IR VERDICT:
In the not too distant future, law in the United States has largely disbanded, and guns, gangs and frontier justice are widespread—when there’s any justice at all. Into the Southwestern landscape steps an enigmatic figure called the Wanderer, who, joined by a daring journalist and a savvy bounty hunter, might save the soul of the nation. THE WANDERER AND THE NEW WEST sports smart prose, entertaining dialogue and distinctive characters, and it reads at a breakneck pace. Although occasionally awkward in its messaging, Adam Bender’s novel is tight, literate pulp.