Sunday, January 16, 2011

A Hundred Miles to Water by Mike Kearby

Living next to the Gunns in the cattle raising fields of McCullen County, TX has brought the Reston cowboys nothing but grief. Each day the Restons must defend their honor, their family and their herd against the hot-handed, murderous Gunns. When stealing cattle turns to killing the brothers, the eldest Reston son decides it's an eye for an eye.

When you've got 200 head of cattle and you're a hundred miles from water, that's quite a predicament. When you've got a band of brothers stealing your cattle and murdering your own, well, that's a hundred miles to water problem.

Join Pure and his foreman July as they chase their bandits to the Mexican border and beyond for justice and revenge. Each day is a new surprise, a new ambush and a new death in this family blood fued. What family will turn up on top in the end? And how many men have to die to claim it?

Mike Kearby, a seven-time novelist, does a fine job creating the character July, an African American cattle Foreman for Pure Reston of the Triple Bar R herd. Kearby tells his story through a cross of believable journal entries of July and third person point of view.

Louis L’Amour novel lovers would enjoy this story. Those interested in the stories of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday will find themselves immersed in the show-downs and throat cuttings in this book, though don’t expect the witty dialogue associated with the Doc, or the academic and biblical references. But do expect the guts and glory and upholding of the old western codes. Do expect to sit on the edge of your seat waiting to read what happens next.