, the father, owns the Gem saloon in Colton, while brother James and his partner Kate Violet are running a boarding house on K street, while Virgil has recently opened an office in Colton as a private detective. After visiting Wyatt in San Diego, Clint Adams decides to move south to see the other members of the Earp family. Doing so he becomes involved with Virgil's latest case and most recent client, a Miss Sally Quest. Virgil's only client actually, as he is 2 month's behind in his rent to his landlord, Mr. Daley.

Telephones have reached Colton so many people in town, including the police department, now know that The Gunsmith, Clint Adams, is in town. Though everyone thinks Clint has some higher purpose for being in town other than just visiting his friends, the Earps, he really doesn't. That is he didn't before meeting a Miss Sally Quest who is Virgil's new client and the tale she tells about a missing sister, Maybelle, becomes of great interest to Clint. Sally owns a sliver mine, the Quest Mine in Ouray, Nevada, and is continually alluding to how rich she is to the point that Clint and Virgil 'smell' a rat. Not all is what it seems. Sally is rich that is true but her story is bogus. From here things just get worse to the point of a possible showdown, shootout, with hardcases Link Holman his brother Dave, and gunman Derek Morrell. Whatever this will lead to will not be to the pleasure of the newly established police department of Colton, What to do?

Well, a reader could read this great western/mystery to find an answer to how it all comes out. J. R. Roberts (Robert J. Randisi) has written another entertaining book in the on-going saga of the The Gunsmith, Clint Adams.

Read on, pards.

After visiting his friend Wyatt Earp in San Diego,Clint Adams decides to go visit Wyatt's brother Virgil in Colton,about 50 miles east of Los Angeles.Here he finds Virgil,James, and their father Nick.The Earps have settled down and are trying to make new lives for themselves after their problems in Tombstone.

Virgil hasn't been very successful to date with his new Private Detective business,but things start looking up with a new client,with lots of money,who engages him to help find her missing sister.Virgil even talks Adams into getting involved with the case.

This all leads to an exciting story,filled with well developed characters,new arrangements in law and justice,as compared to the old ways the Earps have been used to "back east".

There are several twists in the events that unfold,a few murders are inevitable;but the Earps and Adams are determined to keep the situation from ending up like they did in Tombstone.

It is a well constructed story,with ghosts of the past returning to the Earps.Even though I was wondering if Doc Holliday might turn up;the fact that he didn't ,did not detract from the story.An interesting tale in the continuing saga of the Earps after Tombstone.