Backshot (1902)

Backshot (1902)
by Ed Gorman

About the Book:
In the tradition of Charles Willeford's western noirs, Ed Gorman gives us the mining town of Granite Bend, where mining interests run the often violent lives of its citizens as we see first-hand when the fates of Marshal Royce and a young drifter intersect. Gorman's portrait of the West is a real one, not a mythic one. He paints the people and their era with page-turning incidents of brutality and intrigue offering us compelling monsters and victims alike.

Praise & Reviews:
"Gorman's a master of this kind of story. People aren't what they seem, and Gorman can make even the worst of them seem almost human. There's a special kind of darkness that's revealed as the story goes along, and Gorman manages it well. The setting is winter, and the weather plays a part in the story. It's done so well that you might want to wrap up in your Snuggie while you read. Declan Parnell is the kind of guy who knows he's on the wrong track and wants to do the right thing. The question is whether he'll be able to do it and still avoid the consequences of his part in the crime. This book's the real thing, highly recommended."
— Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine

"It is very much like an old Gold Medal crime novel—a man trapped in a situation far out of his control, his downfall brought by a beautiful woman, and his redemption in the arms of another. It is developed with Ed Gorman’s masterful colors of humanity. The most egregious, nasty villains are painted with the light brush of understanding, creating a moral ambiguity that is more horrifying than straight evil. It is an understated masterpiece, an apt description of many of Ed Gorman’s works, and well worth the price of admission."
— Gravetapping

"I’m just going to go ahead and say it: Ed Gorman is the best author of Western noir ever. Better than H.A. DeRosso and Lewis B. Patten, and they’re two of my favorites. BACKSHOT is one of his best books, fast and suspenseful and full of sharp-edged, melancholy observations about life. You need to read it."
— Rough Edges

"Simply one of the best western writers of our time."
— Rocky Mountain News

Ed Gorman has published numerous novels in the suspense field as well as several collections of short stories. Kirkus Reviews called him "one of the most original crime writers around" while the Oxford Book of American Crime Fiction noted "his novels and stories provide fresh ideas, characters and approaches." Gorman has won the Shamus and the International Fiction Award. He's been nominated twice for an Edgar and once for the UK's Silver Dagger. His novel The Poker Club was made into the film of the same name.

Published in two states:
• Hardcover Limited Edition of 750 signed copies bound in full-cloth and Smyth sewn ($35)
• Deluxe Hardcover Lettered Edition of 26 signed and hand-lettered copies bound in leather, Smyth sewn with a satin ribbon page marker, raised hubs on the spine, custom gilded page edges dipped by hand, a full-color signature sheet, and featuring unique full color illustrated endpapers not appearing in any other edition ($175)

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