I am a born and raised Texan.  I grew up spending time on ranches and loving every minute of it.  My grandfather was a rancher and my older brother took over the ranch and still raises livestock today.  Cattle are an important part of Texas history and the cattle industry is big business, a difficult business.  My brother even has a degree in Ranch Management.  And if you follow my blog, you know that I love a good crime read so when one of my favorite Indie Authors came out with a novel about crime on a Texas ranch, I was all in!

This book provides a very real picture of what cattle ranching looks like now and how much it has changed in the last 50 years.  It is big business, involving high stakes and high risks.  This is a business where a high level of scientific knowledge of animal husbandry, weather, and the land, is vital to success. Dickason’s original characters, accurate descriptions of the setting, and her exhaustive research skills blend for the perfect Texas mystery.  Dickason does not miss a beat. 

When US Deputy Marshal Piper McKay receives a call that her grandmother has been found lying in a pasture with serious head injuries, she quickly heads home.  When Piper investigates, the local sheriff claims it was a result of her grandmother having been thrown off her horse.  However, Deputy Marshall knows something is wrong.  While working to find the truth and going back and forth to ICU to visit her grandmother, Piper discovers that her grandmother’s prized bull has been stolen and she has signed a contract to sell all of the herd.  Knowing her grandmother would never do this, Piper pulls on her boots, grabs the keys to the truck, straps on her gun, and goes in search of answers.  Discovering that there are millions of dollars at stake, not to mention her grandmother’s life, Piper is determined to protect the land, the herd, and most of all her grandmother.  

 A terrific novel filled with an excellent story, plenty of action, and a little romance.  Don’t miss it!