Hanging Judge
Written by Elmer Kelton
Narrated by Jason Culp
4/5
()
About this audiobook
Elmer Kelton, voted "The Greatest Western Writer of All Time" by the Western Writers of America, is a legend in the field of Western literature. Famous for his realistic characters and accurate depictions of the history of his home state of Texas, Elmer Kelton continues to write exceptional novels of American history.
In Hanging Judge, Justin Moffitt is eager to help keep the peace as a deputy marshal in small-town Texas. That is, until Justin is assigned to the wrong marshal-a "hanging judge" who is as famous for his ruthlessness as he is for his commitment to justice. When Justin's boss hangs a controversial criminal, Justin must defend himself against an army of friends and relatives, desperate for revenge.
Elmer Kelton
Elmer Kelton (1926-2009) was the award-winning author of more than forty novels, including The Time It Never Rained, Other Men’s Horses, Texas Standoff and Hard Trail to Follow. He grew up on a ranch near Crane, Texas, and earned a journalism degree from the University of Texas. His first novel, Hot Iron, was published in 1956. Among his awards were seven Spurs from Western Writers of America and four Western Heritage awards from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. His novel The Good Old Boys was made into a television film starring Tommy Lee Jones. In addition to his novels, Kelton worked as an agricultural journalist for 42 years. He served in the infantry in World War II. He died in 2009.
More audiobooks from Elmer Kelton
The Time It Never Rained Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Barbed Wire Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Far Canyon Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dark Thicket Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Man Who Rode Midnight Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Stand Proud Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cloudy in the West Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eyes of a Hawk Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Shotgun Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Long Way to Texas: Three Novels Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hot Iron Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Captain's Rangers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Man Who Rode Midnight [Dramatized Adaptation] Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Eyes of the Hawk [Dramatized Adaptation] Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Llano River Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Texas Sunrise [Dramatized Adaptation] Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wolf and the Buffalo (1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bitter Trail Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Donovan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Captain's Rangers [Dramatized Adaptation] Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pecos Crossing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Hanging Judge
Related audiobooks
Llano River Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lone Star Ranger Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ralph Compton Blood Duel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Bitter Trail Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hot Iron Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Captain's Rangers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ranger's Trail Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Many a River Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Donovan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hard Trail to Follow Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Joe Pepper Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shadow of a Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Abilene Trail: A Ralph Compton Novel by Dusty Richards Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Pumpkin Rollers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Kidnapping of Collie Younger Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Night of the Coyote Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bowie's Mine Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJericho's Road Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pecos Crossing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eyes of a Hawk Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ralph Compton Tin Star Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCaptain's Rangers [Dramatized Adaptation] Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Death & Texas Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Seventh Man Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Shootout in Dodge City Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBilly Ray and the Good News Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Trail To Fort Smith Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Six Bits a Day Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Branch and the Scaffold Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wagontongue Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Western Fiction For You
Dance Hall of the Dead Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Showdown Trail: A Novel of Wagon Train Days Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Louis L'Amour Collection Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5News of the World: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Deadwood: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rider of Lost Creek Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Trail Mix Volume One: Riding for the Brand, The Black Rock Coffin Makers, and Dutchman's Flat Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Serpent's Tooth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Red Rabbit Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5West of the Pecos: A Western Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5That Dark and Bloody River: Chronicles of the Ohio River Valley Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Another Man's Moccasins Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Son Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Raylan: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Depth of Winter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5True Grit Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Where the Lost Wander: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Crossing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5T. H. Elkman: A Western Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Trail Driver: A Western Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Where Coyotes Howl Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chenneville: A Novel of Murder, Loss, and Vengeance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All the Pretty Horses Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Death Comes for the Archbishop Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Man Called Trent Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Streets Of Laredo Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Follow the Angels, Follow the Doves: The Bass Reeves Trilogy, Book One Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Cold Millions: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Hanging Judge
10 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Substance: A young man is introduced to the heart-break of bringing justice to the Old West, applying the law to friend and foe alike, and overcomes his own unthinking bigotry and prejudices (the author's deliberate intent, of course). Villains are villains and good guys are good guys, despite the complexity of the situations.Style: Literate Western style. The language is decidedly not PC, but is required to get across the author's main point, which is to combat stereotyped prejudice. (This is where the PC-enforcers miss the boat, of course, applying their own stereotyped bigotry regardless of the context).NOTES: p.v-vi - Judge Isaac C. Parker is real; although known as the "hanging judge" from his propensity to apply the death penalty in gallows "spectaculars", he only hanged 79 persons out of 160 condemned out of 344 capital cases out of over 9000 defendants. "They were a desperate lot, and the times called for desperate measures." For perspective, 65 of his deputies were killed in the line of duty.p. vii - "To the end, the judge maintained that public sympathy was too often misplaced. "Sympathy should not be reserved for the criminal," he declared. "I believe in standing on the right side of the innocent, quiet, peaceful, law-abiding citizen. Is there no sympathy for him?" "p. p. 52 - After throwing in their lot with a family that once tried to kill them, experienced deputy Sam Dark and green-horn Justin Moffit retire to the barn to sleep.Justin is suspicious, and wants to keep watches. Sam replies,"When these people decide to fight us again they'll do it in broad daylight and facin' us. Better get yourself some rest."** Firefly fans, take note.**
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Elmer Kelton's style of writing closely emulates that of Louis L'Amour but instead of romanticizing the west, Kelton infuses his stories with the solidity of real places and historical characters.This story, however, differs significantly from previous books by the same author which I have read. The historical figure in question, Judge Parker, stays largely in the background. Instead, the story focuses on Justin Moffit, a young man who feels he has a personal debt to discharge to society. In many ways, it's a coming-of-age story as Justin learns the value of oaths and friendships and that the law in order to be effective must truly be blind with regard to those relationships between the lawman and those who break the law.The book's ending leaves the reader unsatisfied, however, with a feeling that nothing has been resolved. A lot of questions are left unanswered and the manner in which Justin deals with the final situation seems out of character for him.