Wild West might be an exaggeration -- but The Sisters Brothers is set in frontier America, on the West Coast, during the Gold Rush -- so really, similar timing, just a *bit* later on. And, well, not really in the Wild West but more so in the Pacific Corridor. But you get the picture -- gun-totting, horse-riding, beard-wearing, gold-stealing miscreants on a hit job. Sounds violent? It kinda is, but not so much that it is off putting. Sound sweet and a little touching? No? Well, it kinda is that too -- the characters are well developed in a simple style and with enough depth that you end up rooting for the apparent 'bad guys'.
Patrick DeWitt's writing is compelling without being complicated and his off beat sense of humour jumps off the page in little fire cracker moments. The sparse nature of his narrative adds to the setting and helps you feel the sparseness of life on the edge of the law and society. Not surprised it won several awards. Like good food, simple but well executed always triumphs.
Truly enjoyable read! That brought a few others to mind...
I've also read Willa Cather's The Song of the Lark and O Pioneers! which are both set in a similar time period -- the cusp of the modern era, the mid-nineteenth century, as the USA finds its footing and its personality. Cather's writing is more dense (but compared to DeWitt, my 1 year old's books look wordy) but still entices you into a place that seems almost impossible to reach -- what is left of the imagination of discovery and pioneering? Travel is simple, accessible and common. I love the spirit of the characters in both DeWitt's work and Cather's: they are all attempting to forage out life against the odds. 
