Under Apache Skies
Madeline BakerHistorical romance
Available from Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 9781419932618
January 2011
| Ridge Longtree is a half-Apache gunslinger in the Old West. He never goes looking for trouble, but it seems to find him often enough. Drifting west after being forced to defend himself against another young gun who thought he was faster, Ridge comes up on a ranch and asks for a bed for the night. Marty Flynn, the owner's daughter, is old enough to run the ranch and protect her younger sister. She sees the danger in the man, but allows him to stay a night in her bunkhouse. But when her father's horse comes home in the middle of the night with blood on the saddle, her instincts turn quickly to the gunman for his skills. She hires him to protect them and help her find her father's murderer.
Longtree quickly admits to himself that he wasn't being very smart when he accept a job as a hired gun to protect two young women instead of minding his own business and just riding away. The man has a conscience which the Baker blends well with the more typical hardened, amoral character you expect of a gunslinger. He's attracted to Marty but even as they go about the adventures of trying to find a killer and hunting her missing sister, he is a gentleman. A believable one. Very nicely done. Marty comes across as the hard working, strong woman a rancher had to be in those times. She can't believe that the dangerous man she hired could be interested in her instead of her beautiful, fragile younger sister. But as the story progresses, she begins to believe that she is worthy of attention, and maybe even love. I loved this story, the development of the characters was extremely well done. I was really impressed with the way Baker showed the lives of the Apache through the eyes of each of the different characters. She has written several other historical novels revolving around the conflicts of white vs. Native Americans in this time period, the differences and the similarities. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Kathy F. |
