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Luke's Gold
In this thrilling Western from Charles G. West, a boy without a home meets a man on a mission....
Ever since he was fourteen, Cade Hunter has made his way through his own sweat and blood, with no place to call home. Most think he’s not much more than a drifter. But veteran ranch hand Luke Tucker sees a resourceful youngster who’s as honest as he is tough, which is why Luke shares a secret with Cade—a secret worth its weight in Union gold. When Luke and Cade make a move to find the lost fortune, Luke’s past returns in the form of Lem Snider—a vile, thieving cur who murders Luke and leaves Cade for dead. But Cade isn’t dead. And he’s not planning on dying. Because now he has something to live revenge....
- GenresWesterns
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2008
12 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Charles G. West
70 books73 followersCharles G. West first arrived on the western literary scene in March, 1998 with his first novel, Stone Hand, published by Penguin under their Signet imprint. The book was the first of a three-book series, featuring Jason Coles, master tracker. The public response to those first three books called for more western fiction by West, and as of January 2014, Signet has published forty-five.
Inspired in his youth by great adventure authors like A.B. Guthrie and Vardis Fisher, West has always sought to be true to the men and women who braved the dangers of the savage frontier that was ultimately forged to become the American west. Novels by Charles G. West are classified as historical/westerns due to his diligent research in his subject matter, choosing to weave his fiction into the fabric of the actual places and events, being true to the times as well as the people. As a result, his protagonists are usually not heroes, but are often called upon to perform heroic deeds.
Insisting that his protagonists must be instilled with a sense of fairness in addition to courage. West readily admits that many of the characters in his books are patterned after his two sons, both of whom are graduates of the University of Montana, one still lives in Kalispell, Montana - and is the source of much of the author's detail on the ways of the mountain man. Both sons share West's love for the Big Sky Country.
Presently, the author resides in Ocala, Florida with his wife, Ronda, whose name is found on the dedication page of every West novel.
Inspired in his youth by great adventure authors like A.B. Guthrie and Vardis Fisher, West has always sought to be true to the men and women who braved the dangers of the savage frontier that was ultimately forged to become the American west. Novels by Charles G. West are classified as historical/westerns due to his diligent research in his subject matter, choosing to weave his fiction into the fabric of the actual places and events, being true to the times as well as the people. As a result, his protagonists are usually not heroes, but are often called upon to perform heroic deeds.
Insisting that his protagonists must be instilled with a sense of fairness in addition to courage. West readily admits that many of the characters in his books are patterned after his two sons, both of whom are graduates of the University of Montana, one still lives in Kalispell, Montana - and is the source of much of the author's detail on the ways of the mountain man. Both sons share West's love for the Big Sky Country.
Presently, the author resides in Ocala, Florida with his wife, Ronda, whose name is found on the dedication page of every West novel.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 15, 2021
Luke's Gold is an interesting western novel. Charles G. West is almost the heir apparent to the Louis L'Amour legacy. His westerns seem to follow a L'Amour recipe, while adding a touch more grit. One would expect that such a mold would cause the stories to be stale and unoriginal but West manages to breathe new life into the formula by creating clever plots. The standards that keep appearing are a hero who prefers a rifle over a pistol, bullies that keep needing to be put in their place, and cowardly and stupid outlaws. West manages to wrap his plot around these familiar elements and make it seem a bit fresh and new.
In this novel, young Cade befriends older Luke, who reveals that he knows where a lost Civil War shipment of gold is hidden. Sadly, there is never any discussion of returning the gold to the government which lost it, simply recovering and spending it is Luke's goal. A minor hole in the plot is that Luke doesn't really need Cade to recover the gold. The two men are waylaid by outlaws and Luke killed, and Cade is wounded and left for dead, shot in the chest. Another obvious problem is that West glosses over this very serious injury, allowing his hero to miraculously recover this nearly mortal injury in a few weeks. Cade sets off to find the outlaws responsible for killing his only true friend. He is not concerned about recovering the gold, vengeance is his sole desire.
Along the trail he will take work breaking horses, help thwart a group of Indians bent on stealing horses, and meet a lovely girl. He will use his rifle to break a bully's nose (something we've seen in his books before) shoot Indians, and fight bad guys. Characters will face certain death only to have Cade appear out of nowhere to rescue them.
Yet, for all its familiarity, West manages to make this material somehow seem fresh and real. Fans of L'Amour ought to seek him out.
In this novel, young Cade befriends older Luke, who reveals that he knows where a lost Civil War shipment of gold is hidden. Sadly, there is never any discussion of returning the gold to the government which lost it, simply recovering and spending it is Luke's goal. A minor hole in the plot is that Luke doesn't really need Cade to recover the gold. The two men are waylaid by outlaws and Luke killed, and Cade is wounded and left for dead, shot in the chest. Another obvious problem is that West glosses over this very serious injury, allowing his hero to miraculously recover this nearly mortal injury in a few weeks. Cade sets off to find the outlaws responsible for killing his only true friend. He is not concerned about recovering the gold, vengeance is his sole desire.
