Wild Justice: A Page Murdock Novel

Montana lawman and legendary judge Harlan Blackthorne is dead, and Deputy U.S. Marshall Page Murdock must escort Blackthorne’s widow—and the remains of his former employer—back east to Delaware.

Locals and journalists alike clamber to pay respects and gain an audience with the judge’s widow along the way. Yet a fairly uneventful journey turns dangerous when the conductor goes missing. Can he successfully honor Blackthorne’s final wish, or will Murdock fail on his final mission?

Having never read a previous Loren D. Estleman book nor heard the story of his hero, Page Murdock, I can’t tell you if this book is a good continuation of a prior plotline. I found it difficult to get into–dry and slow. Most of the book takes place on Murdock’s train trip east, and he spends a significant amount of time reminiscing about the past, the judge, the adventures they’ve had together, and life in Montana. There’s a bit of mystery, but not much action until the very end.

I would give this book a second shot after reading earlier books in the series. As a stand-alone, however, this was not my cup of tea. While I enjoyed spending a little time in the Old West, the plot was shallow and disconnected and the mystery not nearly meaty enough to sustain my attention.