Review: An Instant Classic
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 18, 2014
There is something about the Wild Wild West that fascinates people all over the world, even for people that have never met a cowboy or seen a John Wayne film, and Van Holt has a way of bringing that world to life on the page. The Return of Frank Graben is the second Van Holt novel that I read, and I know that I'll read plenty more. The first time wasn't a fluke, put it that way. I think this was a bit darker than the first one, with a bit more violence, but not in an unnecessarily gory or gratuitous way. I hate to call this spaghetti western writing, because that undermines it, but the feel of the story is more important the content, if that makes sense. Van Holt can create a mood better than most authors, and he is a master of tension. I sometimes feel myself getting anxious while reading the book, even though I can simply put it down if I want (I never do....). My only critique is that sometimes, as I commented on the first novel I read by Van Holt, his scenes seem to be cut short. However, it is not done in an intentionally abrupt way, and it occasionally feels like he got bored with a scene or wanted to move on to something else. Overall, this is my only critique - give every scene the proper amount of writing that it deserves. That being said, get this book! If you love a good Western, this will keep you entertained and you'll definitely be coming back for more from Van Holt.