Reviews of Wheeler Books

The Exile (Forge, 0-312-87847-8)

Real-life Irish patriot and American hero Thomas Francis Meagher (1823-1867) is the subject of this fine fictional autobiography by Wheeler, prolific author of westerns and historicals... Wheeler brings his protagonist to vivid life, telling Meagher's remarkable and tragic story so clearly and convincingly that the blending of fact and fiction is almost seamless.... Wheeler's exemplary portrait of Meagher depicts a flawed man whose dreams and schemes always fell short, but who never quit dreaming and never ran from his enemies.

-- Publishers Weekly

He presents a plausible theory to explain the mystery, but what really makes the book work is its vivid portrayal of the larger-than-life Meagher. Another thoroughly entertaining historical novel from the genre veteran Wheeler, a winner of the Owen Wister Award for lifelong contributions to western literature.

--Booklist

I think it is the most readable story ever written about Thomas Francis Meagher, the Irish revolutionary, the Civil War hero and fiery orator who was at the center of political turmoil in the early years of Montana territory.... Wheeler may not be as well known as A. B. Guthrie, Jr., and Ivan Doig, but he ranks with them as the best of Montana's fiction writers.

--Great Falls Tribune

"The Square Reporter" in Westward: A Fictional History of the American West, edited by Dale L. Walker]

Most [of the stories] are simply, starkly written and several have the heft and tang of classics-to-be: [including] Richard S. Wheeler's dazzling reimagining of the pseudonymous frontier journalist "Dan DeQuille" ("The Square Reporter").

--Kirkus Reviews

The Deliverance: A Barnaby Skye Novel (Forge, 0-312-87844-3)

Thirteenth in the Barnaby Skye series, famed for its saddle-creaking realism and style tight as set type....Pages as strong as sun-hardened adobe.

--Kirkus Reviews

Wheeler's Skye is a much more well rounded character than one usually finds in western literature. He is intelligent, erudite, compassionate and self-aware. The thirteenth entry in the series is one of the most satisfying.

--Booklist

Skye and Victoria together are dynamite as they roam a West so finely drawn by Wheeler that one could almost do without a roadmap when traveling. This is an all-around wonderful book.

--Roundup Magazine

Eclipse: A Novel of Lewis and Clark (Forge, 0-312-87846-X)

...Wheeler is a master storyteller, weaving research and history with fictional possibilities, and the outcome is a great story that will make you wonder if, in fact, it is not true.

Whether you are a history buff, read historical fiction or simply enjoy a good story, you will find something in this novel of Lewis and Clark that will engage you, and you will not want to put it down.

--Sandra McKee for the The Billings Gazette

Now comes the riveting novel "Eclipse" by master storyteller Richard Wheeler. But instead of the explorers' journey, it deals with its aftermath--Wheeler brings readers a stunningly told and hitherto incomplete story of the tragic final chapter in the life of Meriwether Lewis, one of American history's most famous and lasting characters.

--The Denver Post

...The book should be appreciated by lovers of Western history and lore.

-- Publishers Weekly

A riveting re-creation of the tragic final years of an American legend.

--Booklist

At last the waiting is over. Dick Wheeler, Western novelist par excellence, has finally written a novel about Lewis and Clark....Wheeler has once again created a magnificent novel that is compelling reading.

--Roundup Magazine

This is literary time travel, a brilliant, frequently dark and always rewarding read.

--True West

Richard Wheeler has produced a riveting tale of two imperfect men who through their work changed the course of a nation. A first selection for high school and public libraries.

--KLIATT

The Fields of Eden (Forge, 0-312-87309-3)

It has become the author's trademark to tell a vast historical drama through the eyes of multiple characters, and his skill at orchestrating massive movements is on display here....Wheeler powerfully presents manifest destiny in action.

--Publishers Weekly

Wheeler's female characters who share the stage are all first-rate... The author skillfully weaves history with fiction, in some cases using actual players, such as McLoughlin....The Fields of Eden is historical fiction at its best.

-The Denver Post

Wheeler has written another solid historical novel with his usual seamless plot and superb characterization. One cannot avoid being caught like a fish on a line and drawn into his story. It is a gift he has.

--Amarillo Globe-News

Downriver: A Barnaby Skye Novel (Forge, 0-312-87845-1)

Going Home (Forge, 0-312-87310-7)

Eleventh in the Western series featuring legendary mountain man Barnaby Skye, by the glorious Wheeler, who has published over 30 richly researched regional novels. As a westerner Wheeler is a writer's writer whose prose has the authority of handset type but sparkles like horseshoes on flint rock.... The kind of writing that leaves you feeling much smarter than a mere mortal.

--Kirkus Reviews

Wheeler has a gift for creating believable, convincing characters and Skye and Victoria are two of his best frontier portrayals. It is their devoted relationship and shared trepidation about the white man's world that endear the reader to this enduring series. The next installment will be much anticipated.

--Publishers Weekly

American West: Twenty New Stories from the Western Writers of America (Forge, 0-312-87317-4)

Among the twenty entries in the volume, three are especially good.....Richard S. Wheeler's "The Last Days of Dominic Prince" offers a poignant and telling tour de force study of the impact of changing times and attitudes on the traditional westerner.

--Publishers Weekly

The Witness (Signet, 0-451-20075-6)

A legal thriller in western clothing, a novel as exciting as anything John Grisham ever wrote. The Witness is a page-turner you won't want to put down.

