Customer Reviews

A Time for Hanging (An Evans novel of the West)

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With a few exceptions, Bill Crider's books have an element of humor mixed with hardened reality, making his stories shimmer with energy and anticipation. In this not highly original plot, a young man happens upon a dead body and gets blamed for the killing. As the antagonists work to deflect the truth and focus all attention on one person, the sheriff of the town reluctantly seeks to uncover the hidden motives and the real culprit.

As the story unfolds, we encounter a crazed preacher, a greedy land-owner, a town drunk, a healer, a gambler, and several impressionable cowboys that seem to alter their views as the wind blows. Each character is clearly defined and brings a high level of personal insecurity to the table. The people are funny, sad, confused, and generally human in their reactions to the events. In many ways the story demonstrates the fear and confusion that resides in each of us, making the reader both empathize and transfer emotion to the concerns of the individual.

On one level, the book reads well and moves along at a fast pace to the very end. As we look deeper, we just might see people we know living in the pages. Unfortunately, the violence escalated to an excess near the end, and almost seemed cavalier in its delivery. Overall, aside from the unoriginal plot and the somewhat expected conclusion, A Time for Hanging is a good read for Western and mystery enthusiasts.