Synopsis

Frank Bass is a U.S. Deputy Marshal on leave from his district in El Paso, Texas, when he's asked by an old friend in Cheyenne to investigate a brutal rape and beating of a young girl in Torrington, Wyoming. Bass agrees to travel from Cheyenne to Torrington with the girl's beautiful Aunt Sally Bloom, and during that trip, their friendship becomes romantic, and eventually, a loving relationship develops. During the story, Bass explains the origin of the Buffalo Robe he carries with him and how it has become a symbol of his notoriety. Colorful characters come and go adding humor and insights into prairie life in the 1880s. Crooked lawmen and a particularly villainous rancher round out the cast of The Knack. The conclusion is unexpected, satisfying, and a lead-in to the next story in the Buffalo Robe Bass series.

Reviews

Meet Buffalo Robe Bass, the Crocodile Dundee of Wyoming Territory. But wait...his lady friend, Sally Bloom, is every bit his match. This sleuthing pair make The Knack an entertaining debut mystery that brings the Old West back to life, keeps you guessing until the last page, and leaves you hoping that Bass and Bloom and company will soon ride again. -Margaret Coel, New York Times bestselling author of Winter's Child.

The Knack. Just when we need a new hero, up rides Deputy Marshall Frank Bass-a.k.a., Buffalo Robe Bass, "probably the most famous lawmen there is." Turns out author Will Astrike's Bass has "the knack," not only for gently wooing a formidable woman-his companion, Sally Bloom-while carefully guarding her reputation; but Bass can and will perform righteous deeds like dispatching three outlaws in one fiery encounter. And how does he distract the bandits? By telling them a joke.

The reader has to admire Astrike's courage as a writer for tackling the Western genre in his debut novel. It requires a keen eye for period detail ranging from saloons to saddles, as well as a landscape artist's sense of place.

Astrike's The Knack is set in Eastern Wyoming in the late nineteenth century, and as a writer who lives in Wyoming and writes about the West, I can honestly say he nails it: lock, stock, and barrel. Speaking of new heroes, when you think Will Astrike, think early Elmore Leonard. - Gregory Zeigler - Author of The Jake Goddard and Susan Brand Thrillers

I enjoy mystery novels and love stories. Having not read much in the Western genre, I was pleasantly surprised how The Knack gripped me from the first page. I felt like I was there in the 1880s with Bass and the other vivid characters. As the mystery kept me in suspense and the love story developed, I found that I also learned a little on each page about life on the Wyoming frontier. The Knack is a thoroughly enjoyable read. - Peter F.

Fabulous! I've always enjoyed cinematic Westerns. But, I'm a newcomer to Historical Western novels, and the Knack was an outstanding introduction to the genre for me. Astrike has a knack for bringing characters to life and providing them colorful personalities, enthralling interactions, and realistic and well-developed motives. The main character, Bass, is a bad-a**, with a fun whit to boot. Astrike's attention to historical accuracy and detail drew me right into another time. I was experiencing the streets, towns, and establishments of the 1800's right along with the characters. The plots are surprising, thick with intrigue, and thrilling. Humor, drama, mystery, romance, and historical detail. The Knack has so much to offer and was a lot of fun to read. I am highly anticipating the next installment of the Buffalo Robe Bass series. - Glade W.