Set in 2029, the protagonist of this novel is Luke Ryder, an alcoholic Eastern Kentucky game warden whose only friend is county sheriff, Jim Pike. On the first day of muzzle-loader hunting season, a Latino is shot and killed, and the Sheriff not only seeks Luke’s help in solving the case, but also holds out a promise of a deputy job to Luke, if he quits drinking. That’s an important incentive since Luke is pretty sure he’s fixing to be fired. “The author describes the holler in such a way that you can see, hear, and smell it. His writing is such that it brings the reader into the story immediately.” - Mark Tarte. “. . .readers will be pulling for Luke Ryder as he works to reveal the killer.” – Delores Fox Clardelli. The author is kin to Eastern Kentucky folks and visited them often. He now lives in California.
Livermore, California: self-published. 391 pages. Trade paperback.