Customer Reviews

Ralph Compton Stryker's Revenge

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Another 'historical novel' from Signet issued under Ralph Compton's name, written by an excellent western writer, Joseph A. West. 'Historical novel' fits these large books under the Compton name as they far exceed in pages what we old timers used call westerns.

Joe West always writes excellent novels and no less so with this big book. Essentially we have a very disfigured officer (Lt. Steve Stryker) in Apache country trying to keep his troop and some civilians alive during a bloody and brutal Apache outbreak. He is outgunned and outnumbered with death surrounding him on all sides. He has lost his face through injury, his fiance due to the same disfigurement, lost any reasonable chance of any promotion beyond Captain, lost his chance at desk duty as aide to his late fiance's father in Washington, and he eventually loses his right-hand man and scout (Joe Hogg) due to the scout being killed by these same marauding Apaches. Though Lt. Stryker is a capable man and officer he begins to realize just how much he counted on Joe Hogg and he may soon loose his own life as well. All troops in the command other than Stryker's in the field have evacuated all the forts in Stryker's area so wherever Lt. Stryker moves he is always out manned and out gunned always on the defensive. Can he continue to hold things together? Will he be able to avoid a massacre at the hands of the determined and very capable Apaches? Will he ever catch the renegade running guns to the Apaches, the very same man who disfigured him? Read on to find out.

I say again another very good book by Joseph A. West. Pick some of these Compton books up by Mr. West and enjoy a very talented writer's view of the "west".

As some of you may not know, Ralph Compton died several years back but Signet continues to issue new books under his name. Supposedly from outlines left by Mr. Compton, which Mr. Compton must have been very resourceful to have left that many outlines. However, books by Zane Grey continued to roll off the presses for at least 20 years after his demise, and we all know the story with books by the family of Louis L'Amour, so anything is possible. I choose to believe that Mr. West pretty much developed this story on his own, with editorial guidelines possibly, but still this is pure Joseph A. West at his best. Don't miss this one or any of the other ones Mr. West has recently written under both his own name and the 'Ralph Cotton' umbrella.

Ler'r rip pards.

Semper Fi.

I found this book very intersting due to the story's plot concerning the main character. Styrker's inner struggle with his injurys, as well as his emotional feelings made an intersting read. I hope others enjoy this book as much as I did.