Customer Reviews

Hickok's Gold

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"Before long, they climbed into the van for the short trip to Deadwood. The boys couldn't believe their eyes when they arrived. There was a real Wild West town, just like their father had been describing in his campfire stories." ~ pg. 124

Joseph Kropp is an excellent storyteller, and as he weaves two stories together, a family on vacation experiences the excitement of the Wild West. Throughout the vacation in the Black Hills, the story of Wild Bill Hickock and his gold mine introduces children to real characters who live in a world of intrigue. The creative introduction in a dream leads to real-life adventure as Benjamin and Martin learn to ride horses, sleep out under the stars and meet bear cubs.

"Dawn and the faint beginnings of the new day found Destiny and Buck at the western edge of the Badlands - a mystical, wind-swept, collection of hills and valleys, ringed with the intense, soft colors of the earth. A morning mist hung like a feather bed over the barren landscape, welcoming Destiny home." ~ pg. 139

Destiny is a girl who is separated from her family during a battle and is a member of the Sioux nation. She is part of the story in the past told by the father and we also learn about Chief Sitting Bull and General Custer. Joseph Kropp excels at describing the landscape and creates an adventure infused with reality and imagination.

~The Rebecca Review

"Hickok's Gold" is a fine second installment in the Kaye family vacation series. Like the first book, "Bowleg's Bounty," there are really two stories unfolding for the reader. Young readers will enjoy making connections between the story being told by Mr. Kaye each night around the campfire and the events that transpire during the family's vacation. Any family that has gone on camping vacations will enjoy this book. Mr. Kropp's accounts of the highs and lows of family camping ring true. The book should work as a read aloud at bedtime book, as well as a book for young readers to read on their own.

When Benjamin and Martin arrived in the Black Hills with their parents, Mr. Kaye was ready with campfire stories of Cowboys, Indians, and the Gold Fields that sparked danger and a host of legendary characters. A fascinating and engaging story of adventure that blurs the distinction between fantasy and reality, there are ancient riddles to be solved and a quest for wild Bill Hickok's lost gold mine to be made. Author Joseph Kropp is a superb storyteller and "Hickock's Gold" is a deftly crafted novel that will hold the reader's full attention from first page to last. Also very highly recommended is Kropp's previous novel, "Bowleg's Bounty".

I recently read Joseph Kropp's Hickok's Gold and was enthralled by the story. I can recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good yarn about the old west, or the new west. It's really two books in one, one story about intrigue in the old west, and the other about vacationing brothers who share an adventure unravelling an old west mystery. Dr. Kropp does a superb balancing act with the two tales, keeping the reader guessing and always wanting more. I never wanted to put the book down.
I read Dr. Kropp's Bowleg's Bounty, primarily a pirate story (very exciting), and he has elevated his game with his second effort. His writing has matured, and Hickok's Gold will be a satisfying read not only for those interested in stories of the old west, but for those who appreciate good storytelling in any genre. Buy it, enjoy it, and spread the word: There's a new writer in town, and he's a good 'un.