Book Review: Shooting Match by Philip McCormac

This novel was provided to me for free for an honest review.

Title: Shooting Match

Author: Philip McCormac

Author’s web site: Philip McCormac

ASIN: B01B88TS5A

Publisher: Pioneering Press

Genre: Western

Print Length: 154 pages

Plot synopsis:

In and around the Ayli Valley Leonard Duke has been seizing the cattle ranching land in the area, bullying and murdering if necessary. Owen Lismore and his brother, Oliver, now manage their ranch, following the suspicious death of their father. Unfortunately, Oliver has fallen in with a bad crowd. When Owen confronts and humiliates him and his gunslinger sidekick, Oliver decides to have his brother killed in revenge. Owen falls in with the beautiful Rosalind Pond and Celia Duke, Leonard Duke’s feisty daughter. When the three of them are forced to leave their homes they enter a world of banditry and lawlessness that could lead anywhere and which will require loyalty and love if they are to get through their trials and tribulation.

Cover: A nice simple cover that tells the reader what to expect in terms of the genre.

My initial reaction to this novel is that I did not enjoy it nearly as much as McCormac’s Brothers in Arms. Although 154 pages in length, I felt the novel would have benefited from being longer in order to give time for better character development and also to allow more development of some of the relationships between the main characters which, I felt, were unconvincing. The dialogue was also a little flat. On the whole I could not settle into the setting of the book, I did not get the sense of being there with the characters.

Nevertheless, the story line, itself, is engaging and is run through with a number of interesting parallel story lines that draw together well. The narrative style is easy and keeps you interested in the stories of the main characters. And there were sparks of the style I liked in the previous book that I reviewed, for example the intimate thoughts and moments between Owen and the lady who catches his eye and the setting of the Eden settlement.

Verdict: My 2 star ranking may seem harsh, but this is a reflection of my thoughts on the under-development of the characters, the setting and the dialogue. However, it has to be said that if you prefer a novel that focuses on the story line and the action then this may be the book for you.

What do others think?

There were no reviews on Amazon.co.uk

There were two (very) short reviews on Amazon.com, one with a 5 star rating and one with a four star rating.

There were no reviews on Goodreads.com. There was a rating of 3 stars.

Other books by the author.