Skinwalker: A Western Horror Novel

Gideon Thorn #1

by Michael Newton

Gideon Thorn, survivor at age two of the unknown 'animal' attack that massacred his family in Kansas Territory, roams the West in search of answers to his personal tragedy and other unsolved mysteries of seeming paranormal origin. In Skinwalker, his quest takes him to Tularosa, New Mexico Territory, where a savage prowler striking on nights with full moons has slaughtered eighteen victims. Can Thorn identify and slay the predator before it claims more lives—including his

Genres: Horror, Westerns

218 pages, Paperback

First published May 24, 2015

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

From Wikipedia:
"Michael Newton (born 1951) is an American author best known for his work on Don Pendleton's Mack Bolan series. Newton first began work on the Executioner series by co-writing "The Executioner's War Book" with Don Pendleton in 1977. Since then he has been a steady writer for the series with almost 90 entries to his credit, which triples the amount written by creator Don Pendleton. His skills and knowledge of the series have allowed him to be picked by the publishers to write the milestone novels such as #100, #200, and #300.

Writing under the pseudonym Lyle Brandt, Michael Newton has also become a popular writer of Western novels. He has written a number of successful non-fiction titles as well, including a book on genre writing (How to Write Action Adventure Novels). His book Invisible Empire: The Ku Klux Klan in Florida won the Florida Historical Society's 2002 Rembert Patrick Award for Best Book in Florida History. Newton's "Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology" won the American Library Association's award for Outstanding Reference Work in 2006."

Pen names: Lyle Brandt, Don Pendleton, Jack Buchanan

Bibiliography available here.

Reviews

[Garden Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,8 estrellas en realidad.

CAMBIAPIELES. Novela actualmente sin traducción al español que supuestamente mezcla "Western" con "Horror", pero que se queda el debe con este segundo género.

Acá conocemos a Gideon Thorn, un pistolero "Mary Sue", que viaja por el oeste norteamericano cazando misterios y leyendas al más puro estilo Scooby Doo, llegando al pueblo de Tularousa, en donde una supuesta bestia tipo hombre lobo asesina gente cada luna llena. Lo que lo llevará a buscar al culpable que lamentablemente es obvio desde el principio.

Novela que no tiene nada de especial más allá de la supuesta mezcla de géneros. Su trama es de lo más cliché del mundo retratada innumerables veces en otros libros y programas de TV al punto que terminé sintiendo que leía un episodio escrito de "Scooby Doo y la maquina del misterio" pues su resolución es muy similar... y aunque hay una breve investigación antes de dar con el culpable esta nunca llega a emocionar o a sorprender. No, todo es lineal hasta el encuentro final con la "criatura". Encuentro por lo demás desabrido y liviano sin detalles mórbidos que te hacen preguntar dónde se quedó el horror prometido.

Pese a ello la novela no es un completo fracaso pues pese a todo lo cliché que puede llegar a ser la historia está bien escrita, sin contradicciones o resoluciones sacadas de la manga. Todo está planteado de la manera correcta, sin relleno ni alargues innecesarios, lo que hace que la novela nunca llegue a aburrir aunque tampoco a encantar.

Para pasar el rato está bien, pero no es ni un buen "Western" ni una buena novela de "Terror", solo una lectura genérica que no recomendaría a nadie más que a alguien buscando una lectura en inglés facil y ligera, sin muchas complicaciones.

Si no hay nada mejor a la mano no está mál. En lo demás lectura generica de facil lectura.

[Kendal Dickson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so disappointed in this book, it’s not even funny.

The main character is laughable, and predictable. There’s a sense of arrogance, that he’s “perfect”: rich, educated, magical ability to communicate with animals, etc

The POV jumps around multiple times, where different characters explain what the reader already knows.

They take a Native American folklore and make it a “white man”. He was “kidnapped” by Navajos as if that will make it better. As someone who is currently working on a western horror novel and researching Skinwalkers, this feels like an injustice to the legends.

