First published 1995
Lamar Pye leads two other inmates through the walls of McAlester State Penitentiary into the open country beyond. The escape unleashes three dangerous men onto an unsuspecting world. Lamar commands absolute loyalty from his hulking cousin Odell, a simple man who worships his older relative. Richard, the third escapee, clings to survival through his artistic skills, sketching crude drawings that somehow keep Lamar from killing him. The trio arms themselves heavily and begins a violent spree across the Southwest territories. Their rampage puts them on a collision course with Oklahoma State Trooper Bud Pewtie, a decent lawman who has already survived one deadly encounter with Lamar. Pewtie carries the weight of that previous confrontation as he tracks the escapees through small towns and back roads. The pursuit builds toward an inevitable second meeting between the trooper and the convict leader. Both men understand that their next encounter will end differently than the first. Only one will survive the final confrontation that awaits them.
Genres: fiction, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: cat-and-mouse, enemies-to-allies, pursuit
Setting: McAlester State Penitentiary, Oklahoma, Southwest
Period: 20th-century
496 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Dell
Content warnings: graphic-violence, violence