Dear Western Readers,
The 4th of July weekend is here, and what better way to mark our Independence Day than by diving into a review of Day of Independence, a 2014 Western penned by ghostwriters and attributed to the late William W. Johnstone and his niece, J.A. Johnstone. I stumbled across a paperback version at a Dollar General for just $3 in 2023, and now, I'm finally getting around to reading it and sharing my thoughts.
The story centers on Texas Ranger Hank Cannan, a name that rings a bell, leading me to wonder if he’s appeared in other novels. A quick internet search didn’t provide a definitive answer, leaving me puzzled. If anyone has any insights on this, please share—it's going to drive me bonkers!
Now, back to the plot. Ranger Cannan suffers serious injuries during a shootout and finds himself waking up in the corrupt town of Last Chance, Texas. He hardly has a moment to recover, as Abraham Hacker, the local baron with ambitions of running for President, sends gunslingers to deal with the Texas Ranger. Unbeknownst to them, Cannan is a quick draw, managing to narrowly escape each deadly encounter, albeit with more injuries along the way. Hacker devises a plot straight out of The Wild Wild West, intending to unleash a wave of illegal immigrants on the town. Naturally, Cannan is the only one who can put a stop to his schemes.
The novel is packed with shootouts and action scenes. However, I found the pacing to be uneven; it often slowed down due to an overload of short-lived, unnecessary characters. Hank Cannan fits the mold of the typical "goody two-shoes" hero—an instantly likable family man with a badge who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The main antagonist is a stereotypical, overweight baron surrounded by the usual henchmen.
Regarding the narration, despite the pacing hiccups, the writing is commendable. However, I wish the characters had more distinct Texas dialects and individual traits. Many of the side characters blended and lacked personalities. If it weren't for the speech tags, I wouldn't have known who was conversing with whom.
In conclusion, Day of Independence is an action-packed, nostalgic Western that’s far from perfect, but I still found it enjoyable. ╌★★★½✰
⁓B.J. Burgess
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