Welcome to Willow Falls. The town young Matthew Bannister ran away from fifteen years before. Now famed U.S. Deputy Marshal Matt Bannister is coming home to reconcile with his family. He prayed he wouldn’t see his ex-best friend Tom Smith nor the only girl he ever loved, Tom’s wife, Elizabeth. However, old feuds unsettled never die and spark a powder keg of action when the desperate Moskin Gang kidnap Elizabeth and leave a murderous trail behind them. In anguish, Tom, the Willow Falls sheriff, turns to his despised old-friend to help get the woman they both love back alive, if they can. Sometimes God’s greatest blessing is unanswered prayer.
Very nice Western without offensive language or nudity. Integrates the character's spirituality and faith naturally and unobtrusively into the story. Could stand one more round of proofreading to remove several grammatical and punctuation errors.
Matt Bannister is my mind of lawman! Shoot first and questions later. There was only one problem with this, it needed to be longer. There is never a dull moment throughout this outstanding western masterpiece, as Matt Bannister is a man of few words but definitely an administrator of justice. Too, the bad guys may run, but they can't hide.
Mr. Pratt does an exceptionally outstanding job, and throughout the entire book there are many heartwarming episodes, which definitely reaches out and touches the reader's heartstrings. Therefore I.have no problem awarding five stars to this outstanding masterpiece of reality. Mr. Pratt apparently completed his research before striking the first key, as the character selections and entertaining storylines successfully portrays the expectations of his readers. There were many apprehensive stories throughout this outstanding western folklore adventures, and the compassionate family camaraderie is very appealing to any reader's expectations of successful encounters. I have, without hesitation, bought the second book of this series in anticipation of more outstanding performances of Matt and and his colleagues. Definitely recommend this compassionate, and somewhat, family-friendly book to all readers, but especially to you real lovers of exceptionally descriptive episodes of real old American folklore adventures. I assure all of will definitely enjoy Matt Bannister, as he does a great job preserving the rights of all the good people with swift and accurate justice! Your loss, if you don't follow my lead!😤
Ken Pratt says in interviews that he wants to bring hope to the reader through his writing. His Christian outlook and philosophy shines through in “Willow Falls.” I wouldn’t call it preachy, although his characters present much religious thought, but it’s handled with judiciousness and a lack of coercion, and was not at all offensive to me as I read his novel. There was a lot to think about in their actions and reflections as the book progressed.
Matt Bannister and Elizabeth engage in a one-night affair that produces a child for the already married woman. Chagrined and extremely upset, Matt leaves the area to reduce the backlash that was sure to follow. A son, Gabriel, was subsequently born and the husband, Tom, now the town’s sheriff, was never told of the incident, believing the child was his, although the boy’s physical appearance closely resembled that of the boy’s biological dad. The appearance was so evident that I though this might be a somewhat weak element to the story. Matt returns fifteen years later to reunite with his family and immediately gets involved with four bad guys who have been arrested for horse theft and who murder a deputy sheriff to affect their escape. Bannister, now an infamous lawman from Wyoming, famous for his exploits, and reportedly the perpetrator of many deaths during his arrests, is selected to lead a small posse to pursue the fugitives who have taken Elizabeth, the town sheriff’s wife, hostage. Well. You can fill in the rest, because it’s fairly scripted.
What’s effective about the story are the ruminations of Matt, Elizabeth, Tom (who is now aware and furious about the deception), Gabriel, and most of the rest of both affected families. Their thoughts, opinions, and behavior frame the story as it proceeds to its climax. Not surprisingly, all is well by the end. Pratt is very effective at bringing the attitudes to the forefront and describing how ideas and thoughts change as time and circumstances evolve. There is much to think about in his presentation that the reader might or might not agree with. Conversations are clear and lucid and presented with in correct dialect and reality. Religious philosophy is important but never overpowers Pratt’s writing.
I enjoyed the presentation, the story, and the personal trials as presented by the author. This is obviously the beginning of a series and nothing I read would preclude me from enjoying more of the story. Number one in sales at Amazon so something’s right here.
This the first novel I've read by Mr. Pratt, but I can tell you that it certainly won't be the last. This is one of the best western I've ever read. This book was unique for a couple of different reasons. The first is that two themes, family and Christianity ran through it,, but and I repeat the word "but" didn't distract from this story at all. In my opinion they only made it better. This story has all the dramatic elements a great story should have. Characters that are believable and relatable, and a storyline that will keep you reading to the last page. Mr. Pratt is a very talented and gifted writer who knows how to tell a story that will stay with you long after you've read it. It is my hope that this fine author will find a wide readership for his books because he deserves to be read. Thank you Mr. Pratt for providing me with one of the best reading experiences I've ever had.
