The Ballad of Black Bart

Equally the story of Charles Bolton, aka the outlaw Black Bart, and James B. Hume, Wells Fargo's chief of detectives, this well-researched historical novel transports readers to San Francisco in the late 1800s. Both men have reputations to uphold: Black Bart as the mannerly, poem-writing outlaw who robs Well Fargo stagecoaches on foot; Hume as the straight-up sleuth who uses files and investigative methods instead of guns to catch a thief. The Spur- and Shamus Award-winning Estleman ("Valentino" and "Amos Walker" mysteries) infuses plenty of humorous anecdotes as he outlines the eight-year career of the flour-sack-masked bandit who signs his notes "Black Bart, The Po8." The tone shifts to serious as Hume is portrayed as a man sharing similar features and history with his target but who stays squarely on the right side of the law. More character-driven than other Estleman titles, this title is peppered with clever turns of phrase, literary allusions, and plenty of vernacular from the time period.