A Last Serenade for Billy Bonney

"In this deeply researched novel of America's most celebrated outlaw, Mark Warren sheds light on the human side of Billy the Kid, and reveals the intimate stories of the lesser-known players in his legendary life of crime. Warren's fictional composer and Santa Fe journalist, John Blessing, is assigned to report on a jailed prisoner who calls himself "William H. Bonney," but what begins as a formal interview evolves into an unexpected relationship and a self-examination of Blessing's own cultured, city values.

After the Kid's death, Blessing embarks on a journey to find Billy's comrades and acquaintances - those who loved the Kid ... and others who despised him. Through the reporter's interviews, the reader is exposed to the historical events and the influential people who helped to shape the Kid's life.

Was Billy Bonney a cold-blooded killer without a conscience, or was he a victim of the machinations of corrupt politicians in "the Santa Fe Ring"? Ride along with John Blessing as he unravels one of Western history's most fascinating enigmas.

At the story's end, the journalist, John Blessing, reveals the completed song he has written to honor Billy. The words and music comprise the last pages of the book. (Ask a musician friend to play it for you.)

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