Split Creek

by Bob Blink

Open range, beautiful mountains with clear flowing streams covered with stands of ready timber, not to mention rumors of gold, were all reasons the Wasican - the non Indians, came to the Black Hills. Unfortunately, by the 1868 Treaty of Laramie, the land belonged to the Lakota Indians. Everyone else was trespassing and didn't belong. Still they came, confident that if it came down to a confrontation, the United States government would protect them against the wrath of the tribes.Split Creek was among the towns that sprung up in the Dakota Territories. In the late summer of 1873, Bill Anders is one of those who came to this place, although he came after the town was established seeking answers to questions that had bothered him for many years. Shortly after his arrival, Bill takes over the job of sheriff, a position that needed filling and which gives him the freedom to pursue his own interests as well as those of the town. This is also a convenient position for a man with secrets of his own who doesn't want too much scrutiny of his own actions. You see, Sheriff Anders is a man who knows what is going to happen before it actually occurs, or at least often does. What disturbs him most is when events don't happen exactly as he recalls they should.Several of the town residents are curious about this outsider who appears unexpectedly and suddenly moves into a position of authority. Foremost among those with questions is Amy Walters, a young and attractive reporter for the town's only newspaper. Despite her concern and probing, at first everything seems to fall in line for the sheriff. It's only a matter of time however, for events to take unexpected turns. Bill can't decide whether he is the cause of the changes or whether there are forces at work he doesn't understand. As he struggles to keep matters under control, his life becomes more complicated when Amy finds clues that he isn't what he professes to be. The lure of gold in the mountains of the Black Hills is one motivator for events that are transpiring, but what else is at work? In the end, Bill learns the answers to more questions than he had been originally seeking.

404 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 2, 2012

Reviews

[Erick Pruitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great story, a Science-Fiction Western. There were points where I thought I had it figured out, but the ending was completely unexpected, so that was cool. The characters were well flushed out and made you care about them and the storyline was well thought out and engrossing. It was a ride that you wanted to be on till the end. There were a lot of “errors” where words were substituted. (Things like on for in, then for than, wear for where) Things that you are not going to catch with a spell-checker, you need a real careful proofread. But that did not take way from the overall enjoyment of the read.
I would recommend this book to any fan of Science Fiction, Time Travel, or Wild West.

[Mike Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women are Crazy

She breaks into his room and riffles through his stuff. Then she follows him to his hideout uninvited. They sleep together and get busy. The next day she expects him to trust her and gets mad at him to the point of giving him the silent treatment for weeks. I know the end, but boy did she piss me off. Great Story

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyable read worth the time

An enjoyable read as all his books I have read have been! I wouldn't call it the best ending but it is BB book. I am just along for the ride so I take it for what is written. I have no desire or thought to change what any author creates - unless they invite readers to supply endings (only seen that in short stories).
I did like the characters, location and storyline - really shows how well BB can write! I haven't done any checking but it appears like BB did some heavy researching to get such a good written picture of the time period!
I guess this could be put in as a science fiction Western genre!? I do enjoy how BB does blend the genres in his writing - no real solid way to classify his writing. Ok for me I would put it as worth my time and enjoyable! After reading his books I always get thinking about something from them - this one is Deadwood, Black Hill gold rush and American Indians (Sioux, Cheyenne) and wanting to learn more that I don't know? Always great when a book can cause that kind of extra mental activity - sparks!!

[Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Split Creek (Bob Blink)

If it were possible to travel backwards in time to discover the best way to find out what had happened and possibly change the outcome, would you go? Well someone who had a similar problem did just that. Hang on, you're going back to 1873 to Split Creek, South Dakota located in the Black Hills and discover what happens. Not a believer in time travel, well open your mind, start turning pages and take a little trip. Thanks for letting me get to see what happens.