A-Z Challenge Review: End of the Trail by Jane Elliot

Why I bought the book: I bought this as part of a huge order with Manifold Press on the strength of several good reviews of their books.

Plot: Will owns an isolated cattle ranch and is eeking out a living on the land with his wife and son.  They rescue a stranger, John, who has been shot and nurse him back to health.  After John leaves Will discovers that John is a wanted man with a high price on his head.  When John returns a few years later he finds Will alone and crippled.  Will takes him in again so as not to disrespect his wife's memory, but over the next year Will and John discover a closeness that Will could never have imagined before.

This book is like a fine old western film.  Set sometime in the 1800s it beautifully recreates life in the wild west with all its difficulties, its harshness and its dangers without the book seeming overly bleak or hopeless.  The plot is gentle, with the focus only on the two men and the way they get along with keeping up the cattle ranch whilst hiding John from the outside world.  The romance develops slowly in and amongst the story and the gentle pace was perfect in making the change in their relationship natural and believable.  There's not much action in the story, it's very quiet in that respect, but I was still completely engrossed in what was happening on the page and the pages turned quickly.

Characters:  Because the book is so wholly focused on the two men and their interactions with each each other, it's important that both men are sympathetic.  Gentle, stoic and good Will was easy to like.  He's an easy-going man with a sly sense of humour and I found myself laughing a few times over some of his witty observations about his life with John.  His lack of judgement of John was necessary to the plot, as is his sympathy at John's life story, but he still retains a moral fortitude that makes him uncomfortable at some of the things that John  has done to gain his reputation.  The fact that he keeps his feelings about that to himself, made him all the more sympathetic.  As an outlaw, and a murderer, you would think that John would be less sympathetic.  That wasn't the case for me, despite some pretty terrible things in his life.  The fact that he is still likeable, even though we know he's earned the bounty on his head is proof of the skill of the author in her characterisation of John.  Both men are products of their time and are very masculine in their outlook.  There're no high emotions here or sharing of feelings as both men are quiet and taciturn in nature.  Instead their growing feelings for each other are shown again and again through their actions and behaviour towards each other.  It was skilfully done.

Overall:  This was a delicately written story with a great balance between showing the romance and also grounded the story firmly in a time and place.  The historical setting is just as much part of the narrative as the characters and their relationship without ever being heavy-handed.  Will and John are isolated but they are also part of a small community, and as such there's a tension to the story over whether John will be discovered.  This wasn't overwhelming, but added a slight danger to the mundane life they lead together.

One note of warning for those who don't like such things.  There are two m/m/f sex scenes in the book where Will and John engage the services of a prostitute.  They are short and also very necessary to the development of the romance - in fact almost key scenes.  For that reason alone I understood their inclusion.

I don't think I have anything negative to say about this book.  I really, really enjoyed reading it and it gets a grade of 'Excellent' from me.  I was thrust into the era, the characters and the plot, and was very sad to finish.  The book ends as the men are starting a new turning point and I hope this means that their story is going to be continued into a next book.

Buy this book HERE.