Title: Chasing Demons
Author: John Hansen
Publisher: Outskirts Press
ISBN: 978-1478778356
Pages: 275
Genre: Western
Reviewed by: Allison Walker
Buy on AmazonPacific Book Review
Gus O’Grady is a good man fallen on hard times. Driven to drink by war and shamed for it by the Army, O’Grady decides to do the unthinkable and strike out for himself. He deserts his post and comrades, and heads West on a dead Apache’s horse. But what seemed like fortuitous circumstances quickly go south, engaging O’Grady in a series of life-or-death adventures befitting to the 1870’s Wild West.
Constantly haunted by his reputation as a deserter, Gus O’Grady is an admirable character with great depth of feeling. There is a certain satisfaction in the way he perseveres through his misfortune. He is plagued by adventure and touched by luck, and the rest is earned through hard work and determination.
The Wild West is nothing if not hard work. O’Grady comes close to being planted six feet under numerous times (or rather, a shallow grave covered in stones if a shovel is not available), and only his honesty, skill and strength of character saves him. For example, when O’Grady finds himself in the midst of a dishonest poker game and caught between two angry guns, he is able to talk the players into an uneasy truce. The event catches the eye of the town sheriff and lands O’Grady a job as deputy, but he must surrender the badge a few days later when misfortune and his reputation as a deserter catch up to him again. O’Grady flees the town under order of the mayor, to participate in greater, ever-increasing adventure.
Reading the story, you appreciate how much time and consideration author John Hansen spent writing his Western. Down to the era-appropriate dialogue, every character and adventure has been carefully thought out. It becomes the kind of movie Clint Eastwood would star in, as Gus O’Grady of course, complete with weathered towns clinging to life in the desert; good men, bad men and just plain ugly men; and a beautiful woman to capture the heart of the main character.
The story has a strong plotline which builds toward its climax in a steady way. Hansen does not make the mistake of rushing into his story’s conclusion. Reappearing characters, unsavory adversaries and an exciting goal in mind contribute to the strength of the Western. By the time O’Grady faces down two gold rustlers on the edge of town, you’re ready for the hero to win big.
“Chasing Demons” is a convincing portrait of America’s wild frontier, filled with classic Western characters: cowboys and horse thieves, Indians and soldiers, gunslingers and gamblers, barmaids and good-natured sheriffs. It’s truly a Western the way they were meant to be written.
