Customer Reviews

ride into danger

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Lee Starbuck is a well respected young rancher in Colorado who is pressed into service by the US cavalry to try to avert an Indian uprising ,or if that should not prove possible ,to ensure the losses to the regiment and civilians are at least minimised .The situation has been brought about by the actions of the local Indian agent ,a well meaning but insensitive soul named Meeker who is setting out to change their whole culture by forcing them to take up farming and to attend local white run schools .Starbuck has a personal agenda -the rescue of his beloved ,one Melissa ,and her redoubtable mother whose property lies smack dab in the middle of the likely battlegrounds .

The conflict cannot be averted and the bulk of the book deals with the skirmishes between the Ute Indians and the cavalry troop,with a sub plot involving Melissa's airhhead and self-centred sister Caroline and her involvement with a ne'er'do well gambler and killer .

The book starts crisply and well and build to a gripping middle of the book as Overholser ,with characteristic economy and vigour ,explores the interplay between the troopers and their officers .the cavalrymen are especially well delineated ,notably the somehat mystical Curly who it is believed has the gift of second sight ,and the diminutive local man Billy who has an unrequited love for Melissa ,and consequently is ambivalent about Luke whom he both admires and resents

the problem comes when wereach the climax when events are related as having taken place "off-stage " and too much incident piles up in a relatively short space of time .

This is among the few books that could have benefitted from being a bit longer ,and so avoided the slighly rushed feeling at the end

Its still a solid genre outing from a master of the formula Western and very enjoyable for genre lovers