Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell
subtitled: A Novel of the O.K. Corral ... so yes, that's what this is. I like Russell, her The Sparrow is one of my favorite books. I like a good western. I like historical fiction. I like a good showdown and a who doesn't like a good pistol fight? What could go wrong? In the final analysis, not much. I got what I came for, plus some. Russell's writing is easy on the reader, pulling you in without a struggle. The OK corral legend is a fine stand alone story and Russell spins it as a tale of love...between men and women (though those don't tend to turn out so great) and between brothers and between men who chose to be "brothers". Its a tale of law enforcement doing the best they can in trying times (we could take a lesson or two on this in our own day and age) and of a new land struggling to figure out what its legacy will be. I picked this one up off the bargain shelf at B&N and it was a step above the typical fare I find there. I liked