Reviews for Jack Slade : Song of the Butcherbird
Library Journal
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DEBUT Bestselling self-help author Gostick's (The Carrot Principle) first novel is a Western set in 1860. Jack Slade is a wagonmaster in the Nebraska Territory when the head of the Overland Stage Company promotes him to division agent, overseeing all the way stations and outposts in the area. A veteran of the Mexican-American War, Slade has a (mostly earned) reputation as a gunfighter. His first task is cleaning up the company by firing the corrupt stationmasters and stopping losses. He has always been fond of drink, and one morning forgets his gun as he rides up on such a station. Slade's men watch helplessly as the dismissed stationmaster empties a six-gun and a shotgun into him. Amazingly, Slade survives, and as he recuperates he wonders how he should respond. The stationmaster has fled the territory, so Slade begins reforming the stage line. When he hears that his nemesis is back, he prepares for what could be justice or vengeance. Based on a true story, Gostick's fiction debut offers a detailed and thrilling view of the pre-Civil War West. VERDICT Fans of both historical fiction and westerns will enjoy this American tale.—Dan Forrest
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
In his short life, Jack Slade carved out an outsized reputation: Pony Express superintendent and notorious gunslinger, disciplined and hard-nosed yet chaotic. Gostick focuses his novel on one specific chapter in Slade’s short life. Promoted to division agent for the Overland Stagecoach & Freight Company in 1860, Slade was tasked with firing Jules Beni, a regional stage keeper known for both his physical size and violent rages. When confronted, Beni shoots Slade without remorse. During Slade’s convalescence, Gostick focuses on his foibles, like his propensity to drink and his emotional detachment from the men closest to him, making Slade more man than myth. As Slade recovers, Gostick picks up the novel’s pace, highlighting the extensive lengths deputized men were willing to go to bring Beni to justice. Once Slade’s task is completed and his welcome with Overland worn out, Gostick turns to Slade's final act in the Montana Territory, ending the novel with gentle foreshadowing of his unfortunate demise. Gostick, who previously authored business books on employee engagement and corporate culture, deftly pivots to American folklore in this richly detailed western.
