Northwest Passage/Apache Blood

Apache Blood (Wilderness #12): Another interesting and well written book in this mountain man series from David Thompson (David L. Robbins). Interesting fact: though this is the author's chosen pen name for this series, an actual David Thompson, Canadian mountain man and explorer who mapped most of the Canadian West, did exist. In this book we travel with Nate King, his son Zach, Nate's Shoshone wife, Winona, Shakespeare McNair, his Flathead wife, Blue Water Woman, and Samson the black mascot dog to Bent's Fort on the Arkansas, and then on to Santa Fe with the trader wagons of William Becknell. Once settled there an Apache attack takes place with the two wives of Nate and Shakespeare being taking captive, along with Nate's young son, Zach. The ins and outs of the final third of the story focus on the attempt to recapture all Mexican and Indian people forced into captivity by these Apache. We get some history and close up glimpses of these Apache raiders, however, Mr. Robbins does not exactly identify from which band these marauders come. None the less, the chase and eventual outcome is a very exciting read. As with all the Wilderness books in this series any reader holding interest in the trapper or mountain man era in the Rockies should find these books very pleasing. Read on! Here's to many more from the pen of Mr. Robbins, with number 54 due off the presses in November, 2007. Semper Fi.