3:10 To Yuma by Elmore Leonard

3:10 To Yuma is one of the most popular and enduring Western tales written by Elmore Leonard. It was made into a film in 1957 starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin, which is such a classic itself. It was remade in 2007 with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale.

In the classic Three Ten To Yuma, Deputy Paul Scallen has the duty to transport convicted outlaw Jim Kidd to Yuma, stopping in the sleepy town of Contention. His job will be only be done and justice served when Kidd is officially behind bars. His suspicions are soon confirmed when he discovers there are various seedy characters waiting in the shadows of the deserted streets - Kidd's men - ready to enact his escape. It's a tense story centred on the two main characters, with just a few supporting, one of which is the town itself, it's quiet streets awaiting the inevitable shootout as Scallen attempts to get Kidd onto the 3:10 train to Yuma alive.

First published in the pulp magazine Dime Western in 1953, and only about 25 paperback pages long, it's a classic tale of a deputy and a gunman. Clean and rich, and built around character and mood rather than mere action, making me seek out Elmore Leonard's full collection of Western short stories.

My other Elmore Leonard reviews:

The Bounty Hunters

The Law At Randado

Hombre

Escape From Five Shadows

Last Stand At Saber River

1953 / Paperback/ 193 pages