McMurtry's writing is infectious, and his folksy humor sustains the sometimes gruesome action in the story. All the tropes of traditional westerns are here, but turned on their heads, as the plot unfolds from the point of view of a teenage boy accompanying his mother in search of her absent husband. Wild Bill Hickock makes an appearance, and the wide open plains of Wyoming and Nebraska feature prominently. Recommended for fans of westerns and also of earthy humorous novels, if they don't mind the casual violence and profanity that runs throughout the novel.