Along the trail he will take work breaking horses, help thwart a group of Indians bent on stealing horses, and meet a lovely girl. He will use his rifle to break a bully's nose (something we've seen in his books before) shoot Indians, and fight bad guys. Characters will face certain death only to have Cade appear out of nowhere to rescue them.
Yet, for all its familiarity, West manages to make this material somehow seem fresh and real. Fans of L'Amour ought to seek him out.
February 5, 2015
Another awesome read, from one of the greatest Western writers of the 21st Century. West never disappoints, puts his readers right into the pages and a master at creating believable characters.
This one is about a young Cowboy named Cade Hunter, he's been doing man's work since the age of 14 and 20 years old he's wise beyond his years.
He finds himself a foot, after having to shoot his horse Billy his last connection to his childhood and ends up being taken in by Rancher John Becker while on a Cattle drive.
Becker makes young Cade earn a job, which he does with ease, he gets accepted by Becker's crew, although he does have to stand up to a bully Brady Waits and befriends a wily old cowboy Luke Tucker.
Appone completing the cattle drive in Montana. The two pair up to find Civil War gold that Luke hid along the banks of the Gallatin River.
Along the way they run into Lem Snider a fellow soldier from Lukes's past. Snider now an outlaw, along with his two gang members start following the pair and have a plan to steal the gold.
The story involves a pretty girl, Luke ends up being killed, a mountain man and his Blackfoot Indian wife, are able to save Cade's life.
To know if Cade's able to revenge Luke's death by killing Snider, does he end up with the pretty Girl and end up with some of the gold?
You're just going to have to read, 'Luke's Gold' by Charles G. West but be warned you'll end up hooked and you might just be making a shelf for him in your book case.
This one is about a young Cowboy named Cade Hunter, he's been doing man's work since the age of 14 and 20 years old he's wise beyond his years.
He finds himself a foot, after having to shoot his horse Billy his last connection to his childhood and ends up being taken in by Rancher John Becker while on a Cattle drive.
Becker makes young Cade earn a job, which he does with ease, he gets accepted by Becker's crew, although he does have to stand up to a bully Brady Waits and befriends a wily old cowboy Luke Tucker.
Appone completing the cattle drive in Montana. The two pair up to find Civil War gold that Luke hid along the banks of the Gallatin River.
Along the way they run into Lem Snider a fellow soldier from Lukes's past. Snider now an outlaw, along with his two gang members start following the pair and have a plan to steal the gold.
The story involves a pretty girl, Luke ends up being killed, a mountain man and his Blackfoot Indian wife, are able to save Cade's life.
To know if Cade's able to revenge Luke's death by killing Snider, does he end up with the pretty Girl and end up with some of the gold?
You're just going to have to read, 'Luke's Gold' by Charles G. West but be warned you'll end up hooked and you might just be making a shelf for him in your book case.
July 22, 2025
After Cade's friend Luke is gunned down in cold blood over a cache of rebel gold, Cade Hunter takes on renewed life on the frontier as he tracks his friend's killer across the northwest. Luke's Gold isn't so much of a revenge story as it is a coming of age story in the old west and Cade is a fantastic main character.
Honestly, there isn't much not to like about this book. The story and prose are straightforward, the descriptions of frontier life and the environments are vivid, the side characters are memorable, and Cade is an exemplary young man and it really was a joy reading about his adventure. The pace throughout the novel is consistent and even the ending is buttoned up in a satisfying way. I did see the twist coming a chapter or two before it happened, but I'd imagine that was on purpose because West dropped a few hints along the way.
Westerns are quickly becoming one of my favorite genera of novels and this is one great. It's a quick, simple read and for the most part it's just a nice feelgood story of growth and savagery in the old west. I'm penciling it in at a 5/5 for Goodreads. I highly recommend it and Charles West has gained a new fan in me. Can't wait to read more of his work.
Honestly, there isn't much not to like about this book. The story and prose are straightforward, the descriptions of frontier life and the environments are vivid, the side characters are memorable, and Cade is an exemplary young man and it really was a joy reading about his adventure. The pace throughout the novel is consistent and even the ending is buttoned up in a satisfying way. I did see the twist coming a chapter or two before it happened, but I'd imagine that was on purpose because West dropped a few hints along the way.
Westerns are quickly becoming one of my favorite genera of novels and this is one great. It's a quick, simple read and for the most part it's just a nice feelgood story of growth and savagery in the old west. I'm penciling it in at a 5/5 for Goodreads. I highly recommend it and Charles West has gained a new fan in me. Can't wait to read more of his work.
