Sundance
In 1913, Harry Longbaugh, aka The Sundance Kid, is released from a Wyoming prison under the assumed name of Harry Alonzo. The Kid, along with his partner in crime, Butch Cassidy, had been reported killed in a shootout in Bolivia several years earlier. The world has changed and become more modern since his incarceration: automobiles, electric lights and skyscrapers are replacing horses, gas lighting and one- to two-story buildings. He has not heard from his wife, Etta Place, in two years. He now begins his quest to find her, his search eventually taking him to the city of New York.
On his trail is Charlie Sirango, a police officer and former friend, who always felt that the Sundance Kid was still alive. He is following Longbaugh to arrest him for the killing of a sheriff’s son in a shootout soon after his release from prison. The Kid befriends a young Chinese boy who helps him try to locate his wife. He is competing with the Black Hand, an Italian mob, who wish to locate and kill her. He also meets people involved in an anarchy movement to overthrow the government.
David Fuller is a screenwriter who wrote the novel Sweetwater, which I have also reviewed. The steady unraveling of this novel’s plot, the search for the protagonist’s wife, is genuinely exciting because the drama is fast-paced from cover to cover. Fuller does a masterful job in mixing fictional and historical characters while keeping them credible.
Don’t be put off by the western overtones of this book. In fact, western genre aficionados may be disappointed in the story, because much of the action takes place in New York City. I highly recommend this book, which is well researched with a mystery subplot.
