A mysterious, young man, Jim, seeking his fortune, arrives in a town where he promptly happens upon a grisly scene and is wrongly accused of murder. Acquitted at the brink of being hanged, he goes on to perform an almost superhuman act of heroism and we follow him as he reveals his exceptional abilities and his troubled past unfolds.
Sounds good, doesn't it? It is!
I spent a lot of time with this story. Jim is a great protagonist; scarred, skilled, principled, and hardened against pain, you want to keep reading to learn how he was made and watch him grow in his environment. The story is character-driven, highly immersive, and impossible not to believe. A really expertly-written piece of fiction, could easily become a movie. If you love a good, rough Western story laced with a dose of romance, it's a no-brainer to have this one in your library. Highly recommended.

Rising Crow is a well written intelligent western with a good plot, and interesting and fully developed characters. This book offers plenty of action and more than a smattering of romance which should interest the female readers. As I got into the book I found the western story intriguing and interesting, while the love story in my opinion was longer and more drawn out than it should have been, but having said that, the book still held my interest. I think that K. L. Byles novel is a worthy first effort. I liked the clean, typo free, smooth flowing prose and found it to be a refreshing well written first effort..

This story had every element a good story should have. An strong plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well illustrated scenes that really make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that's something I really look for in a good book. From the opening chapter, setting the tone for the entire work, to the end at which you find yourself pondering your own sense of justice, Rising Crow flows like a sparkling river. It is a great read, and is filled with dramatic and well-described moments that will stay with you for a long time.

This captivating and commendable work had me immersed from the beginning. The story flows from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. The writing style is such that I was drawn into the story from the very beginning. This doesn't happen for me very often.

It’s one of those stories that come along once in a while that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. Although this was quite a 'meaty' read, I must admit it took me a few sittings to finish it because of time restraints. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader! A highly recommended read. Five stars from me.

I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading more from K. L. Byles in the future. Truly a great read and a debut that suggests great things for Byles future as a writer. Part two of this series, Roaring Crow, will be greatly anticipated.I received a copy for my unbiased review.

It's a page-turner, say no more. Reminiscent of an old American book, way out of print, "The Honorable Cowboy". Formative stuff when I was young.