--The Roundup

Dark Passage (Forge, 0-312-86526-0)

Richard Wheeler's latest Barnaby Skye saga is more than just an entertaining frontier adventure. It is a love story told in terms as ruggedly beautiful as the mountain country in which it is set....A Western Writers of America Golden Spur winner, Wheeler has a sharp eye for detail and writes prose worth savoring.

--Booklist

Winner of the Spur Award and author of more than thirty novels... Wheeler has deepened over time and now is in top form. The tenth entry in his [Skye] series opens sweet-tempered and richly written.... Realistic throughout.

--Kirkus Reviews

I approached reviewing...Dark Passage with a large degree of trepidation. I started simultaneously reading the new Anne Rice novel, The Vampire Armand, thinking it would eventually capture my imagination, and I would then return Wheeler's book to my editor, telling him I just couldn't make a connection with it.... But instead, in the war of words, Richard Wheeler kicked Anne Rice's pretentious butt.... All of the details and characters ring true. Wheeler is especially adept at inventing believable Indian characters. The pacing of the novel is impeccable. He blends various white and Indian cultures together into a believable world with never a false beat. Dark Passage is well worth reading.

--The Missoulian

Rendezvous: A Barnaby Skye Novel (Forge, 0-312-28639-5)

A promising start in what appears to be an absorbing, authoritative series.

--Kirkus Reviews

Rendezvous rings with authenticity. More importantly, it is pure storytelling magic that transports the reader back to one of the most exciting and adventurous eras in American history.

--The Flint Journal

Wheeler is a master storyteller whose many tales of the Westward Movement...weave fact, fiction, and folklore into pure entertainment. Essential for all western fiction collections.

--Library Journal

[Skye] has enough adventures to satisfy the most discerning Western fan, and they ring surprisingly true.

- The Lincoln Star Journal

Masterson (Forge, 0-312-87047-7)

Again depicting characters with frailties as well as heroic qualities, the prolific Wheeler's 25th novel (after Aftershocks) is a sprightly romp of revisionist western history. In 1919, legendary gunfighter Bat Masterson is a 64-year-old New York City sportswriter who suddenly becomes worried about the inglorious and mostly false reputation he has endured for decades... The journey is a hoot when the old lawman finds the public wants the legend, not the truth....This is classic Wheeler, a solid story about real people told with wit, compassion and a bit of whimsy.

--Publishers Weekly

Keeping Wheeler's printing history straight is not easy since in a 12-month period he's published Dark Passage, Aftershocks, Sun Mountain, Flint's Honor, and now Masterson, for a grand total of sharply realistic novels that goes through the roof. This is all good news, however, since Wheeler is among the two or three top living writers of western historicals--if not the best... Strong on character and factual as possible, of course, as it moves smartly along...

--Kirkus Reviews

Once again Richard S. Wheeler shows his storytelling magic with an insightful look into the soul of a man with his new novel Masterson. This is another bold step away from the traditional western genre to which Wheeler has been linked for many years. Which is a shame because Wheeler's novels rise above the genre.

--El Paso Times

In this melancholy, very poignant novel, he shows his ability to focus on one character, producing a nuanced closeup instead of a detailed panorama. Readers will feel privileged to have accompanied Masterson on his pilgrimage.

--Booklist

I've said it before but just in case there are some who didn't hear me, let me say it again: Richard S. Wheeler is the most underrated Western writer, underrated for both is storytelling and his writing skills... In most of Wheeler's novels, the main characters ask themselves the same question. Did I count for anything? In Bat's case, he says in the end that "I've bought a lot out at Woodlawn and some day Emma and I will be there. We've had a damned good life." I know someone else who has lived a damned good life and the proof of it is in this novel and 24 others.

--Amarillo Globe-News

Masterson is an odd but amiable and engaging novel that seems to take its primary inspiration from history, not storytelling. Wheeler never strays very far from the historical record...Mostly, Wheeler keeps the focus resolutely on a dyspeptic old man plowing through the present of 1919, where he feels marooned, to get to the truth of the past.

--Chicago Tribune

Masterson is classic Wheeler. He is among the top living writers of Western historical novels--if not the best. In this book he knows his history, his subject and he lets his imagination run with them. He rolls it all into one terrific book that comes highly recommended.

--Tulsa World

As is true of all of Wheeler's works, the novel is based on meticulous research. The author knows the West and its history. Yet overriding the history-revisionist or otherwise-Masterson is the poignant characterization of an old man filled with sadness for dead friends, angry and frustrated at the present, but ultimately proud of the part he played in the creation of what had already become a great American myth.

--The Denver Post

Masterson is vintage Wheeler, but at a new and higher level... The story is of a man searching for his past so he can come to terms with his present...If you like Wheeler, this is a must read. If you haven't read any of Wheeler's books, I suggest starting with Goldfield or Sun Mountain and get the flavor of the man and his writings. Then move up to Masterson.

--Jerry Patterson, readthewest.com.

There is something for every reader who enjoys a good story in Masterson: romance, intrigue, a glimpse of the past of legend and the past as it was, and an introduction to a fascinating man who was much more than a stock character in a dime novel.

--The Billings Outpost

In Wheeler's sure hands, Masterson is a man growing old and out-of-sorts who wants to know why people prefer the legend about him over the truth when he thinks the truth is more interesting. It is a good question.

--Rocky Mountain News