March 25, 2022
Yet another entertaining Western by Charles G. West.
Cade Hunter has been on his own since he was 14. He uses his natural ability with horses to keep a job here and there.
While helping out with a cattle drive, he meets Luke Tucker, a veteran of The Civil War. Luke tells Cade of some hidden gold left over from the war. After a long trek, they find it....only to be ambushed by someone from Luke's past. Luke is killed and Cade left for dead. But he's hard to kill.....
This is a refreshing take on the 'Revenge' story so common in Westerns.
Cade is a likeable character.
The story takes us on a journey that is worth the time.
This is the 4th Western I've read by West, in a short time frame. He still manages to surprise me.
Cade Hunter has been on his own since he was 14. He uses his natural ability with horses to keep a job here and there.
While helping out with a cattle drive, he meets Luke Tucker, a veteran of The Civil War. Luke tells Cade of some hidden gold left over from the war. After a long trek, they find it....only to be ambushed by someone from Luke's past. Luke is killed and Cade left for dead. But he's hard to kill.....
This is a refreshing take on the 'Revenge' story so common in Westerns.
Cade is a likeable character.
The story takes us on a journey that is worth the time.
This is the 4th Western I've read by West, in a short time frame. He still manages to surprise me.
July 31, 2025
I’ve read a good handful of Charles G. West’s books and I’m starting to worry that I’ve become too familiar with his work that they’re starting to become redundant.
“Luke’s Gold” has almost the same plot as “Mark of the Hunter”: it’s a revenge story that gets derailed to do some ranch work and the villain conveniently resurfaces.
I’m also getting annoyed that the majority of West’s leads are tall, strong, handsome, silent young men who are miraculously as good with a gun as they are irresistible to women. These characters never seem to change and remain stoic badasses the whole time. I think the reader is supposed to envision themselves as this faceless lead, but it’s rather boring.
I listened to the Graphic Audio performance and I found some of the “immersion” to be rather distracting like Luke acting drunk and obnoxious and the sounds of drinking and eating.
Minor spoiler (not really because it’s obvious) there’s a rival character who is supposed to be cordial but his performance is so over the top evil that it’s not even a surprise when his intentions are revealed. Furthermore, when his true (obvious) identity is revealed, the actor suddenly switches to a different performance when the character wouldn’t have bothered to alter his voice to blend in.
Out of all of West’s work, I would say this is among the weakest for me. Only read this if you haven’t already read “Mark of the Hunter” because they are essentially the same book.
“Luke’s Gold” has almost the same plot as “Mark of the Hunter”: it’s a revenge story that gets derailed to do some ranch work and the villain conveniently resurfaces.
I’m also getting annoyed that the majority of West’s leads are tall, strong, handsome, silent young men who are miraculously as good with a gun as they are irresistible to women. These characters never seem to change and remain stoic badasses the whole time. I think the reader is supposed to envision themselves as this faceless lead, but it’s rather boring.
I listened to the Graphic Audio performance and I found some of the “immersion” to be rather distracting like Luke acting drunk and obnoxious and the sounds of drinking and eating.
Minor spoiler (not really because it’s obvious) there’s a rival character who is supposed to be cordial but his performance is so over the top evil that it’s not even a surprise when his intentions are revealed. Furthermore, when his true (obvious) identity is revealed, the actor suddenly switches to a different performance when the character wouldn’t have bothered to alter his voice to blend in.
Out of all of West’s work, I would say this is among the weakest for me. Only read this if you haven’t already read “Mark of the Hunter” because they are essentially the same book.
February 26, 2024
A good book concerning a young man from Texas making his way in life. He is seeking an uncluttered world but keeps taking jobs until he meets Luke. Luke was in the Civil War and was guarding a gold shipment near Yellowstone when it was ambushed. He hid the gold on his mule and now many years to return. The young man joins the older man. A story of betrayal and revenge, the plot moves. There are also several noteworthy characters.
August 25, 2024
Luke's Gold was the first novel I read by Charles G. West and it was an entertaining Western. Nothing ground-breaking, but a solid revenge story with good characters and exciting action scenes. I would read another book by West if I'm looking for a straightforward tale in the wild west.
July 29, 2022
First book I’ve read by Charles West. I was immediately hooked. Great read!
March 22, 2009
This was a face paced, action packed story that I think my students will enjoy. There was plenty of shooting, bad language, and even a pretty girl. The boys will be thrilled and I am happy because it didn't get dirty.
November 15, 2008
Latest standalone from Mr.West. A tale of a young man avenging the murder of a friend and nearly his own. Along the way, he helps people and makes new friends.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews