South California Purples is a historical, western mystery. April 1973. Cattle rancher Ty Dawson is getting a late start on Spring Works and things aren’t going well with four of his cows dead. Then the Korean war veteran is tagged to act as the undersheriff when a dispute between a horse trainer and the Bureau of Land Management turns into dangerous spectacle.
Bottom line: South California Purples is for you if you like a strong hero who can use his head as well as a gun
Baron Birtcher’s writing style can best be described as lyrical. From his description of sunrises, to the land of the Double Diamond ranch, to the people and events of Meridian, Oregon, his style is smooth and sophisticated yet easy to read. Ty Dawson is our narrator, and you pick up the cadence of his speech. If you’re like me and tend to “hear” characters, you’ll enjoy listening to Dawson.
Dawson is a hero. He lives by a code of honor in good times and tough times. That code is put to the test in Sour California Purples and it interesting to watch how he navigates that code while accepting his conscription as undersheriff. We meet his wife, Jesse, and daughter, Cricket, as well as the men who help run the Double D. The “cast” is large enough to support the story without being overwhelming with townsfolk who don’t have a role in this story.
The plot is on the complex end of the spectrum. There are three storylines. The murder of one of Dawson’s ranch hands along with having four of his cows not just killed but blown up. The stand-off between a horse trainer and the federal Bureau of Land Management, which draws in hippie protesters, a documentary film crew, and a violent motorcycle club. The mysterious Blackwood who looks like a biker but acts that something dangerously different. If there is a morale to this story, it is found in the horse trainer whose good intentions to protect the wild horses from a cruel culling is subverted by people with selfish motivations.
South California Purples is the first in the Ty Dawson series. I had read Book 3 (Reckoning) and Book 4 (Knife River) as Toe Tags (Follow links to hear first chapters). It is rare that I come back to the start of a series when I’ve joined mid-stream, but I am very glad I did. Having gotten to know Dawson, his family, and his ranch hands, reading Book 1 was an origin story that added texture and meaning to the allusion of the later books.
There wasn’t much not to like. As I think about the story in the days since I finished it, I have a question or two on the premise and I thought one murder was out of proportion to the rest of the story. These are definitely subjective points and did not detract from my enjoyment.
Overall, this is an excellent opener to the series and is a must read for fans of western mysteries and historical/vintage mysteries.
TG Wolff 