The Return of Kid Cooper

A Novel

By: Brad Smith

Narrated by: Milton Bagby

In the style of Cormac McCarthy, a gritty tale of justice and revenge in the Wild West

The year is 1910.

Nate Cooper is an old-school cowboy. He sees the change brought by the turn of the century - horses giving way to motorcars, his girlfriend marrying his best friend, and his nemesis running for governor - and reckons none of it to be good. The west is being tamed, and with progress, some things are lost. But people? They tend to stay the same. Even after spending nearly 30 years in a Montana prison for a wrongful murder conviction, Nate’s moral compass is true and unwavering: He does all the wrong things for all the right reasons.

So when he returns to his northern Montana ranching town to find the Blackfoot Indians - the people he went to prison trying to defend - are still being cheated out of their territory by ranchers, Nate can’t rest on his laurels. With grit, determination, a quick trigger finger, and the help of the woman he used to love, Nate sets out to settle the score and force some justice in to the changing world. Before long, though, he will discover that justice doesn’t come cheap.

©2018 Skyhorse Publishing (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing

Critic reviews

A Western Writers of America 2019 Spur Award Winner

“A compelling, action-packed romp through politics, romance, morality and history.” (Toronto Star)

Storyline falls down…

…when it’s picked up it’s wavering. Never really gets back on track. It needed to be about 90 minutes longer with some hair raising Indian battles as they fight the government for being short changed. Whitey had to pay for the lying and cheating Scoundrels that they are! Has anything really changed in the government? It’s just gotten worse.

Captivating Western with a New Slant

A former cowboy of the old west returns after a thirty year prison stint to find that much has changed at the turn-of-the-century. He embarks on a mission to right an old wrong committed against a tribe that has been robbed of their land. I found the story to be captivating and a thoroughly enjoyable read. Both the writing and narration were superb and engaging. Characters were believable and genuine. A great western!

Not great, but a good man!

The year is 1910 and the first automobiles are showing up in the town of Deer Creek. We’re going to partake in a story of the not so Wild West. Progress, technology, and modern inventions were making their way across the country and the way of the cowboy was said to be in jeopardy. Cattle rustling never seemed to go out of style though. An Indian reservation near Deer Creek and rustling appeared to go hand in hand, and this would come to a head at some point. Nate Cooper returns to his old stomping grounds after twenty-eight years in prison for shooting a man. His old sweetheart Rose married his best friend Harry and they had done very well over the past three decades. Nate stayed around, riding over the countryside reminiscing. When he came upon the reservation, he was shocked and disturbed at the condition of the place and the people. Once again, their land had been taken, leaving them with little to survive on. Nate was not impressed and thought to change things. Little did he realize the old can of worms that would be opened. It’s a great story, the characters are amazing and realistic. I enjoyed the tale very much. Highly recommend.

Very truthful portrayal!

We can “live” in that time period through the book. The characters came to life and became part us. A good book!

Great Western

A very enjoyable traditional Western novel. Great characters, plenty of gunplay. Narrator was a good choice, his voice suited the characters.