DAKOTA MASSACRE

THE SCOUT #2

By Buck Gentry

Zebra, 1981

The cry is “massacre!” when a town is brutally stormed by a band of rampaging Indians. Before anyone can retaliate the surprise attack, Eli Holten sets out for Sioux territory. Since he spent six years of his life learning the ways of the Plains, the Scout knows the tribe and the territory like the back of his hand. And his instincts tell him that someone’s been playing a dirty trick.

Holten soon learns that army deserters have been masquerading as deadly Indians. They have been killing and scalping their victims – and now they’ve kidnapped his girl. Holten won’t take things lying down, not when his lady is held hostage, and not when his name is at stake – 

Emblazoned on the cover and spine of this book are the words adult western and this book is part of a number of series launched around this time by Zebra and other publishers under this banner. The opening scenes of Dakota Massacre fitting this theme perfectly, lasting a number of pages and described in explicit detail. But once Holten and Rebecca go their separate ways this story moves quickly into an all-out action-packed battle between Holten, the deserters, and the Sioux. Of course, there are a few more adult sessions but the vast majority of the book concerns the desperate fights to survive.

The author certainly doesn’t give Holten much time to catch his breath between adult or violent encounters. Most of the deadly bouts begin only a few lines after the previous bloody fight. At the rate Holten was eliminating Sioux warriors I did begin to wonder if he’d wipe out the entire nation in this one story. Holten doesn’t get it all his own way though, but he does seem to be able to shrug off wounds in minutes and continue with his mission as if he was never hit.

The battles are described in gory detail, spurting blood, shattered bone and spilled body contents vividly defined. At one-point Holten is tortured and what he has to endure is painfully detailed. The torture sequence leads to a truly nail-biting how is he going to get out of that alive scene acted out in the aptly named Canyon of Death.

Buck Gentry is a pseudonym behind which a number of different authors wrote, and this one was probably written by Steve Clark and I believe he wrote most of the early entries in this series. 

If you enjoy violent westerns that contain almost non-stop savage action and don’t mind some explicit sex scenes then this a book, and series, that should be on your reading list. Dakota Massacre left me looking forward to reading the next one very soon.

Rowan's Raiders

THE SCOUT #1

By Buck Gentry

Zebra, 1981

Orphaned at eight and a frontier runaway at fifteen, Eli Holten spent six years of his life in the camps of the fierce, savage Oglala Sioux learning the ways of the plains. Driven by his restlessness, ruthlessness and cunning, famous for his tracking, hunting and killing expertise, Holten was compelled to move on. He returned to the white man’s civilization and became an Army scout.

Now he leads the way for Army wagon commands, venturing into Indian camps to parlay with hostile chiefs and serving as a courier through hundreds of miles of treacherous wilderness. With each new danger-filled adventure he risks his life and dares to tempt death. He is a man to respect, a warrior to fear and a professional who knows the meaning of revenge.

The early 1980’s saw the launch of many series tagged as adult westerns and The Scout series falls into that category. The first book appeared in 1981 and the final one, number 34, in October 1992. Buck Gentry is a pseudonym behind which two or three authors wrote. I’m not sure who wrote this one.

If you don’t mind some explicit sex scenes in your westerns and enjoy tales revolving around Army verses Indians then The Scout is a series worth considering.

The story is extremely fast moving and jam-packed with action. Holten barely has chance to catch his breath before being involved in more deadly clashes. Some of the descriptions of these bloody encounters are fairly graphic and Holten isn’t immune to taking a hit or two – although he does seem able to shrug his wounds off and carry on easily whereas many men would be struggling to continue. The only slight criticism I have is that twice Holten was caught in a virtual no escape situation and his nick-of-time rescue came about in an almost identical fashion.

Buck Gentry created a great lead character in Eli Holten and a memorable supporting cast. His story offers one or two twists and all his plot lines are neatly resolved by the end. 

I found this to be a very entertaining read and will certainly being reading the next book in the series soon.