Many times during this reading I was brought to tears. Seeing truths seldom spoken in works of fiction. The underlying theme of salvation, forgiveness, and letting go of past wrongs and hurts is prevalent. The struggles people go thru and deal with may all be different but are connected. The characters in this book are portrayed in a real manner. The story is cohesively written and comes to a satisfying conclusion. The story makes room for continuing the story lines for other characters. You become a family member or townsperson because it draws you in wanting to know more to enjoy these triumphs and weep at their saddness. I hope to continue reading about these characters and their dreams. I plan to re read this book in the near future taking my time to really enjoy it. The excitement pulled me through the book so quickly I'm sure I missed some enlightening statements. Congratulations Ken Pratt for writing a wonderful book.
One of my favorite reading genres is Westerns. However, the blood/guts/gore, the glorification of sexual promiscuity, the abuse of women, etc., causes me sometimes to feel guilty about being entertained with such material. Enter Ken Pratt.
Enter Ken Pratt. His Western Fiction elevates values such sexual purity, marital faithfulness, honesty and faith, and are a refreshing change in this Genre. And . . . he writes with no less drama/excitement suspense as other westerns. And in most cases he is simply a better writer than most, or at least many authors of westerns who just churn out a book a month.
Matt banister is that the wedding of his good friend and preacher, when he sees a little girl that reminds him of the sister he hasn’t seen in 15 years. His memories come back even stronger when he sees two dirty cowboys beating a young black boy in scaring his little sister. After he intervened he goes to his to the room where he staying with a bottle of whiskey. And plan to kill himself. It is only through the miraculous visit from the Preacher that his plans changed. He decides to go back to Willow Falls and confront the ghost he left behind. By the end of his visit he will reconnect with family that he loves and put the ghost to rest. He finds his friends family and forgiveness. This was one of the best western I have read in a while. I enjoyed this book so much I now have eight other books in the mad banister series download it to my Kindle. I can’t wait to read the rest in highly recommend if not all been definitely the first book. It was so very good! Please forgive any grammatical or punctuation of errors, As I am blind and dictate my review.
This author was mentioned in a Christian fiction Facebook group, and I listed him in a long blog post of male Christian fiction authors.
The book was very well written, great plot, great characters, a lot of great Christian content....but I won't be reading any more in the series.
One reason I read Christian fiction is to avoid profanity. And though this is marketed as Christian fiction, it had quite a bit of profanity. Several uses of d***, some "King James donkey" uses, bastards, and of course hell used as an expletive.
I don't want to read that kind of language, especially in a "Christian" book. If a Christian should avoid using profanity in their talk, then why use it in a book?
Louis L'Amour said this: “I’ve written all these stories without any pornography, without any obscenity. I grew up among sailors and miners and lumberjacks and the roughest kind men in the world, but I never found it necessary to use all that in the stories. I can make them real without that. I think much of that kind of writing is a coverup for lack of real skill.”
God's love overcomes a lot of shortcomings and a lot of anguish, resentment, pride, selfishness... Well anything. This tale moves from innocence through a whole Gambit of shame, pride, stubbornness, self-righteousness to God opening the eyes, hearts and minds of those that have lost sight of and Jesus love. It's the same story told in a fresh setting of mankind's selfishness without true love for one another. Yet the central characters come to realize how essential love for one another is. Without love they, and we, have nothing. Faith, hope, and love abide, but the greatest of these is love. We keep that love by following Jesus in our everyday lives... It's the only way. Great story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the story, the characters, and most of all the Christian background. It's nice to read a good book that is without bad language! You don't need bad language to tell a good story and this book does just that. I don't do spoilers in my ratings. I think it detracts from the experience of reading it. I love the writing style of this author. It held my interest from beginning to the last page. It was so good that I read it in two sittings. I will definitely read other books by this author. Highly recommend!
The reader will get his\her's money's worth with this book. Although a bit verbose, the commentary is necessary for the insight to the many character's class and misgivings. Matt Bannister was wrongly accused and vilified for a horrible incident in his youth. After some 15 years, Matt reruns home to see his family; bringing g with him a reputation some find revolting. Matt's job and reputation would prove to be what the town needed most. You coach's will enjoy this read so, "Giddy Up."
I liked the storyline and the message that we are who we are because of our choices...some right, some wrong. This was difficult to read, however, due to choppy, odd sentences, numerous misspelled words (spell check catches misspellings, not correctly spelled words with the wrong meaning for context of the sentence), sentences with repeated words or missing words, and either missing commas or too many commas. It needed a proofreader instead of spellchecker, and I probably won't look at other books by this author.
I'd give this book 4.5 stars. Great story well written. However, i don't feel it deserves the full five due to 'preaching'. I get that the characters are Christians, and will say Christian things, but a lot of it just feels like the writer preaching to the reader. I'm a Christian myself but I'm writing this purely as a reader. The preaching comes across as the writer preaching directly to me. It doesn't sit well in the story, and its not what I want in a novel. Will I be reading the next Matt Bannister book? Heck yes!
