Customer Reviews
Best book I've read for a very long time - By: browser, 07 Apr 2008 
I heard this reviewed on Radio 4 where it was raved about & ordered it straight away. This really is an amazing book. My copy is only two weeks old but already three people have read all 300 pages of it!
Loyalty, death, faith, love ... - By: mazza_forever, 06 Apr 2008 This book was an amazing read. It was recommended to our bookclub but was not our usual style or subject. From the off I was there. I was filled with fear & trepidation. When it was brutal, I wanted to hide under the sheets but my stomach churned & I had to read on to see if they got through each ordeal. They may have been wounded physically, but they grew as people. Their particular brand of loyalty ran deep through their long family history which unravels as the story continues with an utterly skillful mastery of suspense & terrorin keeping themselves & eachother alive until the final unveiling. The good characters had a thread of astounding strength & bravery that ran through them all - Indian, white, mexican, adults & children alike. Despite the horrors, they kept their compassion towards their fellow man & animals & relied heavily on their faith, which was tested at every turn. They would give their life for eachother. The bad were truly brutal, & you were tempted to say how appalled you were with the cruelty of the Indians but you had to remember that some of their cruelty was linked to their customs but also that the whites & mexicans were just as cruel without regard for race, creed or gender. Religion & spirituality were exploredin equal measure &in such a huge expanse of territory with a strong spiritual heritage, it was easy to comprehend how the indigenous population relied on their traditions of faithin the spirits, but you marvelled at how the christians held onto to their faithin God & you understood better why they tried. Highly recommended.
An antidote to modern life - By: P. Hughes, 24 Mar 2008 I really enjoyed this book. It was a walk backin time to a simple & brutally honest periodin history.
More than that is was so refreshing to read about pure & simple values so strongly held & fought for; a real antidote to todays moral vacuum.
A story about love & loyalty set amongst the often savage American frontier, where both the white settlers & Native Indians fought desperately to cling onto the lives they held so dear. The book is brilliantly even-handed portraying the picture from both perspectives.
A western thriller, mixed with Apache mysticism. - By: Donald Larson, 12 Mar 2008 I wanted to read this book after watching the movie "The Missing" which is based on this book. The movie I thought was excellent but, as is often the case, the book is even better as it enables you to delve deeper into the characters. There was even a surprising amount of humor mixed into the story that was notin the movie. The story of Samuel Jones & his daughter Maggie is toldin stark yet humanistic terms, tough related each comes from a completely different world. The story is a quest to free Maggie's own daughter who has been taken captive by Apaches. I loved the mystery & native American mysticism woven into the story. This a beautiful though sometimes brutal read that I highly recommend. For another excellent read setin the modern American west, I have to give a shout out for "Across the High Lonesome!"
The Last Ride is a good, fulfilling journey - By: shi_enya, 07 Feb 2005 
Eidson's the last ride forms a sort of trilogy with his previous books All God's Children & St Agnes' Stand. The Last Ride, made over into The Missing, is a solid example of how the book is better than the film. Though a decent film, the Last Ride is a much better character study (books have that advantage). However, the richness of the character interaction makes this a delightful read. The conversations are well thought out, the plot keeps a good pace, & you do immerse yourselfin the dust of the desert. Characters & conversations stay with you after you're done, I even went back to re-read parts between Maggie & her father.
Summed up:
If you have seen the film, & want to read how it should have been, read this. If you like Western-type novels with good, original characters, try it. A good, solid, representation of its genre, you're likely to enjoy The Last Ride.
