Gunman's Reckoning

I expected a gunslinger saga complete with shoot-outs between law men and lawless cattle ranchers or something like that typical of westerns I've read. Instead this is largely a story of unrequited love amid the dust and squalor of a gold rush city. The language is strangely formal and awkward to me. I couldn't seem to get with the characters or the pace and style of the storytelling. I read about 40% of the book and decided to choose another book from my library more to my liking