Thursday 26 February 2009

The Storm Family Saga #1

STAMPEDE
as by Matt Chisholm
Panther, 1970

The Civil War was over. The South, and Texas, had lost. The losers were destitute and without hope.

Then Will Storm got word of a possible deal at Abilene railhead a thousand miles north in Kansas. On a shoestring, he gathered himself a bare handful of greenhorn riders, whipped his all-wild mustangs into the semblance of cow ponies, his half-wild steers into the semblance of a herd, and headed north for Kansas.

A few days out, the mother of all thunderstorms dispersed the maddened cattle. They rounded them up. Then a band of amateur rustlers tried their hand – and badly burnt their fingers. Three dead and the rest of them on the run. The Red River was in furious spate. They got across without losing a steer. Indian country of sinister reputation lay ahead. They paid the old chief a toll of ten cows and went through like a dream.

At last the Kansas line and Abilene is only a few days ahead. Then…trouble came; very quietly, and terribly…

Matt Chisholm is really English author Peter Watts, a writer who I enjoy very much. Having already read four books from this nine book series I looked forward to reading ‘the beginning’.

Stampede is pretty much your usual cattle-drive tale but well written with plenty of pace and thrills filled with courage and grim tenacity that builds up to a twist ending, which leads to the family members heading off in different directions thus setting up the storylines for the following books.

Definitely worth picking up if you can find a copy.

5 comments:

Chris said...

This one sounds pretty good. I'm always finding out about new series through your blog that I'd otherwise have no idea existed. Do you have more reviews planned for this series?

Steve M said...

I don't have any at the moment but it is time to read more of Peter's work so as I haven't read book two I'll read that soonest.

Matthew P. Mayo said...

Hi Steve,
I agree with Chris. This one sounds intriguing. Do you know if it was ever released in the States?

Cheers,
Matt

Steve M said...

I think quite a few of his books were released in the States but not sure about this one - it is also available as a Linford Large Print.

It does turn up on ebay (UK) every now and again.

samaccat said...

Cover illustration by Gino D'Achille.