Sunday 13 July 2008

Incident at Butler's Station

as by Richard Wyler
Harper Torch, July 2004
reprint of a 1967 Banner book.

At the isolated Butler’s Station a number of people will come together in a violent death struggle. There’s Bulter and his son and the woman who’d decided to stay. First to arrive the sole survivor of an Apache ambush, U.S. Cavalry Sergeant Blaine who’s badly wounded. Then come the outlaw brothers Reece, they’re planning an ambush of their own of the soon to arrive stagecoach carrying three lawmen and their prisoner, Sid Reece. And following the stage are the Apaches who are planning to burn Butler’s Station to the ground and kill all within it. Thus the lawmen and outlaws must join forces to battle this common enemy but can they trust each other?

Richard Wyler gives us an action packed story and great characters. His description of the Arizona landscape was well done and I could almost feel the oppressive heat. The struggle the white characters have with trusting each other, the expectation of these people turning on one other at any moment, the burning desire of the Apaches to kill the whites, all combine in this fast moving tale to provide an gripping read.

It says on the front of the book ‘A classic tale of the West’, reckon I can only agree with that statement!

Well worth your money.

Footnote: Richard Wyler is really English author Mike Linaker.

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