Well written book that tries to tie a group of fictional sociopathic outlaws to a social history of the US in the late 1800s. Doesn't really succeed but it gives you a phalanx of colorful characters to follow and buckets of blood get spilled. Sort of Tarantino meets Cormack McCarthy if each were showcasing one of their middling efforts.

That was quite a ride.

L’équivalent littéraire d’un western spaghetti réalisé par Tarantino. Les personnages ne sont pas d’une grande profondeur, mais c’est hautement divertissant et il n’y a absolument aucune longueur ou temps mort. Le roman est dérivé d’une série de nouvelles donc la structure est très épisodique, mais ça ne m’a pas posé problème. Plus près des westerns de Zahler que de McMurtry.

7.5/10

I picked up a copy of this book because the words "psychopathic killer" and "hyperkinetic Western noir" caught my attention. This book did not disappoint in the killing aspect. There were a lot of bodies piling up quickly as the story progressed. Yet, even with this factor, I did not find any of the characters that intriguing. They were just alright. Thus the story never really grabbed me and pulled me in and embraced me. After a while I found myself just drifting along skimming the story. Again only because I wanted to see how it would all play out that I did stick with the book. I could though see this book being turned into a movie produced by Quentin Tarantino. This style of book is right up that alley.

Warning to readers as there is language used.

I received this book in a goodreads giveaway. When I was notified that I won this book I was excited and nervous. It is a subject matter that I don't often read and was worried it would follow a similar pattern to many westerns that I read. All the worrying was for nothing. This book was difficult to put down once I started it. There was always something interesting or exciting happening. I enjoyed getting to see the "family" from the different angles of the members of the family. While reading this book I couldn't help but think about how people are all altered by experiences in different ways and that it is hard to judge someone unless you have been in their shoes. This book really showcases that we learn our morals from those around us and right and wrong is not a universal concept.

A great spaghetti western epic meets Cormac McCarthy. I would have liked a Quentin vs Winter showdown in the end, though.

This book is so violent, and for me to say it- it's a lot.

Ultra-violent western that concentrates more on mood and atmosphere than on actual story as it follows the fictional Winter Family Gang from their pre-formation Civil War days to their years of criminal rampaging.

*Note: This book was won through a Goodreads giveaway.*

I won the bound galley version. While it’s not my normal preference for reading, I was surprisingly interested in the book. Maybe, it could be my love for crime and justice that lured me in. Overall, a pretty good read.