Written by Loren D. Estleman
SUMMARY:
Bantam Books released the original 231-page hardcover in 1988. Told partially out of sequence, Bloody Season is a fictionalized retelling of events surrounding the fateful shootout in Tombstone, Arizona the afternoon of October 26, 1881. Popularly dubbed ‘The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,’ personal elements from the participants’ lives, their spouses, and relevant associates are threaded into the narrative.
Part 1: “Fly’s Alley” depicts the day of the fatal showdown. Subsequently, the fallout leads to the Earp Brothers (Wyatt, Virgil, & Morgan) and ‘Doc’ John Holliday facing legal consequences in a Tombstone courtroom. Part 2 is “The Transaction,” goes back several months to an attempted stagecoach robbery and a double-murder. Not only are at least three of the Clanton gang’s associates implicated, so is Holliday, in this botched hold-up. Wyatt’s shady deal with informant Ike Clanton to capture the killers ultimately blows up in both of their faces. This section comes full circle to the morning of the shootout, as “Fly’s Alley” sequentially occurs next.
Part 3 is “San Pedro,” as the controversial acquittal of Holliday and the Earps sets in motion a deadly game of retribution. The near-assassination of Virgil and later Morgan’s brutal homicide precipitates the climatic Part Four: “The Pallbearers.” Despite Sheriff Johnny Behan’s motley posse threatening pursuit, Wyatt leads his ‘vendetta ride’ targeting the Clantons and their outlaw associates, including “Curly” Bill Brocius and enigmatic John Ringo. The book concludes the saga with historic details about the later lives and fates of the various survivors.
Notes: This title is available in both hardcover and paperback editions. As an advisory, Estleman’s raw dialogue includes two recurring racial slurs (the ‘n-word’ is one of them) – suffice to say, these slurs don’t improve his storytelling.
REVIEW:
Make no mistake: Loren D. Estleman pitches this ultra-familiar tale as high-caliber historical fiction rather than rehashed Old West pulp. Unlike the Hollywood romanticism that films like Tombstone and Wyatt Earp convey, Bloody Season doesn’t glamorize anything — it spells out dirty frontier machismo. Estleman’s intriguing prose describes various shootouts, ambushes, etc. in near-poetic fashion vs. mere shoot-em-up recreations. As with Virgil Earp’s near-murder, readers might pause before realizing what has now just transpired. Once the author pours on the grisly medical jargon, the imagery becomes cringe-worthy at times.
Besides the port-mortem sequences, this aspect is best found in Estleman’s talent for conjuring up vivid sensory details – as author Elmore Leonard’s appraisal aptly puts it: “you’re there. It’s so real that you can even smell the horses!” Working off a palate of various shades of gray, Estleman’s grittiness surpasses the genre standards of Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour. Yet, reminiscent of Larry McMurtry’s knack for storytelling depth, he also ensures that correct history meshes well with entertainment value.
Case in point: there’s seemingly insignificant dialogue about a calico bonnet vs. a lace bonnet from Virgil Earp’s wife, Allie, in the minutes after his near-assassination in December 1881. Though she likely didn’t make this statement at that exact time, it corresponds with her reminiscences about an argument she once had with Virgil, as quoted in Frank Waters’ The Earp Brothers of Tombstone. Hence, as acknowledged in his post-script, Estleman makes an effort at plausibly honoring the known speech patterns/statements of these historical figures. His narrative also wisely sticks to focused plotting vs. delving into too much detail re: local politics and name-dropping too many cronies.
As he does in Tombstone and Wyatt Earp, ‘Doc’ Holliday’s cantankerous presence predictably steals the show. It’s no wonder why Estleman saves revealing Holliday’s destiny for last in the finale. As for Wyatt Earp, Estleman’s semi-generic take isn’t that of a stalwart legend-in-the-making. Instead, Estleman’s Wyatt comes off, like Virgil and Morgan, as all too believably mortal, in spite of his fearlessly superhuman luck.
Estleman further incorporates biographical depth for his expansive cast, including ‘Big Nose’ Kate Fisher, Josephine ‘Sadie’ Marcus, and John Ringo, fleshing them out as people vs. shallow-as-cardboard supporting players. Hence, the Earp wives and Kate Fisher receive their just due as the long-suffering heart and backbone of the Earp-Holliday faction.
Ultimately, the author’s due diligence matters; it’s what really makes Bloody Season a satisfying read. Aside from some nasty dialogue, it’s an ideal compromise between the history section and Westerns at the bookstore.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
Included in Chapter 20 is a glimpse at present-day Tombstone, as if it’s haunted by legend. It isn’t lost on Estleman how the town, in search of the almighty tourist dollar, shamelessly thrives on its old infamy. Estleman’s 1986 post-script is insightful, as he acknowledges that his novel is indeed “fiction based on fact.” Further,he makes clear that Bloody Season isn’t meant as hero worship; rather, he calls it an effort to reach the Old West that Wyatt Earp and his contemporaries inhabited.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
