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Reviewed by Janelle Alex, Ph.D. for Readers' Favorite
The Hired Gun by Bob MacKenzie is a novella focused on a young group of five friends in Alberta, Canada back in the late 1950s. The kids - Bobby, Sam, Alex, Linda and Dickie - are just shy of their teen years and are on the fringes of stepping into becoming young adults. Their innocence and their bold courage are well displayed throughout the story as they notice a stranger in town. They believe he’s a hired gun and their choice to follow the mystery man brings them more trouble than they bargain for. Hunting down potential killers and white collar thieves on their bicycles, while stealing a few youthful kisses amongst them, this group of friends is surprised by the truth in the end.
Bob MacKenzie does a nice job for the most part with The Hired Gun, while Mike St. Pierre’s handful of illustrations adds to the young adult mystery. The mystery is likely to hold the attention of young readers while the relatable exploits of bike riding, summer almost-skinny-dipping, and stealing moments of boy-girl exploration will help draw them in even further. The only real drawback was the ending. The pacing throughout the novella felt consistent and helped the story flow, but the story seemed to stop abruptly upon the young sleuths discovering the truth. There is certainly room for a bit more to finish the story with more flair. However, even with the ending being short-changed, this is an author whose work young readers are likely to consider exploring. Well done.
