Durango Gold

Written by Michael C. Haley
Review by Meredith Campbell

What would send an Oxford-educated Virginia aristocrat to New Mexico Territory to spend his days as an obscure cowboy? Worn out, haunted by his unsuccessful Confederate command in the Civil War, heartsick over the ruin of his family’s fortunes, Eli Waller only wants to forget, be forgotten, and work as a “bush popper.” Fate steps in and makes him an unwilling U.S. Marshal, looking for murderers who have robbed the Durango gold shipment headed for Santa Fe.

A Colorado resident, Haley has written a stellar debut western, historically and geographically accurate, picturing the New Mexico and Southern Colorado of 1869. With more character development than the average western, the novel carries the reader into Eli’s very soul. Using short, punchy sentences and written in the first person, Haley’s style makes for easy reading. Durango Gold will delight all readers of the genre.