Nice Guys Finish Dead

I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes at first. *Another* Western about grizzled old-timers? But *Nice Guys Finish Dead* hooked me in the first 20 minutes—not with gunfights (though there are *plenty*), but with a scene where Casey Tubbs haggles over cattle prices while nursing a bullet wound. That’s the Johnstone touch: grounding the mythic in the mundane. The story’s strength lies in its refusal to let its heroes be comfortable. Eli Doolin’s quiet rage simmers beneath every line, and Little’s narration makes it *palpable*, his voice dropping to a growl when Eli’s temper flares. The pacing is where this audiobook *shines*—and occasionally stumbles. The middle act drags slightly during a subplot involving a corrupt banker (we’ve seen this villain before), but the payoff—a shootout in a burning saloon—is worth the wait. Little’s performance elevates even the weaker moments; his timing turns exposition into campfire storytelling. My only real critique? The women characters feel underwritten, reduced to either saints or shrews. But when the final act hits, with Casey and Eli riding into a trap *knowing* they’re outgunned, you’ll forget the quibbles. This isn’t just a Western; it’s a meditation on stubbornness as virtue, narrated by a man who sounds like he’s lived every word. If you love moral complexity wrapped in six-shooters, buy it. If you want pretty lies about the Old West, look elsewhere.