Fastest Gun Around

The Landon Saga Book 9

Fiction - Western
172 Pages
Reviewed on 01/16/2017
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Alyssa Elmore for Readers' Favorite

What happens when you are rumored to be the fastest gun in the West? How far will you go to protect your family? The Fastest Gun Around by Tell Cotten is the exciting ninth book in The Landon Saga. Rondo Landon is known far and wide for his fast gun hand. He and his friend, Lee Mattingly, have just come back from successfully rescuing his new wife, Rachel, and Lee's girlfriend, April, after they were abducted by a group of Apaches. Rondo has a promising job lined up in Midway, Texas and life will soon be normal again, or will it? When Rondo finds out that his friend Ross, his replacement as Sheriff has been ambushed and shot, he is ready to hunt down the men that nearly killed him. Only, Rachel makes him promise not to go after them. When Rondo discovers that the men are looking for him, he has more to worry about than just himself, but also his family. Things become dire when Rondo learns that his friends, Lee and Brian, are being implicated in a crime. He is the only one that believes them. Can Rondo get around his promise to Rachel? Will he be able to help keep his innocent friends from being hanged?

The Fastest Gun Around by Tell Cotten is a thrilling western novel set in a small Texan town when most laws were what the townspeople made them. The author did an excellent job at keeping everything to the Old West. Although this is the ninth book in the saga, I had no problem jumping in and falling in love with the characters and story, which drew me right in. I LOVED it! It was so beautifully formatted and edited. This book was both a fun and easy read. I found this book to be the perfect story to read at the end of a hectic day and get lost in; it rivals a Zane Grey novel. I would recommend this book to those readers that like a good western, a great story, and easily relatable characters.

Marta Tandori

Ross Stewart is in his late twenties and, as sheriff of Empty-lake, is adequate with a Colt, but doesn’t have the considerable experience of his predecessor, Rondo Landon. He watches as two men ride into town and becomes concerned when they tell him that they’re looking for Rondo. He becomes decidedly uneasy when they take up residence at the Palace Hotel – only to have to rush to the hotel when he’s told that things are getting ugly with the younger of the two men, who’s accusing the owner of cheating him in poker. Concerned about his lack of back up, Ross convinces one of the men to cover him in the event things get out of hand. The situation inside the hotel has escalated as Ross informs the younger man that he’s under arrest and to take off his gun belt. The young man sneers at him and refuses, informing Ross that his father is standing behind Ross and will use his gun if Ross doesn’t walk away. Ross sticks to his ground and demands again that the younger man remove his gun belt. This time, the young man draws his gun but Ross is ready for him with his own gun. Before he can fire, however, he’s shot in the back by the other man’s father and then shot again. This time, the bullet takes off Ross’s thumb and he slumps to the ground, unconscious. With the help of the bartender and Ross’s backup, they corner the two strangers and they quickly leave town, promising that they’ll be back.

Fastest Gun Around by author Tell Cotten is Book 9 in the Landon western saga that will have lovers of this genre gobbling up the pages, eager to find out what happens in this entertaining story. Fastest Gun Around is action-driven and immediately sucks you into the plot. Reading the story is a little like closing your eyes and watching an episode of the classic television show, Gunsmoke. There’s a familiarity in the characters that immediately resonates with readers. If there’s anything negative to be said about the book, it’s that it’s somewhat sparse on description and detail. Description and detail give the story richness in setting which only serves to highlight what is already a great story. All in all, well worth the read so saddle up and get at it!

Susan Sewell

Fastest Gun Around (The Landon Saga Book 9) by Tell Cotten is a riveting Western novel. After summarily being dismissed as Sheriff by the town council, Rondo has a new job lined up in another town. However, his personal life has taken an unexpected turn, and he needs to take a job closer to his wife's family. Leaving his wife behind, Rondo rides out for a two-week journey to inform his new boss that he can't take the job. As Rondo travels cross country, his horse goes lame. While replacing his ride, Rondo is hijacked by two men out for revenge for a family member that he killed. Unarmed and unaccompanied, Rondo is in a difficult predicament. He is the fastest gun around, but without a weapon how will he escape?

Fastest Gun Around (The Landon Saga Book 9) by Tell Cotten is an irresistible Western novel. My interest was captured from the first sentence and was held to the satisfying conclusion. This is a feel-good story, with good guys and bad guys, gunslingers, and robbers. However, the lines are realistically a little blurred in regards to the characters' moral inclinations. Rondo and his comrades are ex-outlaws, and in a twist of fate, Rondo becomes the Sheriff. When the law doesn't seem to be able to carry out justice, they struggle with the dilemma of whether or not to take the law into their own hands or let it go. The storyline is captivating and brings back good memories of the old west era. Rondo Landon and his sagas are gratifyingly comparable to Zane Grey novels. Those who are fond of Western literature and fans of Zane Grey novels will be pleasantly surprised.

Samantha Dewitt (Rivera)

Life for a former outlaw turned sheriff is never boring and, within just a few days of fixing one disaster, Rondo finds himself embroiled in yet another. Trying to help his friends, take on his new responsibilities, and simply stay alive are proving to be harder than he may have thought possible. Between his friends, Lee and Brian, and his new enemies, the Palmer family, it’s going to be a difficult situation for Rondo, but his quick thinking, strong instincts (and definitely his skills with a Colt) have gotten him out of worse scrapes before in Fastest Gun Around (The Landon Saga Book 9) by Tell Cotten.

This book is full of a whole lot of action and will definitely make for a great read for just about anyone. I was excited reading it and loved going from one big event to the next. For Rondo and his family (and his friends), this is a whole lot of adventure and I really liked the way it all went on. The characters really seemed real, and the plot kept you interested in what was happening and made you feel like you were right there. Fastest Gun Around by Tell Cotton is the ninth book in the series, but even if you haven’t read any of the others you will definitely want to read this one. Of course, then you’re going to want to go back and read the rest to find out even more about the characters and their adventures.

Melissa Tanaka

Fastest Gun Around by Tell Cotten is the ninth book in The Landon Saga. The story begins with a pair of mysterious strangers rolling into town, much to the chagrin of Ross Stewart, the town’s sheriff. After a drunken disagreement over a game of poker and a nasty quick draw that leaves the sheriff injured, the strangers leave, but not without promising that the argument is far from over. Rondo Landon, an ex-outlaw as well as the previous sheriff of the town, hears about Ross’ injury and makes his way back to visit him. While there, he runs into the mysterious strangers, who turn out to be Gage and Clint Palmer, the father and brother of a man Rondo had killed previously. The two men capture Rondo and Gage threatens to kill him unless he helps them rob the hotel and get their money back.

Although Fastest Gun Around is a part of The Landon Saga, it is readable as a stand alone novel, but if you read this book first you’ll more than likely want to go back and start from the very beginning! Before the story, there is a brief rundown of the five main characters, which is useful for readers who need a quick reminder or as a primer for those who are picking up the series for the first time. Fastest Gun Around is engaging from beginning to end and Tell Cotten creates an incredible world for you to dive into. Some of my favorite scenes were Rondo Landon trying to tame a deceivingly wild horse called Little Man and the nail biting showdown between the Palmers and Rondo Landon. Cotten has written a wonderful story here and I am looking forward to the next work.