Gunman's Reckoning

By: Max Brand

Narrated by: Al Kessel

Frederick Schiller Faust was a prolific writer who wrote under a number of pseudonyms. One of these was Max Brand. Gunman's Reckoning is the story of a drifter who is given the job of righting a great wrong. In the midst of carrying out his task, he finds out that he was not told the entire truth. He continues anyway, because in doing the job, he has stumbled on the answer to a long quest of his own. This book is a western romance that has a bit of everything: love, mystery, lies, action and humor. It's a must listen for all those who love westerns.

©2012 Max Brand (P)2016 Jimcin Recordings

Wonderful listen that hold your attention

Any additional comments?

What a delightful listen from a very talented narrator. The author has lived out his time in book he wrote long ago. It is really a shame this author die as a war correspondent in Italy in 1944 at the age of 51. He was a very talented author with a lot of stories published. This was one of his best that is very entertaining with characters that are down on their luck trying to make a buck. The author gives vivid details that you have no trouble picturing in your mind add the narrator and you have one heck of a listen. I had a little trouble getting into this but once I was I couldn’t wait to see what happened.

Mr. Kessel adds so much to this story with his very talented voice giving me a story I really got hooked on. His character voice fit each character to a T pulling the listener in making them believe it is real. I had no trouble at all picturing each scene with vivid detail in my mind. Mr. Kessel characters are wonderful he gives them such emotion from chuckling when the character does to anger when mad and sad when heartbroken. His male voices are just as good as his female ones. There was no background noise, not a place where the volume was higher or lower than anywhere else in the audio, if any breaks were taken I could not tell. He gives you a clear, clean and crisp listen that hooks you almost from the start. His performance is outstanding he knows how to deliver a wonderful audio. I really feel like I would enjoy the audio over the book it feel more alive more real. When you get to the part about the housekeeper you just get a creepy feeling just as the author plans you to the narrator really carries it out giving you a compelling listen I could not put down.

The story is based on lies, adventure, excitement, love, mystery, forgotten love, old love, new love that twists it way into your heart. At times I felt sorry for Donnegan and other times I thought he got what he deserved. No matter what he always put the colonel’s daughter first. Her happiness over his even in danger she always comes first. It is hard not to like a man like that. I am not sure just what I think of the Colonel he is so wishy washy at times you cannot really get a handle on him. You think you know him and he changes right before your eyes. He is a very wise man but I do think more of a BS than most which makes him in dearing at times.

Silly plot

While I recognize that this book was written long ago and literary stiles have changed, the plot of this book is ridiculous.