What do you think?
Rate this book
The Man From Nowhere
National bestselling Phenomenon
When the Apache surrounded the settlement of Alma, New Mexico, the "respectable" townsfolk began hanging those who weren't. Town drunk Eddie Oates was lucky to be banished from the town, left for the Apaches to kill.
Oates never thought he was a survivor. But now, he's discovered a reason to go on--and he's about to unleash a raging fury upon those who would prey on the helpless, the hopeless, and those who others think aren't worth fighting for . . .
When the Apache surrounded the settlement of Alma, New Mexico, the "respectable" townsfolk began hanging those who weren't. Town drunk Eddie Oates was lucky to be banished from the town, left for the Apaches to kill.
Oates never thought he was a survivor. But now, he's discovered a reason to go on--and he's about to unleash a raging fury upon those who would prey on the helpless, the hopeless, and those who others think aren't worth fighting for . . .
- GenresWesterns
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 7, 2009
9 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Joseph A. West
49 books8 followersJoe West was born and raised in the seaside town of Saltcoats in Scotland. At 19 he became a police officer, but soon turned his love of writing into a career as a journalist, working for the Daily Mirror in London among others. In 1972 West was recruited as a reporter for the National Enquirer, and began working in the United States. Traveling the world in search of stories, West almost froze to death on an Alaska mountain, and a spider bite nearly killed him in the Amazon rainforest. 'I swelled up like a balloon and turned a real pretty violet color,' he recalls.
Now a full-time novelist, West and his wife Emily reside in sunny Lake Worth, Florida, where he enjoys tamer pursuits like canoeing the alligator-infested swamps of the Everglades. His daughter Alexandria attends a local college where she studies forensic technology. She will have absolutely nothing to do with canoes and alligators.
West researches the settings of his novels by exploring the terrain in person, usually with little more than a sleeping bag and a can of coffee.
Recently he and Emily celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary at the Lodge in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, a gift from the students at Rio Rancho High School who use West's first novel as a textbook. They then spent a month in the mountains and deserts of New Mexico, often pitching their tent where the air is thin at 9,000 feet above the flat.
Now a full-time novelist, West and his wife Emily reside in sunny Lake Worth, Florida, where he enjoys tamer pursuits like canoeing the alligator-infested swamps of the Everglades. His daughter Alexandria attends a local college where she studies forensic technology. She will have absolutely nothing to do with canoes and alligators.
West researches the settings of his novels by exploring the terrain in person, usually with little more than a sleeping bag and a can of coffee.
Recently he and Emily celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary at the Lodge in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, a gift from the students at Rio Rancho High School who use West's first novel as a textbook. They then spent a month in the mountains and deserts of New Mexico, often pitching their tent where the air is thin at 9,000 feet above the flat.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 18, 2017
Being judgemental of the title, it took me a bit to finally pick this book up and read it. Happy I found this page turner, I found that I could hardly put it down. I enjoy a well written historical fiction. Being a Texas girl myself, I'm drawn to stories of the old west and cowboys.
August 22, 2021
Best western story I have read in a while. Lots of twist and turns, suspense and a great ending.
April 24, 2024
pretty good
Good story. A feel good story in more ways than one. enough action. I think it is Worth the read
Good story. A feel good story in more ways than one. enough action. I think it is Worth the read
July 27, 2023
This is the last mediocre western I'm going to read, unless paid to do so. I'm not sure why I felt compelled to finish this one, but I did. What shoddy storytelling. It reads as if the author made things up as he went along. The book is dull and uninspired, and there's no reckoning at all for the townspeople who cast the unlikely hero and his fellow misfits out of town in the first few chapters. Don't waste your time.
March 28, 2024
Enjoyable. Choked full of stereotypes ( a prostitute with heart of gold, a drunkard on his way to redemption). Wished had more interactions with some characters like Yearly and Pickles, but wanting more of those characters shows how much I enjoyed them.
April 18, 2024
Enjoyable read
May 27, 2025
It does what a western is supposed to do, good action, clever characters and descriptions of the locations good enough to make it feel like you have been there.
