Richard S. Wheeler
Reviews
Aftershocks
"Wheeler does what's expected of the historical novelist: he gets his facts right and weaves reality and fiction seamlessly. But he also creates characters of remarkable depth whose responses to tragedy--predicated on their personal hopes, visions and frailties--seem as contemporary as the faces we see on CNN."
Booklist
With his usual skillful storytelling, Wheeler resurrects...the expert characterizations shown in Second Lives by transporting the reader to the aftermath of the massive 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. A vast historical drama unfolds in the resulting catastrophe which Wheeler dramatizes through the fate of six people caught in the devastation... As he nimbly skirts melodrama, Wheeler vividly depicts his characters struggling with themselves and with extraordinary circumstances.
Publishers Weekly
The destruction of a city and its rebuilding is a metaphor for Wheeler's story of failed relationships and the creation of new ones. His deft touch with both dialogue and narrative bring 1906 San Francisco and its inhabitants to vibrant life.
Amarillo Globe-News
I walked away from the novel feeling deeply affected and ready to recommend the book not just to fans of the genre but to anyone willing to listen.
The Missoulian
Dark Passage
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
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
The Deliverance
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
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
Downriver
Wheeler always does a masterful job of weaving Indian lore and culture into these stories...Teens who enjoy fiction about the Old West will enjoy this story and see how two people from diverse cultures facing hardships and dangers are able to make a life for themselves in a rapidly changing world.
School Library Journal
[Starred lead review] Wheeler's westerns just keep getting better and better.... This is the best of the Skye novels so far, an adventure mystery full of suspense, action, historical color and careful portrayals of men and women facing hard choice amid uncertainty and danger. Wheeler is a master of character and plot, and this novel showcases his talents at their peak.
Publishers Weekly
...No one writes a mountain man novel like Richard S. Wheeler. His Barnaby Skye is a wonderful creation who is as real to the reader as the man next door, but a whole lot more interesting...
The Roundup Magazine
Going Home
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.
Publishers Weekly
Sun Mountain
Wheeler, author of more than 30 novels (several of which deal with the boom and bust of the precious metals market in the American West) is expert but not pedantic, and again produces lively historical fiction.
Publishers Weekly
...the historically accurate picture of Virginia City at its zenith makes Sun Mountain and excellent read.
The Denver Post
Flint's Gift
This is the initial entry in a promising new series. Western fans will do well to make Sam Flint's acquaintance early.
Booklist
The Flint series will be a welcome addition to the reading lists...
Kirkus Reviews
Flint's Truth
Wheeler blends an understanding of boomtown culture with a knowledge of journalism on the frontier to produce a fine historical novel.
Amarillo-Globe News
Wheeler is a master of both frontier detail and the fine points of newspapering....
Kirkus Reviews
Flint's Honor
Richard Wheeler['s]...tale-spinning genius and esteemed talent with language unfolds again in Flint's Honor
ReadWest.com