Apache Sun by Jeffrey W. Tenney

Delivering a classic western adventure, Apache Sun by Jeffrey W. Tenney taps into the harsh beauty of New Mexico and the gritty struggle of its tenacious denizens, for a thorough portrait of frontier living.

When Lacey Hudson sets off in search of the man suspected of murdering his sister and kidnapping his niece, he doesn’t expect to find himself endlessly scouring the deserts and barren plains of the Southwest. However, the accused is desperate to avoid capture, and skilled in backcountry survival, which leads to a sweeping hunt across arid lands and unforgiving outposts. With the support of unlikely companions, Lacey must outsmart horse thieves, bandits, and big-city crooks, survive the relentless threat of the wilderness, and learn to trust those he has come to call friends. Ultimately, this righteous newspaperman is faced with the steep cost of vengeance, and must choose between outlaw justice or the righteous rules of law.

Though the plot unfolds slowly, the modest pace of the prose gives space for a detailed depiction of rough-and-tumble life on the road. The daily and hourly stresses of food, water, defensible camps, moody animals, rough terrain, roving villains, unpredictable weather, and the limitations of communication are brought into sharp focus, giving the reader a visceral taste of life in the Old West. The action sequences are also well-spaced and compelling, but the appealing heart of this book lies in its intimate character profiles, and what their courageous actions reveal about humanity’s timeless resilience.

A detailed but rugged western, the novel is so immersive in its depiction of the Old West that it feels in part like historical fiction, placing the reader in the mix of each scene, while unveiling characters who are as vivid as the setting.