Books You Should Read: "Backshot" by Ed Gorman and Tom Piccirilli

Cemetery Dance has two signed, limited edition hardcovers, with interconnected storylines available. The titles: Backshot: 1902 by Ed Gorman, and Backshot: 2012 by Tom Piccirilli. The stories are connected across one hundred years by Marshal Delmar Royce. Royce is a character in 1902, and the grandfather of the anti-hero protagonist in 2012.

1902 is a hardboiled, noirish—ish because there is always a touch of hope in Ed Gorman’s work no matter how dark—Western. In my review earlier this year I wrote:

“It is very much like an old Gold Medal crime novel—a man trapped in a situation far out of his control, his downfall brought by a beautiful woman, and his redemption in the arms of another. It is developed with Ed Gorman’s masterful colors of humanity. The most egregious, nasty villains are painted with the light brush of understanding, creating a moral ambiguity that is more horrifying than straight evil. It is an understated masterpiece, an apt description of many of Ed Gorman’s works, and well worth the price of admission.” [Read the review]

2012 is a richly textured crime novel with betrayal and revenge at its core. It is dark, splendid, and written with a style that very few writers are capable of. In my review earlier this year I wrote:

“It is thematically complex with a heaviness of the past’s influence on the present. Royce is haunted by the image of a man he will never meet, Delmar Royce, and Quill is tormented by the shadow of his abusive father. The story never strays into predictability, and Royce is, if not exactly likable, understandable and even familiar.” [Read the review]

Both of these titles can be purchased directly from Cemetery Dance (click the titles below to see the webpage for each book):

Backshot: 1902 by Ed Gorman

Backshot: 2012 by Tom Piccirilli