Confessions of a Gunfighter (The Landon Saga Book 1) by Tell Cotten

Rondo Landon has not had an easy life in Texas in 1871. His father gave him a weapon confiscated from a dead Union soldier since he was a talented sniper from a young age. Rondo had had aspirations of running a respectable business, but in the Wild West, aspirations aren’t often realised, thus he quickly turns to crime.

Rondo’s criminal history has finally caught up with him, and it’s time for him to own up to his crimes. The good, the bad, and the ugly of Rondo Landon’s life are detailed in Confessions Of A Gunfighter, and what a life it has been!

Confessions Of A Gunfighter is a true western in every meaning of the term, yet it’s not what you may imagine when you think of books about good guys and bad guys. Rondo is undoubtedly a figure that wears a black hat. He is unpolished and unprepared, but he gives us the most thorough account of himself that anyone could.

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While reading Rondo, the reader wonders, “What would I do in such grave situations?” However, the events that follow are really entertaining to read, even though this somewhat spoiled reader finds it difficult to picture dealing with the challenges of the Old West, let alone becoming involved with an outlaw group. The book’s writing style, which is Western-inspired but not overdone to the point of being artificial—after all, we are reading Rondo’s story in his own words—adds to the realism by placing the reader “on the set” of the narrative.

The novel Confessions Of A Gunfighter is exceptionally well-written and meticulously created. There are few crucial moments where it is clear to the reader that Rondo’s character has been given an additional layer. He is a character the reader gradually gets to know, whether he is good or terrible, and this is ultimately his narrative. The plot is quite plausible. The reader gets a feeling while reading that everything on that page could, and indeed did happen at that time. Perhaps gunslingers of the day didn’t have the internal checks that Rondo does and the defined lines he won’t cross.

Why would someone confess to the crimes they’ve committed, you might wonder? For one thing, it is the focus of the book, and for another, despite Rondo’s desire to clear the air, it appears to be a form of purification for him. The novel’s premise is quite plausible. Rondo seeks to purge his soul rather than escape anything. He understands that he will pass away—whether by hangman’s noose or as a result of his lifestyle—and that a man must have faith in something greater than himself.

Readers sensitive to sex or violence need not fear this novel. There’s violence but it’s not especially graphically described. This is, after all, a recount of the action and not the reader living it with the character. Confessions Of A Gunfighter is a perfect read for anyone interested in historical fiction or the western advance.

About The Book

His Pa gave him the ivory-handled Colt; Ben Kinrich taught him how to use it.

This, in his owns words, is the tale of Rondo Landon.

Rondo is a troubled gunfighter with quite a past. Recognized by his six-gun, he is known for robbing banks, stagecoaches, payrolls, and rustling cows. Now, locked in a jail, it looks like Rondo will be facing a long term prison term, or worse.

But, before that happens, Rondo has a few things to say…