Review: Misfit Lil Hides Out - Chap O'Keefe (Keith Chapman)

Misfit Lil returns in MISFIT LIL HIDES OUT, the fourth book in the excellent series by Chap O’Keefe (Keith Chapman). This one was published originally in hardback by Robert Hale in 2008, reprinted in large print by Ulverscroft in 2009, and now available in e-book and trade paperback editions. I always enjoy a visit with Misfit Lil, and this novel certainly lives up to expectations.

It begins on a rather grim note as a war party of renegade Apaches who have jumped the reservation massacre some settlers. Misfit Lil witnesses this atrocity and is able to help one of the potential victims, the wife of a soldier at the nearby fort, escape with her life.

This trouble brings a couple of obnoxious cavalry officers from back east to the fort. They’re there to take charge of the effort to round up the renegades, but instead, they quickly make enemies of some of the locals, including Lil. When one of them winds up dead, she’s blamed for the murder and has to take off for the badlands with both a sheriff’s posse and the cavalry in pursuit. Lil has to deal not only with those threats but also the Apaches, who are still on the loose and looking for more victims.

Chapman weaves these plot strands together with expert skill, leading to a final showdown that verges on the apocalyptic in its intense action. This is a great scene that also reveals a few surprising twists.

As a bonus, Chapman includes an article about female protagonists in Western fiction. Altogether, it makes for a very entertaining package and another outstanding adventure for the Princess of Pistoleers. If you’re a fan of traditional Westerns with a slightly gritty edge, you need to make the acquaintance of Miss Lilian Goodnight.

Review: Misfit Lil Fights Back - Chap O'Keefe (Keith Chapman)

I’m a long-time fan of Keith Chapman’s Western novels about Misfit Lil, also known as Miss Lillian Goodnight. I recently read the third book in the series, MISFIT LIL FIGHTS BACK, originally published by Robert Hale Ltd. in 2007 under Chapman’s Chap O’Keefe pseudonym, reprinted in large print by Ulverscroft in 2008, and now available in e-book and trade paperback editions on Amazon with a cover by Michael Thomas that really captures the character.

Misfit Lil is an Arizona rancher’s daughter who was a tomboy growing up. She prefers wearing buckskins to fancy dresses and is happiest riding the range and getting into adventures. Her father sent her to a finishing school in Boston to try to turn her into a lady, but it didn’t take. Even though she’s semi-estranged from her father, she stays true to her nature when she returns home and can usually be found getting mixed in one ruckus or another. She can outride, outshoot, and outfight most men, but she’s definitely female and has a crush on army scout Jackson Farraday, who considers himself too old for her and resists her advances.

In MISFIT LIL FIGHTS BACK, all hell is breaking loose in Arizona Territory. Cattle are being rustled, rifles are being smuggled to renegade Apaches, corruption runs deep at the local Indian Agency, and a pair of hired killers show up looking for a young man who’s involved with the local madam and a flashy gambler. Lil has a couple of shootouts early on which get her neck-deep in this whole mess. She’s convinced all of it is connected and is determined to uncover the truth—if her investigation doesn’t get her killed first.

Chapman’s books are always fast-paced, but this one is a whirlwind! Lots of action, a twisty but logical plot, and great protagonists in Lil and Jackson Farraday. Chapman just keeps piling on the problems until it seems like it’s going to take a real slam-bang climax to straighten everything out, and then that’s exactly what he gives us.

I really enjoyed reading this book. If you’re a fan of traditional action Westerns, I give it a high recommendation and hope that there’ll be more Misfit Lil novels in the future.

Misfit Lil Rides In - Chap O'Keefe

The appropriately titled MISFIT LIL RIDES IN introduces one of Chap O'Keepe's most appealing characters: Miss Lilian Goodnight, daughter of Arizona rancher Ben Goodnight. Dubbed Misfit Lil because of her habit of causing mischief and getting into trouble, she dresses in buckskins, can ride and shoot as well as any man and better than most, and can out-cuss a muleskinner when she puts her mind to it. She bears a certain resemblance to Calamity Jane in attitude and actions, although not in appearance. Misfit Lil is much better looking.

She's also a fine person to have on your side if you're framed for murder and have to go on the run from a posse, which is what happens to veteran army scout Jackson Farraday in this excellent, fast-paced novel. There's also a band of bloodthirsty Apache renegades on the loose, as well as the members of a gunrunning ring who are willing to kill to cover up their crimes and a stiff-necked cavalry lieutenant who's quick to believe the worst of our heroine. It all adds up to quite a mess for Lil and Farraday to straighten out before they can set things right.

Chap O'Keefe, actually our old friend Keith Chapman, is a great yarn-spinner who's at the top of his game in MISFIT LIL RIDES IN. All his books that I've read have been very entertaining and well-written, and this may well be my favorite so far. I'm glad there are several more books in the series waiting for me to read them. Highly recommended.