In NORTHFIELD, Johnny D. Boggs fictionalizes the famed 1876 attempted bank robbery in Minnesota by notorious outlaw Jesse James and the James-Younger gang. Several men died, but some of them belonged to the bad guys’ side.
The tale has been told many times before, but Boggs’ ingenious move is to tell it from planning, to execution, to aftermath, with virtually every new chapter told from the viewpoint of a different character, many of which never pop up again in the narrative. It works, and keeps the story on its toes.
In Kansas City, Bill Stiles hatches the plan, telling the James and Younger boys of “filthy rich” banks just ripe for the plucking. Off they go, taking a train — the first they intend not to rob, they note. They plot, enjoy the company of strangers, take comfort in the arms and legs of whores, and then storm the First National Bank of Northfield, claiming to have 40 armed men waiting outside.
History tells us things didn’t go as planned, and Boggs drops us right in the thick of it, primarily from those inside who were surprised by the intrusion and fought back — some surviving, some not. NORTHFIELD is bookended by Cole Younger expressing regret over the whole situation, which lends the Western an odd touch of humanity, lifting it above the average oater.
It helps if you know beforehand all the players involved — Wikipedia it — so that you’re not slowed trying to keep names straight. Boggs mostly does a good job in distinguishing the different voices; while the outlaws tend to sound the same, minor characters have their own flavorful tone, especially the prostitute Mollie Ellsworth, who speaks a welcome brand of saucy (“If you whore long enough, nothing surprises you, and I have worked the tenderloin a long, long time”).
Although those who hate the genre wouldn’t find this an opinion-changer, NORTHFIELD is more accessible than most Westerns; the vibes generated by cover’s resemblance to the film TOMBSTONE can’t be accidental, can it? —Rod Lott
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• EAST OF THE BORDER by Johnny D. Boggs
• WALK PROUD, STAND TALL by Johnny D. Boggs
Related posts:
- East of the Border
- Walk Proud, Stand Tall
- Ghost Town
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Spillane … ‘Nuff Said!
- Bad Day at Willow Creek
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I have read Northfield, as well as a number of Boggs’ novels and he is quite a riveting storyteller. Don’t hesitate to get to know this writer.