The Last Sheriff in Texas: A True Tale of Violence and the Vote

A love of local history marks this tale from McCollom (The Continental Affair) about a 1952 sheriff’s election, and this love of local history proves to be his book’s most redeeming aspect. The account opens with a 1947 shoot-out at a gas station in McCollom’s hometown, Beeville, Tex. The eponymous sheriff, Vail Ennis, had already killed five men in his career. That day he killed two more, but not before taking five bullets that nearly killed him. It’s a lot of drama, but McCollom never really fits it into a larger narrative. Instead, he moves on to introduce more Beeville residents, focusing on Johnny Barnhart, a young lawyer with an interest in politics. The story meanders through some interesting incidents that took place over several years in the wake of the shooting, most of which focus on Barnhart’s burgeoning career. In 1952, Ennis killed a Latino prisoner, exposing longstanding ethnic and racial tensions in Beeville. Barnhart, concerned with such rough justice, formed the Christian Citizens Group to oust Ennis in the next sheriff’s election. Throughout, McCollom tosses in references to national and international matters but fails to tie them to Beeville, missing the chance for insightful commentary on the intersections of race, power, and politics. Agent: Robin Straus, Robin Straus Agency. (Nov.)