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Deathwatch

Robb White - Author

Ben’s paid desert-guiding trip turns into a fight to survive when Madec tries to silence him after a prospector is shot. The suspense centres on exposure, thirst, gunfire and the difficulty of being believed.

More about this book

***Madec was not the kind of man Ben would ordinarily have chosen as a companion for a quiet hunting trip.*** The only time Madec ever laughed was when he told some story about how smart he was. He was a cold man who liked to hurt things, and ***he was dangerous with a gun***. But Ben needed money to pay for another semester at college, and so when Madec offered to hire him as a guide to hunt bighorn sheep in the desert mountains, he agreed. ***It was a mistake that very nearly cost Ben his life.*** "***An exciting novel of suspense,*** based on a fight to the finish between an honest and courageous young man and a cynical business tycoon who believes that anything can be had for a price."***--Horn Book.*** ***An ALA Best of the Best Books for Young Adults, Edgar Allan Poe Mystery Writers Award, A New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year, New York Public Library--Books for the Teen Age.***

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Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

Survival· ExplainedDanger· ExplainedDesert setting· Explained

Consider

Violence and harmFear and suspenseViolence

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

survivaldangerdesert settingtrustjusticesocial power

FictionNovel

Themes in Context

Survival and suspense

Ben is abandoned in the desert and must find a way to survive while Madec watches and fires at him.Exploratory / explanatory

How the book presents it: The desert’s heat, distance from help and scarcity of water drive the suspense; the ordeal is presented as a fight to survive.

Talk about: How does the desert setting change what Ben can do to stay alive?

Credibility and power

After the confrontation, Ben’s version is initially doubted while Madec’s is regarded as more credible; a doctor’s forensic evidence later supports Ben’s account.

How the book presents it: The plot gives weight to the imbalance between the men and shows how evidence can challenge a more powerful person’s account.

Talk about: If Ben is not believed at first, what makes the later evidence persuasive?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

This gives the survival plot a clear conflict about trust and credibility.

What Deserves Attention

The story includes a shooting, threats with a rifle, shots fired at Ben, and severe danger from heat, thirst, hunger and sunburn. The ordeal is sustained rather than incidental.

A Conversation Worth Having

If Ben’s account is doubted, what kinds of evidence or actions might help establish what happened—and how does that affect your view of fairness?

Reading Approach

Consider reading together or checking in after the desert ordeal. You could pause to discuss how the setting shapes the danger, and whether the characters’ choices seem credible.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Survival and suspense: The available plot account does not establish how graphically the ordeal is described.
Credibility and power: The plot account does not show how much attention the novel gives to the wider town or legal process.

Deathwatch by Robb White | Open Library

Limited information

Checked: 1 October 2026.

Relevant to: General book context

Deathwatch (novel) - Wikipedia