I downloaded Rafe after reading a sample from the Kindle page. This is a 2011 ebook version of a 2010 Trade paperback.
Frank Roderus's Rafe: A Tale of Redemption has all the elements of a classic western—bank robbers, shootouts, ambushes—with the added element that protagonist Rafer Allard finds faith. It opens as Rafe sets things up for a bank robbery—that's what he does: he's a professional thief. But the bank deal doesn't go as planned, and Rafe finds himself severely wounded and in the home of a stranger. Begin redemption.
How Rafe becomes Born Again is nicely written without being pedantic. His skepticism doesn't dissolve overnight, and his transformation is presented with realistic emotions.
The action in this story is masterfully written, as those familiar with Roderus's dozens of titles would expect. The land and lifestyles in the late 1880s West rings true. The dialogue is right for the times. All the descriptions of weather and barrooms are drawn well, as Rafe scours Rocky Mountain dales and towns, looking for the person who made the bank robbery go wrong. But wait! He doesn't have revenge on his mind! Honest!
I found the ending scene a bit rushed, and the Kindle edition had a few proofing problems (such as "Large Print Book" still on the cover), but if you want a well-written Christian western, this is a perfect fit.
1 comment:
I like westerns and may give this one a try, though sometime so-called Christian books are a bit much.
The people in my books believe but that's not what the books are about. It just is. Like your reviews. They don't give away the story too much.
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