Customer Reviews

Yaqui Gold

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Clint Walker, star of television's Cheyenne, suggested to author Kirby Jonas the basic idea for this novel of the Old West. Over the next two years, they collaborated to create a superb adventure story. The plot concerns two long-time friends, Tom Vanse and Sam Coffee, who leave Nogales, Arizona to find a treasure of gold hidden deep within Yaqui territory in Mexico. With thieves and killers behind them and Yaquis, Apaches and bandits ahead of them, Tom and Sam learn that finding the gold is easy enough but keeping it is far more difficult. After capture by Yaquis, the two friends are separated and while Tom has his own trials to endure, Sam suffers increasingly deadly ordeals that test the limits of his will to stay alive. Stripped of his treasure and everything else he owns, Sam's only hope of surviving is by crawling through a parched desert land populated by jaguars, wolves and rattlesnakes while battling sandstorms and flashfloods. And all the while he is relentlessly followed by the lone Yaqui warrior who mutilated him.

This novel is filled with vivid characterizations of not only the two heroes but all of the major characters. Sam and Tom are ordinary cowhands who are out of work and trying to forget the death of a young girl from a furious bull, for which they blame themselves. The bond between the two men is credibly depicted and believable, despite the differences in their personalities. The individual pursuers are also clearly drawn with different motivations for their actions which results in unpredictable plot developments. But it is the unexpected relationship between Sam and his Yaqui tormentor that is the most intriguing one as it develops from mutual hatred to mutual respect.

This is a wonderful novel with exciting action and enthralling suspense. Kirby Jonas is a fine writer who is able to bring the Old West vividly to life through lyrical writing as well as extensive research which is obvious from the numerous details throughout the novel. And it is especially gratifying to know that Clint Walker, one of the screen's most believable and likeable Western heroes, is also a skillful and creative storyteller.

A great read for anyone who likes a real western.
The fast pace story and action continue thru the whole book.
The only problem I had with the book was that it made me thirsty!
This is one I would like to see made into a movie.
If you like westerns that take you into the story you will
enjoy this one.

Kirby Jonas has done it again - another GREAT book ! It's exciting ,funny , and makes you cry . He has a way of making you "feel the characters like nobody else can " .

Loved the book. If you like westerns with heart and detail this is the book for you.

This is a very hard to get ahold of western book. One of the writer's was Clint Walker who played Cheyenne for many years in the series of the same name.
I will say it was an enjoyable story. But considering how much I anticipated it since I had hard time getting ahold of I will say let down. I will give it a 3 out of 5 stars; worth reading but not worth going out of your way for.