January 9, 2017
I don't understand the cover of this book... how can this be a Ralph Compton novel if it is written by Joseph A. West.
This one, is a competent western, if unevenly plotted. The story begins when a town drunk, our hero, a simple-minded young man, and a number of prostitutes is banished from the town of Alma. The town is under siege by Victorio and his Apache raiders and short on supplies, the citizen's committee runs these folks out of town to keep from having to provide food, etc. for them.
It isn't long before the drunk, Eddie, is separated from the others, and dying for a drink he runs into a group of ruffians intent on making mischief and tells them about the soiled doves traveling on their own.
Before long, he is picked up and befriended by an old man who teaches him to shoot and helps him become sober. Eddie is intent on finding the women and protecting them.
At this point, the novel becomes one of those silly stories where someone learns to be a gunman in a few short months and becomes deadly. While it makes for some good action scenes the story stretches the bounds of reality ever so slightly. Add to that a surreal meeting with the spectre of a departed friend and it goes one toe over the line.
The author has a good sense of western flavor and a bit of dialogue. Not the best western, not the worst, but it lacked a great deal of the stuff that makes for realism.
This one, is a competent western, if unevenly plotted. The story begins when a town drunk, our hero, a simple-minded young man, and a number of prostitutes is banished from the town of Alma. The town is under siege by Victorio and his Apache raiders and short on supplies, the citizen's committee runs these folks out of town to keep from having to provide food, etc. for them.
It isn't long before the drunk, Eddie, is separated from the others, and dying for a drink he runs into a group of ruffians intent on making mischief and tells them about the soiled doves traveling on their own.
Before long, he is picked up and befriended by an old man who teaches him to shoot and helps him become sober. Eddie is intent on finding the women and protecting them.
At this point, the novel becomes one of those silly stories where someone learns to be a gunman in a few short months and becomes deadly. While it makes for some good action scenes the story stretches the bounds of reality ever so slightly. Add to that a surreal meeting with the spectre of a departed friend and it goes one toe over the line.
The author has a good sense of western flavor and a bit of dialogue. Not the best western, not the worst, but it lacked a great deal of the stuff that makes for realism.
June 18, 2011
I'm thinking 3 and a half stars for this, although closer to four. First, a very good idea for a story. A drunk, three whores, and a simple but sweet young man are run out of a town besieged by Apaches because they aren't seen as contributors to the town's defense. A lot happens to them after that and I don't want to spoil it for you.
The writing is also very good. I liked the prose itself adn thought it captured the beauty of the setting in the way I like for my westerns to do. The action was good and strong.
It doesn't get five stars because the plot wanders around quite a bit. There's certainly no straight line between where the story starts and where it ends, and some loose ends are either not tied off or just kind of forgotten. There's a glitch at one point where a character has 'burned' a cabin, but then comes back to stay there for a while.
Overall, though, this was a good book that left me feeling like more, and I will look by more from this writer.
Btw, the name at top of the book says "Ralph Compton," as if he wrote it, but it's Joseph A. Smith, whose name is in tiny print at the bottom.
The writing is also very good. I liked the prose itself adn thought it captured the beauty of the setting in the way I like for my westerns to do. The action was good and strong.
It doesn't get five stars because the plot wanders around quite a bit. There's certainly no straight line between where the story starts and where it ends, and some loose ends are either not tied off or just kind of forgotten. There's a glitch at one point where a character has 'burned' a cabin, but then comes back to stay there for a while.
Overall, though, this was a good book that left me feeling like more, and I will look by more from this writer.
Btw, the name at top of the book says "Ralph Compton," as if he wrote it, but it's Joseph A. Smith, whose name is in tiny print at the bottom.
Read
September 13, 2012Good Book. Would like to find out if main character goes on into next book or series. Many characters at middle of book and end. Story could go on well.
December 23, 2012
This book is a pretty good read. Not the most amazing book but kept me entertained consistently which is more than I can say for a lot of books. The writing is pretty good also, flows well.
April 17, 2014
This was a very fun book. Had a couple of western clichés, but overall very good. Even had a good ending.
January 22, 2016
western pulp.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews