A Last Serenade for Billy Bonney: A Novel on Billy the Kid

In this 2024 New Mexico-Arizona Book Award-winner, Mark Warren sheds light on the human side of Billy the Kid-and reveals the intimate stories of the lesser-known players in his legendary life of crime.

When John Blessing, composer and Santa Fe journalist, is assigned to report on a jailed prisoner who calls himself "William H. Bonney," what begins as a formal interview, evolves into an unexpected relationship and a self-examination of Johns own cultured, city values.

After Billy the Kids death, John embarks on a journey to find Billys comrades and acquaintances-those who loved the Kid...and those who despised him. Was Billy Bonney a cold-blooded killer without a conscience, or was he a victim of the machinations of corrupt politicians in "the Santa Fe Ring?"

Ride along with John Blessing as he unravels one of Western historys most fascinating enigmas by diving into the lives of the influential people who helped shape Billy the Kids life.