This fun book works both as a western, and a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Die-hard fans of the show - as is often the case - will no doubt find a few things to nitpick, but I found differences to be minor, and inconsequential for reading purposes. Joseph A. West has given us not only a trip down memory lane, but a fine and atmospheric novel in the genre. Blood, Bullets, and Buckskin is a fast read laced with humor, excitement, and characters with whom most of us are at least somewhat familiar. It is no wonder that Matt Dillion himself, James Arness, wrote the forward to this fun book.

Making Matt Dillon the town Marshall of Dodge City rather than a United States Marshall ensures that most of the stories in the series will be centered in the place we came to know and love over the years. This is not one of those sketchy books just written to cash in on a good thing, however. The author has an ear for dialog and captures the way people spoke to one another during the period. And he does a fine job of capturing the essence of the characters we came to know over many seasons.

Whether Matt Dillon is lighting an oil lamp, or sending Festus out to make his rounds along Texas Street, it all rings true. You can almost feel the rain on Dillon's yellow slicker as he rides long into the night after killers. In the author's hands the reader senses danger as hard men converge on Dodge for a war in which Matt may have to choose a side. A young man named Sean Tyree shows up in Dodge with legendary gunfighter and gambler, Logan St. Claire, eager to settle a score. After St. Clair's murder, one deadly friend of his after another arrives, along with a slew of cowhands. Young Sean Tyree will set up a confrontation the town, and Matt, may not survive.

The relationship between Matt and Kitty which was implied in the show is fleshed out here. It was an unspoken truth that Matt and Kitty belonged to each other, and would be together once Dodge no longer needed the firm hand of a good man with a fast gun. Doc is out of town in this one, as noted by others, but Festus and Miss Kitty are here. Just as in the television series, Matt Dillon looms larger-than-life over the city of Dodge in this fun and somewhat nostalgic read from Joseph A. West. Definitely worth a read for fans. ( )