Willow Falls is a gripping western novel about a US Marshal and his faith, his regrets, and his future. He always gets the bad guy, but there's more to the story! If you want to see the outlaws pay for their crimes, read this story. If you're looking for forgiveness and renewal, this story has it! This novel has layers and twists and turns. If you're a proofreader, you'll find comma splices, but if you can get past those and focus on the story, you'll enjoy this read!
Book previews frequently provide content warnings. this one didn't. No, it didn't contain strong sexual content. But the story was marred by a continuous religious message that sometimes overwhelmed the plot--particularly in the latter section. Some may find the message uplifting. I found the continuous preaching distracting to the plot and only skimmed the conclusion. I liked Matt Bannister but won't be visiting him again.
I enjoyed the storyline and the Biblical base of it. My only complaint is the book should have been proofread for errors before publishing! I highlighted the errors in pink and as I went back over the book, there were too many to have been ignored by anyone proofreading it. I’m proud you didn’t have profanity or sexual content that even so called Christian authors are currently using.
Matt Bannister is a gunslinger and Deputy US Marshall. He finally comes home for Christmas after 15 years and finds things are not the same. Matt is the son of a preacher and there is a lot of scripture quoted, But the town preacher wants nothing to do with him. The preachers daughter, Elizabeth, was Matt's one and only love. Now she is married to his former best friend, who also happens to be the sheriff. Nothing much ever happens in Willow Falls, until the Moskin gang make the mistake of kidnapping Elizabeth. Lots of action that make it easy to root for the guys in the white hats.
Interesting Christian Book with Different Types of Action
Action in this book is physical and emotional. Yes, I am aware that emotional is not usually classtas action; however, Mr. Pratt' s use of conversation is so well done that I feel it deeper in certain situations than in any other book. Touchy situations between people were handled with dignity and respect in a very touching way.
I found the book very thrilling and I found myself rushing to get to the next page. But most of all I found the use of bible teaching through the book to be meaningful and not all preachy, wishy washy drivable. A very will and meaning full and hope inspiring book.
First book I've read in a long time that brought me to tears several times. It has violence, justified killing, family relationships and you go through so many different emotions . Highly recommend this book and can't wait until the next one in the series comes out!!
The characters are well developed, there is a good plot and it is quite thought provoking. I didn’t realize that this was a Christian western, but still enjoyed it. I think the principles like forgiveness are universal to all faiths. The characters are human and have their human frailties and secrets. Well worth a read. I’m still thinking about it.
The story was interesting and it held my interest throughout. I liked the way the minister learned some valuable lessons and how he let his congregation know what the lessons he learned were. Also how people in general need to see beyond the surface and that we should not be the judge of others. A Well written story. I enjoyed reading it.
Matt Bannister returns home after 15 years to find he had a son he never knew about. When the boy's mother is kidnapped. He goes after the men who has taken her. The book was too long to much conversation between the characters that wasn't needed. I did like the religious aspects in the book. But a shorter version would of been better.
Matt left Willow Falls because of that bad day at the river. His friend will killed. He went back and killed the men who did it. How he was going back after 15 years. Would the town forgive him. Would she the girl he left forgive. Her husband the sheriff still hated him. And now he found out he had a son.
Shame, guilt, deception and fear are at the core of problems when three adults face the past.... when four teenage best friends encountered a terrifying event, costing one their life. This is a good story of trusting God and forgiveness of past painful sins.
I gave it only 3 stars because although it was a good story the main character was betrayed by his so called friend and yet the writer wants you to believe that it was all his fault yes he night have slept with the sheriff's wife but she was his girlfriend first and the sheriff betrayed him first by marrying her even though he new she wasnt in love with him
What a wonderful story of forgiveness and redemption. A young man takes on a profession that requires a huge part of his soul. However, his faith is strong enough to see him through it all. It's a lesson in forgiving and leaving the past behind. Each day can make a difference and the power of Faith, love, and family can strengthen and save. Well done!
This book will make you laugh, smile and cry. It is an amazing read about the love of Jesus, his directions in our lives that we sometimes think of as abandonment and not HIS WILL. His will is always right but sometimes it takes us places we never dreamed of. Forgiveness, love and family is what this book is all about. One of the best books I've read in awhile.
This western read kept the pages turning for me, I was surprised at how well the author took me into the story where I could picture all the characters and scenery. I felt the pain of loosing a loved one, of adults not understanding and letting you explain! I will probably read the series.....
Does tis book have some typos? Yes. Does it have a few word order problems? Yes. Is it worth your time to read? YES! The story line is gripping. The characters are believable And the message is crystal clear. I loved the truths about God written within this story. I finished this book feeling uplifted, hopeful, and blessed