Review - The Right Man for the Work
The Right Man for
the Work
In The Right Man for the Work, the second
book of the Return of the Ranger series, Jeff Crawford changes tack a little,
and tells Noah’s story in a subtly clever way. . .
As the blurb highlights:
*****
The past was the past, and it was where
it belonged—locked safely away in a box in the back of a closet in the furthest
reaches of his memory. That was where former Texas Ranger Noah Weyland kept
those events. Everyone knew that he had been a Ranger and a hard one, but no
one knew why the Rangers had feared riding with one of their own.
Robert Wilson, originally from Wyoming and now
from Chicago, had been asked by his publishers to write a book about the Texas
Rangers. Eager for the opportunity, he dived into the research only to find a
name kept appearing here and there—Noah Weyland, one time Ranger and now cattle
rancher in South Texas. When asked, people knew the name, but were reluctant to
say more. After a series of letters exchanged with Elise Weyland, a time for
Robert was arranged to come sit with Noah and be the first to know the truths.
Elise knew the greatness of her husband; now she wanted everyone else to know.
Day after day, the stories from the old days
came out. Sometimes with pride, sometimes with trepidation. But as the pages
filled with the truths from thirty years earlier, a connection was made between
the writer and the one-time lawman, a connection that Noah had never made with
anyone else. Robert was getting what he needed for his book, but he was also
removing the weights that Noah had borne silently upon his shoulders for so
very long.
The Right Man for the Work tells how some of the
worst met their end, and Noah Weyland was right there dispensing judgement as
he saw fit or thought necessary. Judge for yourself if he was right or wrong,
but don’t offer your opinion to Noah Weyland. He has already made that decision
for himself.
*****
Yes, we find out
much more about Noah’s life by way of anecdotes from his past, recorded for
posterity and for future generations to learn the deeds of a remarkable man.
In doing so, we discover much more about how violent the west of old could be,
and why it was we needed men like him. Men prepared to do what was necessary to
ensure decent folk had a chance to make a new future.
In a nutshell? I really enjoyed it, and was drawn to the ethos of the times,
and of a character who wasn’t proud of the lives he’d taken, but who,
nevertheless, wouldn’t ever back down from killing ruinous men – and sometimes
women – if the occasion demanded it.
A definite ‘must’
for any lover of the western genre.
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