Hondo Review

Hondo
Louis L'Amour

Synopsis - 9/10
Plot - 10/10
Characters - 9/10
Overall Story - 9/10
Conclusion - 8/10

Overall Score - 45/50

Synopsis: He was etched by the desert’s howling winds, a big, broad-shouldered man who knew the ways of the Apache and the ways of staying alive. She was a woman alone raising a young son on a remote Arizona ranch. And between Hondo Lane and Angie Lowe was the warrior Vittoro, whose people were preparing to rise against the white men. Now the pioneer woman, the gunman, and the Apache warrior are caught in a drama of love, war, and honor.

Review: Louie does it again in my opinion! This is another one of his novels that was turned into a movie featuring my favorite actor of ALL TIME John Wayne. There really is a lot going on in this book...The Apaches are uprising....Angie Lowe and her little boy have been left to fend for themselves on their ranch (which is on a watering hole that the Apaches frequent), the army is trying to get the Apache situation under control while trying to save the lives of the families around the fort and Hondo Lane is in the middle running dispatch for the army while trying to keep not only himself alive but also Angie and her little boy.

Lots of drama....Lots of gun play....Lots of all the things that make a Louis L'Amour western a Louis L'Amour novel.

The Shadow Riders Review

The Shadow Riders
Louis L'Amour
224 pages

Synopsis -10 /10
Plot - 9/10
Characters - 9/10
Overall Story - 10/10
Conclusion -10/10

Overall - 48/50

Synopsis: Dal and Mac Traven left Texas young and idealistic. They came back from opposite sides of a living hell, a war that had torn the nation in two. They wanted only to reclaim their old lives…but one man held their future hostage.

Colonel Henry T. Ashford had gathered an army of criminals and renegade soldiers, leading them on a path of destruction and kidnapping through Texas to the Gulf. Among Ashford’s captives were the Travens’ sister and Dal’s tough-minded fiancée, Kate.

Now Mac and Dal must take up arms once again and ride together against Ashford’s army—ready to fight another war, if that’s what it takes to win the freedom of the women they love.

Review: I am a big fan of Louis L'Amour. He writes a story that when you start it you feel like you're actually there while it's taking place. Like a couple of his other novel's this particular book was made into a movie...Which I too enjoy. Naturally, I saw the movie before I read the book but I was equally happy with both.

The Traven brothers - Mac, Dal and younger brother Jesse - all head off to the war between the states. When the war is over they head for home only to find that a whole 'nother "war" has taken place before they even get home. A tough confederate Colonel who refuses to let the war end has taken to assembling an "army" of rouge soldiers and outlaws and proceeds to lead them on a path of death, destruction and kidnapping across Texas all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Now what this Colonel doesn't know is that he has taken the Traven's sister and Dal's tough-as-nails girl, Kate, hostage. The Traven's don't take to kindly to that thought and take up arms to get back their family as well as the other's who have been kidnapped. What happens next is a pretty AWESOME story of determination, love and some "ha, ha sucks to be you."

Under The Sweetwater Rim

Synopsis:

Deep in Indian country, Major Mark Devereaux and his men find a grisly scene: a wagon train savagely attacked, with no survivors. One of the wagons originally with the group is missing; in it is a fortune in gold and Devereaux’s daughter, Mary. The slaughter, Devereaux learns, was not the work of Indians but of a murderous outlaw band. With the stakes rising in a deadly game, the only wild card is Lieutenant Tenadore Brian, who is riding with the missing wagon—against orders. Devereaux knows Brian is a good soldier, but is he good enough to protect a saddlebag full of gold . . . and the life of his daughter?

I'm going to keep this one short and sweet....I loved it! Suspense, action, drama, a little bit of romance...you name it it was in this one. From page 1 until the very end it kept you guessing....Is Lieutnant Brian that good or is he not? Do they or don't they? I wonder what's gonna happen next?

5 out of 5

Showdown at Yellow Butte - Review

Synopsis:

Tom Kedrick earned his stripes during the Civil War, fought Apaches, and even soldiered overseas. But in the high desert country of New Mexico, the battle-hardened Kedrick is entangled in a different kind of war, fueled by greed and deception. Hired by Alton Burwick to drive a pack of renegades and outlaws off the government land recently set aside for an Indian reservation, Kedrick begins to notice that things are not as they seem. As his suspicions grow, he realizes that he may be fighting on the wrong side of a land swindle. Disillusioned and outraged, Kedrick must take action against the very people who hired him–or be forced to witness the bloody massacre of innocent men and women.

Here is another Louis L'Amour book that again I had a very difficult time putting down because the action, drama, and suspense were always at a high. In the little town that the story takes place in....all things are not as they seem. The main character is hired to get rid of "renegades and outlaws" so that the land can be set aside for an Indian reservation. But once Kedrick starts nosing around there seems to be a LOT of things that just are NOT right about the situation at all.

If you've never read a Louis L'Amour book this is another one that is TOTALLY AWESOME in my opinion....Actually, this is the first one that I started with. 5 out of 5

The Rider of Lost Creek - Review

Synopsis:

Lance Kilkenny has a debt to pay, and he isn’t about to let the friend who saved his life go down in a range war. But when Kilkenny tries to stop the fighting, he finds there’s more at stake than land or wire. Whoever is stirring up trouble has big ideas for the Live Oak country—and an army of hired guns to back them up. Nita Riordan, the beautiful and fiery owner of the Apple Canyon Saloon, warns Lance that the mysterious man orchestrating the conflict wants him dead. Lance realizes that if he doesn’t watch his step, he’ll pay the debt he owes with his own blood.

I read this book not all that long ago. Actually, this author is what got me into my current reading addiction. I do LOVE me some Louis L'Amour. I really LOVED this book. The action and suspense was at a high through the whole book. There are a couple of little twists and turns in it and you never would have guessed who the "bad guy" turns out to be.

If you've never read a Louis L'Amour book give this one a try. I was hooked and didn't put it down until I finished it. I give this one 5 out of 5.