The Ballad of Black Bart

November 15, 2017

Equally the story of Charles Bolton, aka the outlaw Black Bart, and James B. Hume, Wells Fargo's chief of detectives, this well-researched historical novel transports readers to San Francisco in the late 1800s. Both men have reputations to uphold: Black Bart as the mannerly, poem-writing outlaw who robs Well Fargo stagecoaches on foot; Hume as the straight-up sleuth who uses files and investigative methods instead of guns to catch a thief. The Spur- and Shamus Award-winning Estleman ("Valentino" and "Amos Walker" mysteries) infuses plenty of humorous anecdotes as he outlines the eight-year career of the flour-sack-masked bandit who signs his notes "Black Bart, The Po8." The tone shifts to serious as Hume is portrayed as a man sharing similar features and history with his target but who stays squarely on the right side of the law. More character-driven than other Estleman titles, this title is peppered with clever turns of phrase, literary allusions, and plenty of vernacular from the time period. VERDICT This low-key tale of a legendary outlaw and his pursuer will delight the author's fans as well as readers who fancy Westerns about notorious figures of the Old West.--Wendy W. Paige, Shelby Cty. P.L., Morristown, IN

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2017
In July 1875 a lone masked robber, on foot and armed with a shotgun, robbed a Wells Fargo stagecoach. Over the next nine years, the same scenario was repeated 27 times. The robber was Black Bart, also known as Charles E. Bolton. As Bolton floated among the moneyed class of San Francisco, charming the ladies with his wit, grace, and sophistication, Black Bart was hunted by James B. Hume, Wells Fargo's chief of detectives. Estleman, author of more than 70 books across multiple genres, turns the real-life Black Bart-Hume rivalry into an infectious blend of western chase story and nineteenth-century police procedural in which Hume and his assistants interview witnesses and use all manner of forensic science available to track their prey. Estleman may be a genre veteran who knows his way around a formula, but he also produces rich, character-centric narratives, and this one is certainly that, digging deeply into both Bolton and Hume and finding two rivals who were also very much alike. Fine reading from a pro's pro.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)