Colonel Rutherford's Colt

Rating:
Summary: Lucius Shepard hits his stride (AGAIN!)
Review: I have just finished reading 'Colonel Rutherford's Colt' in the e-book format (it's been available for months) and have ordered a copy of this book in the signed limited HB edition (newly released) for my library... Lucius Shepard has always been one of the greatest American sci-fi/fantasy/horror genre writers, but he seems to have become an even more formidable mainstream writer. (By calling Lucius mainstream, I simply mean than the fantasy elements in his writing, though they still exist, are less overt now than in the past). Fans of Lucius' older work should rest assured that 'Colonel Rutherford' is populated by the same type of underworld-connected lowlifes that appear in his previous stories, but now these characters are reaching a much higher level of credibility. In 'Col. Ruth.' we follow a used gun dealer named Jimmy, who specializes in selling weapons once used in famous crimes, around to various swap meets where he and his girlfriend rub up against other gun dealers and customers, and in particular one gun (a Colt once owned by a deceased racist militia leader) that must not fall into the wrong hands... You will continue to think about these characters long after you have finished reading and the plot has the kind of subtle, creepy twists and surprise ending that will have you rereading the book to look for clues. A great story...