Publisher's Weekly Review
Kelton's 35th novel (after The Pumpkin Rollers) is a clever western about a 12-year-old boy on the run from the law in 1885 Texas. Young Joey Shipman has more troubles than Custer. His Pa dies suddenly, leaving him at the mercy of his bitter, scheming stepmother and her murderous bedmate, the vile Blair Meacham, who wants to kill Joey to inherit the ranch. Joey runs away to find his only true kin, his black-sheep older cousin Beau, a drunken drifter. Beau and Joey make unlikely saddle partners, constantly bickering until they encounter Meacham, who has tracked them down and tries to kill them, only to be left for dead himself. Taking to the trail, the young men roam Texas, dodging Rangers, tangling with a notorious outlaw and picking up a hardboiled female traveling companion. Finally worn down by fatigue and remorse, they and their companion return to Joey's ranch to face the law. A showdown between Joey and his would-be killers proves that revenge truly can be sweet. It is easy to see why Kelton, who wrote his first western 40 years ago, has won six Spur Awards. His characters and narrative are colorful and well-defined, his plotting is taut and suspensefuland Joey is one of his best creations yet. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
From award-winning western yarnspinner Kelton (The Pumpkin Rollers, 1996, etc.) comes his 36th, the tale of a gentle Texas boy forced by harsh circumstances to come of age while on the run from both the law and a murderous stepmother. When Joey Shipman's father dies after a suspicious accident, leaving his farm to his 12-year-old child and thereby lighting the fuse of the boy's already mean-tempered stepmother, it's only a matter of time before the fireworks begin. Sure enough, Joey's last protector, the old family handyman, is found dead in his bunk; knowing that he's next on the list, Joey takes the first opportunity to run away, heading west to find his cousin Beau, a man he barely remembers but who is his only known kin. Beau proves to be a dedicated drunk, spending as much time in the county jail as in his own tumbledown shack. Taking reluctant responsibility for his orphaned cousin, Beau is only too happy to hand him over when Joey's new stepfather comes to take the runaway home. But when the man tries to drown the boy, Beau intervenes and, after a desperate struggle, the would-be killer is himself apparently killed. Running from the deed, the cousins fall in with a feared outlaw, who turns out to have a son Joey's age. The outlaw takes them to a hole-in- the-wall hideout, but bad blood between bandits soon has them on the run again, this time with a young ex-prostitute who was the cause of the ruckus. They join up with an old sheepherder taking his flock home for the winter, but ultimately Joey and Beau turn back toward home, determined to face the consequences of what they've done. Adventure aplenty, and no lack of trademark historical detail, but plot and characters are a tad formulaic here, making this a less engrossing yarn than its predecessors.
