Book Review- John S. Daniels- The Crossing

John S. Daniels- The Crossing (Signet Books 1969) 3.75 Stars

When Mark Kelton’s parents decided to sell what they had and move across the country to buy a ranch, they had no idea just what would happen. With his parents now murdered and the money stolen, Mark finds himself all alone with not a clue how he will survive. Along comes Bronc to save the boy and help him survive in the west. Bronc taught him how to be a cowboy who could survive on his own. Mark had to learn fast if he was going to find his parents’ killer and find make a fresh start in life. He would back down for no man and would have to learn that some of life’s lessons come at a high price.

The Crossing is a classic western. The introduction throws the reader into the midst of the murder of Mark Kelton’s parents. It drew me in and I was curious to see just how he was not only going to survive, but how his friendship with Bronc was going to develop. Moving right along we see Mark turn from a weak, blubbering boy, into a tough, hard-nosed man. I was a little disappointed in his naivety though, as everyone around him could see the truth and yet he would not believe it, although this happens to all of us. I loved the characters in this book as they seemed to be well-though out and were quite interesting. The women were all tough in this book, although I was a little disappointed in their characters. The plot was again not overly deep, but was deeper than I would have thought when looking at its short length. It had enough action to keep the reader interested and yet it wasn’t the main focus. Overall I was impressed by Daniels’ style of writing.

I recommend The Crossing to anyone who loves a good western.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

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