Apache Country

by Christopher Kenworthy

When the part-time cavalry scout Murphy agrees to ride out and warn the Arizona settlers that Apaches have jumped their reservation, he isn't expecting any trouble.

The worst that might happen is the Indians come after his scalp.

But when he runs into the beautiful Rosemary, he finds himself pitted against ruthless enemies of every kind.

Kidnappers, comancheros, and renegade Apaches are on his trail - and after his blood.

But most implacable of all, there is the Sonoran Desert itself, where everything that grows either bites, stings or scratches.

Murphy needs all his skill with a gun if he is to survive.

Genres: Westerns

134 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 29, 2013

Reviews

[Bill Megenity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner

This is my second by this author and I enjoyed it very much. The plot here wasn't as convoluted as his last one but was quite good. Thanks again.

[Beverly McCall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher Kenworthy does a spectacular job using descriptive language in this western tale. With his opening scenes, you are drawn into his tale set in the Arizona Territory in the Sonoran Desert and around the town of Tumacacori. We immediately learn a little about this town and the surrounding towns and their short-lived histories. Vivid scenes help the reader to picture the desert terrain and what life would be like for the Indians and soldiers near the protecting forts.
In the opening chapter we meet Murphy, a part-time skilled Army scout, who is on a mission alerting surrounding settlers of the potential threat from marauding Indians. Likewise, we meet Rosemary, who has hooked up with the Davey family heading to Mexico in search of their fortune. Rosemary helps the family with the cooking, cleaning and schooling of their children. I like the way Kenworthy creates intrigue with the introduction of Rosemary as he does not give us any particulars about her identity. All we know about her is her name and what she does but not her capacity. This we learn later.
Not too long into the story, we meet three antagonists who impose themselves into this group. They eventually commandeer this group. From their actions, Kenworthy, builds tension by hinted as to the motives of these three. The other characters quickly pick up that their intent may not be friendly. There is a foreboding of evil. Rosemary and Murphy are thrown together in an unusual manner. The rest of the book expands on their meeting and journey. Together, they face many perilous threats. What actually becomes of these two? Can they survive the Sonoran Desert? To find out what they have in mind, you have to read this book.
Kenworthy is masterful in his use of descriptive language. He includes expressive details capturing outstanding desert landscapes. His action scenes (knife fight and shootouts) are so specific that the reader feels like they are a front-row witness to them. Kenworthy weaves a realistic western plot line filled with greed, deception, action, a hint of sex (nothing graphic), friendship cunning, strong survival skills and determined characters. Definitely, this is a book you must read!

[Barbara Lee Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

STAYING ALIVE

His name is Murphy, left home like so many young boys, because of the conditions. It seems their thoughts are it's got to be better out west, than it is busting your back trying to reap a living from the soil. His life is like a roller coaster, he fought in the Big War,killing men at the age of sixteen..my my my sad, but you do what you got to do to stay ALIVE. Life mostly lived on the edge, day to day hoping it rains, your few heads of cattle which your hoping to sell aren't rustled a very hard life. Well Murphy worked for the army as a scout, sold horses to them also. He's hired by the Army to alert all the settlers in the area to gather their families and go to the fort. The Indians have left the reservation..I wonder why..any way he's on his way to a family he knows, but he's to late the ranch is burnt down, and the family members are dead..sad..so he buries them. So he starts out again to notify the outlying ranches. He hears horse hooves and hides he knows they're unshod horses..Indians... This adventure has a lot action, women and men with their children going to Mexico to the silver mines hoping to hit it BIG..it never happens, per Murphy its outright slavery. He meets his future wife..it is every bit exciting. You won't be disappointed..

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

You don’t choose a western for high literary style, but for an exciting story that doesn’t push the bounds of credulity too far and keeps the reader’s interest and involvement right to the last page. And this novel by Christopher Kenworthy does just that. It’s well-paced, well-crafted, full of authentic detail and includes all the western genre tropes – the unforgiving desert, the search for water, families in peril, savage but clever Indians and a good man to battle the bad men. What’s not to like? The plot is fairly straightforward. Murphy is a part-time army scout who is charged to gather the scattered Arizona settlers into the local forts against a threat from the Apache. This turns out to be far more complicated and dangerous than he envisaged, and the adventure commences. I do have one or two quibbles, however. The 2 children of the family seem to change their names half way through, and the ending is very abrupt – not an unexpected one but a bit of a build-up would have been welcome nonetheless. However overall this is a good solid western and I enjoyed it very much.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast-paced, gritty and all that a Western should be! This story took me back to the days when I read my father’s collection of Westerns and lived to read the next one. The desert, search for waterholes, a strong woman, a family in need, Indians, bad men and one strong incorruptible savvy man doing what needed to be done made this delightful to read. In fact, I was up till two this morning not wanting to sleep till I found out what would happen to Murphy, Rosemary and the Davey family. I liked the strength, resilience and will to live shown by the characters and found that I would have wanted to be like them if I had found myself in their shoes.

Thank you to Endeavour Press for the copy of this book to read and review.

[Todd Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable Western. This story grabbed me right from the start, with the main character Murphy just riding along, and he has an Apache Indian hunting him down. He also has to bury a family he knows, who have died trying to protect their farm from the Indians. This for me sums up what I imagine the Wild West was like. Harsh lands, water hard to find, and trying to stay alive. If I was one of the Arizona Settlers, I’d want a man like Murphy bringing my family to the safety of the Fort. You definitely don’t want a tribe of Apache’s chasing you down. There is plenty of action and adventure in this story. Christopher Kenworthy has really done a great job, and I’d certainly recommend this book.

[Alanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up in the Sonoran desert of Arizona and loved the visuals that the author's descriptions brought to mind. I could imagine myself out on that desert. The adventure was great. My only negative critique is that it ended so abruptly. There was no delving into the developing relationship between Murph and Rosemary. One minute they're riding through the desert watching their backs as almost complete strangers and then the story ends and the epilogue vaguely refers to a lifetime lived as a married couple. It needed a little more emotional connection.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murphy is a scout for the army and is out rounding up scattered families, sending them to safety at the forts. So far, he's found one family, friends, slaughtered, and the rest already moved out.

He next encounters a Comanchero, an old enemy, chasing a woman, learns two more have captured the family she was with, and sets out to rescue them.

We get two groups of Apache, stolen army repeaters, and a showdown in old cliff ruins where the guns had been stolen.

Pretty good western here.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good Western that brings into play both war with the Apaches and the greed of some corrupt white men. I liked that it didn't have the sexual element of many of the modern day novels but was more in line with the style of writing of thee late Louis L'Amour. This was a free review copy from Endevour Press LLD and a reissue of a 2003 work.

[Cas H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This type of book is not what I normally read, however I found it a good book. I would have liked the ending to not have been so abrupt but it did give you an idea of what it was like traveling to the west.
Christopher Kenworthy is a talented author who draws you into the story and makes you feel like you were there.
I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

[Martha Brindley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like your Westerns gritty and atmospheric, this is the book for you. Well written with great characters and I could feel the desert heat oozing from the pages. Many thanks to Georgina for the copy. I loved it!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this novel very much.

[Pioneering Press · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is published by Pioneering Press

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was really not for me. action just wasn't really enough

[Ernest Godfrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good tale

Well written with authentic detail but so are a lot of others . Not his best but still good enough to enjoy

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, Men and Women of the West...

It is very, very pleasing to have discovered yet another really good writer of Old West tales.
Kenilworth doesn't need to sex it up, be wildly and unnecessarily bloody because he writes with insight and to my mind a large degree of " this is the way it was".
The karmic touches are appreciated.