Quick-Trigger Country by Clem Colt: A Book Review

With a name that seems to pay tribute to both comedian Red Skelton's famous country bumpkin character (known as Clem Kadiddlehopper) and perhaps the most famous brand of gun (the Colt) in the wild west, Clem Colt is a name that screams alias, and a quick Google search proved my suspicions correct. Clem Colt was in fact a pen name used by the famous western genre novelist Nelson C. Nye. 

Nye was a popular and very prolific author and although this is the first book I've read by the man, I can guarantee you it will not be the last. His writing is both fun and engaging, it delivers the goods on almost every level that a genre fan could desire.

Quick-Trigger Country follows the misadventures of a young outlaw named Turkey Red. Turkey's exploits take place in the legendary town of Tombstone, AZ and the book is loaded with the famous historical characters that one would expect serving as notable supporting players.

Turkey joins an outlaw gang that is headed up by Curly Bill (a legendary criminal that Red wishes to be more like) and he is surrounded by gang members with names like Ringo, Stilwell, and Clanton, all of which are names that should be familiar to anyone that is familiar with the story of the O.K. Corral. The narrative is also peppered with appearances by the likes of the Earp brothers as well. Oddly enough though, Curly Bill is given the last name of Graham in the novel when it is very clear that the character is actually William Brocius, but a minute's worth of research on Wikipedia informed me that another outlaw named Curly Bill Graham was operating in the same area at the same time, and some historians have mixed up the actions of one criminal with the other.

Over the course of the narrative Turkey Red begins to question his loyalty to Curly Bill and this leads to tensions that build as the story progresses. As Red begins to realize just how ruthless Bill really is he starts to emerge as an actual hero. Along the way a romantic triangle is worked into the plot that helps to drive the story forward and leads to a somewhat satisfying ending, although it is unfortunately a somewhat anti-climatic ending too.

Quick-Trigger Country is definitely not a classic of the genre, but it is a fun read that is worth seeking out. It's the kind of book that does not wear out its welcome for the bulk of its content, it's just stuck with a less than fully satisfying ending.

-W. Jay Pinto