I wish the author had spent less time concentrating on the main character’s meals- making sure he “mopped all the food up” (this is said way too many times) and put more time into research and exploring the lure of Skinwalkers.

I do not recommend this book, if I hadn’t picked it for my reading list this semester it would’ve been a DNF. 👎🏻

[Katherine Coble · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was so amateurish. I think the guy has never met a child. A two year old is described as having the cognitive abilities of a 7-or 8-year old.

On the other hand, he’s met a lot of food. The thing most often and most frequently described is food. Steak, stews, fancy desserts in a one horse town in New Mexico in 1875? Fine, whatever.

It’s just all like that. Very simple, little-researched, telling without showing.

I just can’t recommend it.

[Charles van Buren · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is killing the people of Tularosa?, May 31, 2016

This review is from: Skinwalker: A Western Horror Novel (Gideon Thorn #1) (Kindle Edition)

The murders are brutal and mysterious, possibly supernatural, but despite being billed as a western horror novel, the story is as much mystery as horror. Reading it with that in mind may aid in avoiding disappointment. As a mystery/thriller it is pretty good though the question of who is the killer is easy to determine well before the end. What is the killer is less obvious. Gideon Thorne apparently answers this question in the end, but....

Michael Newton is a ghost writer for Don Pendleton's Executioner series which I tried years ago. I read volume one and decided that it was the literary equivalent of whatever is below the lowest B movie. SKINWALKERS is much better. It isn't great literature but it is an easy, escapist read which should appeal to fans of more than one genre.

[Lisa Godina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book written in a classic style of storytelling, Well worth the read.

[Dave Kirschner · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a trope of these kind of books, where the hero is very painstakingly crafted to be cool. Gideon Thorn is wealthy, educated, an excellent shot and well versed on the trail, as well as a snappy dresser and gifted with near superhuman memory and a ability with animals, and that takes some of the intrigue and suspense out of the character.

I also felt the final conflict was a little bit of a let down, as it goes quick.

That being said, I like westerns and I like monster stories, and this has some great bits of both. I see there are some other stories with the character, and I think after being established in this book, the next has some potential to stretch and shine.

I struggled between a 3 and 4 star, but at the end of the day it's fun and quick and I may come back and bump up the rating if the next one is good.

[Justin Felgar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good Weird Western novel, really skirts the line between mystery/suspense and horror, mostly by dripping blood and guts on the line. The main character Gideon Thorne is set up to be a cross between a Clint Eastwood character and someone along the lines of Solomon Kane, John Constantine or a Wild West Fox Mulder. Newton doesn’t necessarily get there with this novel, but the character is intriguing nonetheless. The subject matter itself is fun, the let down ending notwithstanding. As a novel, I’ve read better but a good introduction to the series and I’m interested to read more of Gideon Thorne’s exploits.

[Tertia R Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wicked good

Meshing old Navajo myths and the rough and tumble old west, the author delivers a scary read. The characters are real and the killer believable. Unlike Gideon Thorn's quest to solve his personal mystery, the riddle of the town's mysterious multiple murders come to a terrifying conclusion. An interesting psychological study, with the stumbling block of the developing legal system, of the role of lawman and mobs on the frontier.

[Linda L. Brand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gideon is searching for his family's killer.

He grew up with his aunt. She wanted him to have a good education. He inherited her estate. He rode into the town of Tularosa. There were lots of problems. They traced the murder to a wealthy rancher's son. There were a lot of mysteries in this book.

[Kyle]

Enjoyable

This is a relatively short book that reads fairly quick. The story is entertaining enough and has a good pace. Sometimes I felt things either went on too long or didn't linger long enough. And sometimes it seemed the focus was misplaced. To that point, the menu at the Lucky Strike sounds amazing. I truly loved how we got exhaustive details on Thorn's three squares.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent weird western which is something I have always had a soft spot for. I would have liked a little more of a fun factor at times, but it was a quick, entertaining read nonetheless that I tackled in a one night. Any time I read a book straight through like that I have to consider it a good sign. I was engaged the whole time.

[Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting

I enjoyed this book and it's take on the old west. The author did a good job with the story and his characters.

[emtee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A four-star story with a two-star ending. Well-written, excellent mash up of my two favorite genres with a very likeable protagonist. But the ending...

[mel toland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Western horror

What a fun read. I really enjoyed this short book, being a fan of westerns and horror. I look forward to the next book in the series.

[Éric Kasprak · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good western movie, but for some reason I had never decided to read a western novel. Than I had an hitch for some horror/paranormal western and I found the Weird West section on the kindle store. So at 99 cents for the omnibus edition of the adventures of one Gideon Thorn I jumped in. I really like this novel, the setting, the atmosphere and the pacing of the story works really well. It's more an investigation story than an action story but the main characters and the world around him are very interesting and I was hook from the beginning. I can't compare Skinwalker to other novels in the western/weird west genre, but I found it very competent and I already started reading the second book of the omnibus, so that's a strong indicator of quality for me.

[nora m malotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skywalker : A Western HORROR Novel (Book 1)

Gideon Thorn an orphan at age three, is so because of an attack on his family by an unknown monster. A MONSTER in the mind and memory of this child. Taken and raised a gentleman by a wealthy aunt, his only living relative , he lives his days searching for the beast that murdered his family. He searches the entire WEST..going from one territory to the next, finding one evil person after another, always searching. This THRILLING, MYSTERIOUS SERIES IS A WINNER. I TOTA ENJOYED AND RECOMMEND

[Linda Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good read

Loved the character of Gideon Thorne...A man out of the old west trying to find the truth of what killed his family when he was younger....He thought, as he was told, that it was an animal attack...he goes in search of anything strange or mysterious.....good book...I am hoping Mr. Newton writes more books on Gideon's journeys into the unknown...

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This character, Gideon Thorne, is very interesting. Orphaned as a 3 yr old, he now feels he needs to research what happened that night. when he started looking, he realized there are strange things happening everywhere. He decides to research and see if he can solve these mysteries. This story was creepy and a great read. I will be reading more of this series.

[merilie Gonzales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprise

This book is out of my wheelhouse but I tried it because it's a historical western. I learned to read with my dad's Louis Lamour books so I gave it a go. It's pretty good. It kept my attention.

[Rakesh Chawda · Rating 2 out of 5]

A nice buildup, steady pace but a sudden and unacceptable end. After such a nice build up and setting up such high expectations, just one paragraph of an ending left too much to be desired.

Once readable.

[Peter Cornell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good start

Starts out strong but loses traction in the middle. I figured out the end too soon. A mystery, us strange sort of horror story mixed in. Weird.

[Rory Ivanoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good western

Well-written, but somewhat short. Somewhat straightforward not too many surprises and a very quick read . I will be looking for more books by this author

[Kristina Trawick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A western horror novel....

Wonderful combination, western and horror. Can't wait to sink my teeth into next story of Gideon Thorn. (No pun intended.)

[Jim Edmonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent example of Western Horror

Well written and fast moving. The characters are very believable and the motivations are interesting. I'll certainly read more by Michael Newton.

[Robert Lewter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Page turner.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gideon Thorn lost his family when he was only 2. All he remembers is a monster. Now as an adult he wants to know what he was dealing with. He investigates any sightings and incidents that are unexplained in the Old West. There have been killings at the full moon in the small town of Tularosa so Gideon goes there. He meets the sheriff who doesn't want any help or interference until another person is killed. The rest of the story is about the creature and the chase to find and stop him. Gideon is still searching for whatever killed his family. Maybe this time he'll get some answers...
Good story. Gideon's back story was quite interesting. I'll be checking out more books by this author.