“The Return of Kid Cooper is Brad Smith at his best—clear-eyed, tough-minded and true of heart. Smith—once a farmer, signalman, truck driver, bartender, teacher and carpenter—understands that work will take its toll, even when it’s the only thing holding a soul together. This is a powerful novel, fully felt and beautifully written.”

“Men trapped outside their times—it was the great theme of Sam Peckinpah’s best movies, and Brad Smith makes it his own in his first-rate novel, The Return of Kid Cooper.”

“The Return of Kid Cooper is a western set in the forgotten time between horses and the sterilizing of the American West. Kid Cooper is a classic tragic hero and Brad Smith’s rendering of him is full-hearted and poignant.”

“The Return of Kid Cooper can claim a secure place in the canon of literature of the American West. Brad Smith’s tale of old-fashioned courage and western justice is reminiscent, in its high drama, wit, and splendid idiosyncrasy, of Lonesome Dove. I was reminded also of Annie Proulx’s laconic Wyoming stories and that most iconic of Western loners, Shane.”

“Smith explores powerful universal themes while bringing to life unforgettable characters…If Cormac McCarthy, Larry McMurtry, and Elmore Leonard collaborated on a book, it might sound very much like The Return of Kid Cooper.”

“Brad Smith can really tell a story…pulling the Western into this new era with heartbreaking intensity, where tenderness and threat exist in every character and on every page.”