Gunsmoke & Grit: 'Cut Them Down' Fails to Deliver Authentic Western Flavor

Dear Western Readers, 

Gunsmoke & Grit aims to express my passion for the ever-diminishing Western fiction genre. I set out with no intention of writing a negative review, but I also refuse to sugarcoat my feelings about a book. The title in question is Cut Them Down by T.G. Brown, an independent author who needs to invest in a competent editor. I suspect he either didn’t hire a professional or, if he did, he should ask for a refund. Once again, I’m striving not to be overly harsh, but I simply didn't enjoy this book. 

From my brief investigation, it appears that T.G. Brown has published two other books—modern tribal police procedurals, which I haven’t read—and Cut Them Down represents his full-fledged foray into Western literature. Amazon and Goodreads categorize this book as part of the Warren Lawson series, but the connection is beyond my understanding, and frankly, I don’t care to delve deeper. 

Several four- and five-star reviews exist for this book. While I’m not here to judge other readers' tastes, my take is quite the opposite. 

The storyline revolves around the wrongful arrest of a man accused of a murder he likely didn’t commit. As the story unfolds, the Sheriff and his deputy start to suspect he might indeed be innocent, prompting them to investigate before the man faces execution. 

While the plot isn’t groundbreaking—many Westerns recycle familiar narratives—I don't hold that against the story itself. My issue lies with the author’s writing style, which strikes me as generic and amateurish. Have you ever heard the expression, "Show, don't tell"? It seems the author is unfamiliar with it. The narrative includes many backstories that would have been more effective if presented through the characters' dialogue instead of being awkwardly inserted into the text. Furthermore, several of these backstories are irrelevant and could have been easily omitted from the final draft.

The protagonist embodies the typical sheriff archetype, which isn’t inherently a problem, but this character comes off as rather wooden. Other characters lack depth, making them one-dimensional and forgettable. 

Most of the dialogue feels out of place for the nineteenth-century setting; it comes across as too modern for my taste. To clarify, I enjoy the '70s and '80s adult Westerns, but Cut Them Down is riddled with unnecessary and misplaced profanity. The dialogue lacks flow, and the characters all sound alarmingly similar, causing further pacing issues. 

Overall, Cut Them Down is a poorly crafted Western thriller that fails to bring anything fresh to the genre. Aside from one shocking death, the story is laden with clichés and tropes. The weak characters, stilted dialogue, inadequate descriptions, and pacing problems contributed to my disappointment. Perhaps other readers appreciate it for whatever reasons, and that’s their prerogative. However, I cannot recommend Cut Them Down. ╌★★✰✰✰

Note: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

⁓B.J. Burgess