Ghost Town by James Swallow

Title: Ghost town

Author: James Swallow

Publisher: Scholastic Point ISBN-13: 978-0439999038 Genre: Children's Western Print Length: 192 pages

Synopsis: It's the American West of the 1800's, and in the heart of America's untamed new frontier lurks an evil force awaiting its return to power. Only two men, warriors from two different cultures, can defeat the evil. Gabriel Tyler, a reckless gunslinger, and a Native-American shaman, Jonathan Fivehawk, meet when Gabriel, injured during a gun battle, stumbles into Jonathan's camp one night. Initially suspicious of each other, they realise they are both headed in the same direction: Stonetree, once a thriving frontier town, now a ghost town.

This is a quick read, aimed at children, but which would be of interest to adults who would like a quick, not too challenging read while lazing by the pool on holiday. The plot is a standard horror story, but with a Western twist, and which includes a bit of magic. The description of the characters and the settings is not unduly heavy and the dialogue (both spoken and internal) is entertaining. This is the beginning of a series and ends without all the loose ends being tied up. So if you like a complete story this might not be for you. I, however, do intend reading the other novels in the series.

What others thought

Amazon.co.uk: One 5* review.

Amazon.com: One 3* review.

Goodreads.com: 6 ratings (including 2 reviews), with 4 being 3* or above, giving an average of 3.3*

Other novels by the same author (Click on image to be taken to Amazon for more details)

For a full list of James Swallows works click HERE