Texas, 1838. Silas Grant prepares for life with the girl of his dreams. The resourceful sixteen-year-old is learning the blacksmith trade from his father and frontier skills from Texas Revolution veterans. But when a portrait of David Crockett raises the possibility that the beloved folk hero didn’t die two years earlier, Silas joins a quest for the truth.
Exploring a world healing from the war, Silas and his fellow Texians investigate the accounts of Alamo survivors, follow a trail of clues across Texas and Mexico, and pursue a witness to the battle's final moments. Their odyssey turns lethal as layers of the last stand’s mystery peel away to expose a shocking secret.
Will the revelation stun a nation or ignite a fatal showdown?
Rescuing Crockett is an adventure, a mystery, a thriller, and a love story set in the turbulent years of the Republic of Texas. If you like historical fiction in the tradition of Bernard Cornwell and Steven Pressfield, westerns in the tradition of Larry McMurtry and Paulette Jiles, high concept mystery thrillers in the tradition of Dan Brown, and Texas fiction in the tradition of Stephen Harrigan, you’ll love David Z. Pyke’s award-winning epic of the American West.
"Presented with artful plausibility.... A thrilling historical drama, as engrossing as it is edifying." —Kirkus Reviews
"A remarkable historical novel.... All your senses are involved in the battles, the landscape, the emotions, and the intrigue.... The characters are well-fleshed out, as real as a Texas storm, and the propulsion of the storyline keeps one glued to the narrative until the very end." —The Historical Fiction Company
"The story moves fast, despite Pyke’s feel for immersive scenic detail and welcome commitment to historical plausibility." —BookLife by Publishers Weekly
"The historical details are rich and textured.... These felt so real, and the written visuals are almost cinematic in scope. There is a continued thread of tension and uncertainty throughout the novel." —Readers' Favorite
★★★★★
"This author can definitely tell a story! There is plenty of adventure, excitement, danger, mystery, and romance to keep readers of almost any genre turning pages."
—Amazon reviewer Karen Siddall
★★★★★
"When an alternate history book is so well written that you have to keep reminding yourself......this is fiction......you have to give it 5 stars."
—Goodreads reviewer Denice Langley
★★★★★
"The narrative kept me spellbound from beginning to end as the plot grew stronger with each passing chapter. The storyline culminated with a spectacular finish."
—Amazon reviewer Paul Falk
★★★★★
"I don't know a lick about Texas history.... but this book drove me to the history books.... the fictional characters are so well-developed that they read like flesh-and-bone real men and women.... There's a quiet strength to these characters - historic and fictional - that shows why men lay down their lives for a cause, how boys strive to become men of integrity, how you pick up the pieces of your live and somehow continue when it seems impossible.... The plot held my interest absolutely every step of the way.... I can't recommend this book enough."
—Amazon VINE VOICE reviewer CrabbyPatty
★★★★★
"What a wonderful novel!... Mr. Pyke’s writing is a joy to read. We learn enough about the various characters to find them likable with kind, but implacable personalities. The book reads quickly, partially because the reader gets so involved in the story that it becomes obsessive. The dialogue among the men is very well done with little spots of humor.... I have always been fascinated with the story of the Alamo and the brave men who died there.... this book was a boon for me to find. I will never forget it and will read it gladly again."
—Amazon VINE VOICE reviewer Tripower53
★★★★★
"A thrill-a-minute historical romp. With a cast of well-rendered characters, Rescuing Crockett takes readers on a quest of discovery.... Instead of a historical retelling, I found myself pulled into a spy thriller that didn’t stop for a moment.... Bullets fly, intrigue abounds, and love blooms in this tale that defies easy classification..... The main character, Silas Grant, practically jumps off the page.... Pyke’s artistry is on full display from the first page to the last. With a magical mixture of fact and fiction, these Texians come to life. I enjoyed each page and look forward to Silas Grant’s future exploits."
—Amazon reviewer DJ88
★★★★★
"I LOVED this book. It was well written, and I wanted to know more about the characters as I read the story."
—Amazon reviewer Tricialy
★★★★★
"What a treat! Historical fiction always causes me to think 'what if' and this book took me there."
—Amazon reviewer KerryO
★★★★★
"Absolutely loved this book! I look forward to reading more of his stories about Silas Grant in the future!"
—Amazon reviewer Pap
★★★★★
"An absolutely amazing read!! I loved this book!!! Absolutely true to the time period and the story is believable and fits in the current tone of scholarly study.... Absolutely a highly recommended read."
—Amazon reviewer Lee Murray Brazos Booksellers
★★★★
"This book paints a colorful and graphic analysis of life in the 1830s in the Republic of Texas as well as Mexico.... This alternative possible outcome is compelling. Enjoy!
—Amazon VINE VOICE reviewer V Williams
★★★★★
"A winner. I certainly enjoyed this book. It captured my attention from the very beginning and held it throughout.... I highly recommend this book and hope it is very successful."
—Amazon reviewer Deacon Tom
★★★★★
"Ghosts tell the tragic tale.... The writer amplifies the whispers and allows the reader to hear the ghosts speak."
—Amazon reviewer Calinurseguy
★★★★★
"Amazing Story!! I so loved reading this story, it is my favorite one where they blend truth and fiction.
—Apple Books reviewer Carolyn Valdez
★★★★★
"A great book full of history and fiction.... The love Emily and Silas had for each other was adorable."
—Amazon reviewer coyotecactus
★★★★★
"A true Texan, especially a San Antonian, might be affronted at the very idea of even the smallest alternative to Alamo history (even with a fiction disclaimer), but this reader (a forever resident of the Alamo City) is beyond enthralled with David Pyke’s imagination and skill at melding fact and fiction to craft a story that is meant to be entertaining and quite thought provoking."
—Goodreads reviewer Ruthie Jones
★★★★★
"A real page turner! The author's attention to detail had you hearing the shots and and screams of battle.... The story was a nice mixture of Western and thriller with well-researched and well written characters. You love these people like you've known them personally."
—Amazon reviewer Don G. Burbank
★★★★★
"Mr. Pyke’s research, woven into the thrilling tale, takes readers on an unbelievable ride through realistic history in a wild, untamed environment from Texas to Mexico.... The realism of the people, places, and events shows sides of life not always shown in history books."
—Goodreads reviewer Rox Burkey
★★★★★
"I was invested in Silas and the rest of the cast, it was a great concept and worked well overall. I look forward to read more in this series and from the author."
—Amazon reviewer darkcatra
★★★★★
"The characters are well-defined, empathetic, and engaging.... I was equally impressed with the quantity and quality of the female characters in the novel.... the women in this novel are as appealing as the male characters."
—Goodreads reviewer Lynn Pope
★★★★★
"A great read - excellent historical fiction with action, adventure, romance, and more.... I hope we will learn more about Silas and Emily in future installments!"
—Amazon reviewer Amazon Customer
★★★★★
"Rescuing Crockett is a fun read.... It is fast in the moments it needs to be, and it lulls in some cozy spots that let a reader breathe within the world."
—Amazon reviewer Samantha
★★★★★
"Well researched, with a terrific story! I so enjoyed this "what-if" story of rescuing Dave Crockett after the Alamo attack."
—Amazon reviewer Prof
★★★★★
"It is surprising how many of the events are historical and woven together masterfully by Pyke."
—Amazon reviewer retired to read
Rescuing Crockett is on sale in paperback, hardcover, and eBook through the following retailers. Hardcover copies from Amazon are case laminate (full-color art printed directly on the cover).
Rescuing Crockett is adult fiction containing mild profanity, consensual sexual situations, and some graphic violence.