Crooked Trails and Straight by William MacLeod Raine

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Crooked Trails and Straight by William MacLeod Raine

(2 User reviews) 351

By Eric Wu Posted on Mar 30, 2026

In Category - World Beliefs

Authors: Raine, William MacLeod, 1871-1954 Published By : Raine, William MacLeod, 1871-1954

Book Language: English

Hey, have you read any good Westerns lately? I just finished one that surprised me. 'Crooked Trails and Straight' by William MacLeod Raine isn't your typical shoot-'em-up. It starts with a classic setup: a young man, Gordon, is wrongfully accused of a crime and forced to flee into the wilderness. But here's the twist—he has to team up with the very man who might have framed him to survive the harsh frontier. It's a tense, dusty ride through canyons and badlands, where every shadow could hide an enemy or a friend. The real mystery isn't just who committed the crime, but whether two men bound by mutual distrust can find any common ground before the law—or a bullet—catches up with them. If you like stories where the landscape is a character and loyalty is harder to find than water in the desert, give this one a shot.

File: Crooked Trails and Straight by William MacLeod Raine

If you think all old Westerns are simple good-versus-evil tales, William MacLeod Raine's Crooked Trails and Straight might change your mind. First published in 1913, it's a story that feels both classic and surprisingly complex.

The Story

Young Jack Gordon's life is upended when he's accused of a robbery he didn't commit. Forced to run, he escapes into the unforgiving Arizona territory. His only companion? An older, mysterious frontiersman named 'Webb' who might be a guide to survival or the very man who set Jack up. Their journey is a gritty fight for survival against nature, outlaws, and their own simmering suspicion. As they navigate treacherous trails, Jack has to figure out who he can trust in a world where everyone has a past and a motive.

Why You Should Read It

What grabbed me wasn't just the chase—it was the relationship at the story's core. Raine spends real time letting these two men, thrown together by bad luck, figure each other out. Their conversations around campfires feel authentic. You see the West not just as a backdrop for action, but as a place that shapes people, hardening some and revealing hidden decency in others. The morality here isn't black and white. The 'crooked' and 'straight' trails refer to choices, and the book asks if a man can stay on a straight path when the whole world is pushing him into the brush.

Final Verdict

This is a perfect pick for anyone who enjoys character-driven adventures. If you like Louis L'Amour but wish the characters had a bit more to talk about, you'll find a lot to love here. It's also a great, accessible entry point for readers curious about classic Western fiction—the prose is clean and the pace keeps moving. Ultimately, Crooked Trails and Straight is for the reader who wants a sunset ride with substance, a story where the internal journey is just as important as the miles covered on the map.