Law and Social Movements Book

The Law in Somos Santos is the third in a series of several novels that focus on Fast Larry Shaw, and his friend, Crayton Dawson. Shaw is a notorious gunfighter who is motivated by the murder of his wife. Dawson is Shaw's childhood friend, who had an affair with Shaw's wife, but who feels terrible about it, since he engaged in the affair after believing Shaw was dead. That said, the first book in this series focuses on the two of them as they seek out Shaw's wife's murderers.

The second book focuses on Dawson exclusively, as he makes his way back to his home in Somos Santos. In this, the third book, Dawson is now the sheriff of Somos Santos. He is living with his former wife's sister, Carmeleita, though they have grown apart. The title of this novel leads one to believe that the plot focuses around Dawson defending his town. Thought that's where the novel ultimately ends up, the odd reality of this novel is that 75% of it focuses on the outlaws, not Dawson, and not on Somos Santos. I've never read a western before, where the vast majority of the novel focused on developing the characters and exploits of the "bad guys." Though they sure are an interesting bunch of miscreants and societal degenerates, I have become invested in Shaw, and in Dawson, and when the shooting starts, I want those two involved in the action.

I'm going to move on to the fourth novel in this series, A Bad Day at Willow Creek, only because I like the author's writing style, and I care about Shaw and Dawson, but if I had read The Law in Somos Santos first, without any prior knowledge of either character, I probably wouldn't read further. Again, I am just stunned that so much of this book focuses around the outlaws, most of whom I could care less about, and would PREFER to see dead. Strange. Very strange. In any event, the plot moves rather slowly. A few banks are robbed, and the outlaws, as expected, betray each other, and in the end they all meet up in Somos Santos, where Dawson must protect his town. You know how the rest ends up. I go into the next novel with some trepidation, though I have read that Larry Shaw will be the focus of the next novel, which I'm looking forward to. I assume that Dawson and Shaw will partner up in future installments. Until then...