First published 2015
Amos Clarke looks back thirty years to when he was twenty and working as a sheriff's deputy in the American Northwest. What started as routine police work changed his life forever. First came the shooting that seemed accidental. Ranch hand Busick killed an old Indian and stood trial for manslaughter. He walked free. When Busick surrenders his grazing rights, the sheriff sends Amos north with the man's horses. Hendricks, an elderly caretaker, joins him on the drive to public pasture. Their simple mission turns deadly when someone murders a wealthy rancher married to one of Hendricks' daughters. Now Amos and Hendricks must track down a killer across the rugged landscape. The search tests both men and transforms the young deputy in ways he never expected. This journey into violence and justice will mark Amos Clarke for the rest of his days.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, mystery, crime
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, fish-out-of-water, transformation
Setting: American Northwest
Period: 1930s
352 pages · Paperback · William Morrow Paperbacks
Content warnings: violence