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A Long Day for Dying
by Patrick A. DavisNew York Times bestselling author Patrick A. Davis spins a gripping tale of deadly intrigue in a time of national crisis that races to the explosive final act. A LONG DAY FOR DYING When General Michael Garber, the newly appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is discovered dead in the private compartment of his airplane, Air Force investigator Martin Collins finds himself thrust into the most dangerous case of his career. What initially appears to be an accidental death turns out to be a near-perfect murder -- and three members of the Joint Chiefs are the prime suspects. As Martin weaves his way through a puzzling maze of blood and deceit, he finds himself in the firing line of Garber's enemies, including a half-mad rival general who collects the ears of the men he's killed, and the ruthless female secretary of defense, whose hatred for Garber knows no bounds. With his life and the honor of the military at stake, Martin has only twenty-four hours to uncover a legacy of secrets that no one wants brought to light -- secrets that the most powerful forces in Washington will kill to keep buried....
The Long Day's Dying (The WW2 Commando Missions)
by Alan WhiteCut off, surrounded, and desperate, three WWII commandos wait for the chaos to begin in this &“fiercely authentic&” novel of combat (Sunday Telegraph). They were three soldiers, on watch in the French countryside, their base a disused barn. Three ordinary men seconded into the horrors of World War II, each with his own ideals, his own feelings, his own fears. Their task was a nightmare of waiting. German forces were stationed over the brow of a hill, and every moment of every day passed in nerve-shattering anticipation of their first clash. When the clash finally came, it was not merely a battle of force and brutality but a complex and murderous struggle between the cunning and ruthlessness of both sides . . . &“Extraordinarily powerful . . . at times harrowing but always gripping. Its authenticity and credibility is rooted in the experience of the author, who led a commando unit in Occupied Europe during the Second World War. The story draws on his experiences in an unflinching manner, turning the fields, hills and hedgerows of the front line into the stage for a drama of the most compelling kind.&” —Alex Gerlis, author of Prince of Spies &“Tense and convincing.&” —Observer &“I think it&’s the best thing of its kind I&’ve ever read. I literally couldn&’t put it down.&” —Leslie Charteris, author of The Saint novels &“A gripping read.&” —The Sunday Times
The Long Divorce (The Gervase Fen Mysteries)
by Edmund CrispinFrom a British mystery author known as &“the master of the whodunnit,&” an amateur sleuth searches for a source of poison-pen letters in an English village (The New York Times Book Review). The small town of Cotten Abbas is losing some of its quirky charm now that wealthy Londoners are moving there in droves. Needless to say, the locals are none too happy. But who among them is angry enough to send a series of anonymous letters, revealing unsavory details about the lives of some of the town&’s residents? Traveling incognito to the rural village, Gervase Fen is eager to find the culprit. Especially when those exposed secrets lead to a shocking suicide, followed by an unsettling murder. Whoever the letter writer is, they have enough dirty laundry on the citizens of the quaint village to make the once-bucolic spot a scary place to set foot. Unless, of course, you are an eccentric Oxford professor like Gervase Fen, with a penchant for literary allusions and an uncanny knack for solving the unsolvable. Praise for the mysteries of Edmund Crispin &“A marvellous comic sense.&” —P. D. James, New York Times–bestselling author of the Inspector Adam Dalgliesh series &“Master of fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek mystery novels, a blend of John Dickson Carr, Michael Innes, M.R. James, and the Marx Brothers.&” —Anthony Boucher, author of the Fergus O&’Breen series &“An absolute must for devotees of cultivated crime fiction.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“One of the most literate mystery writers of the twentieth century.&” —The Boston Globe &“Beneath a formidable exterior he had unsuspected depths of frivolity.&” —Philip Larkin, author of A Girl in Winter &“One of the last exponents of the classical English detective story.&” —The Times (London)
The Long Drop: A Novel
by Denise MinaA standalone psychological thriller from the acclaimed author of the Alex Morrow novels that exposes the dark hearts of the guilty...and the innocent.In 1950's Glasgow, a household of women were found slaughtered in their beds. The father, William Watt, had a cast iron alibi but police were convinced he was guilty. Determined to clear his name, Watt let it be known that he would pay for information. Step forward career criminal Peter Manuel, with compelling details only the murderer could know. Watt agreed to meet him. They spent twelve hours together, driving and drinking in Glasgow pubs and clubs. No one knows what happened that night. The next time they met was in the High Court where Peter Manuel was defending himself against the murder charges. He called Watt as a witness and quizzed him about their long, shady night together. A fictionalized imagining of a real life case, THE LONG DROP is an explosive novel about guilt, innocence and the power of a good story to hide the difference.
The Long Escape (Al Colby #1)
by David DodgeGlobetrotting detective Al Colby makes his debut in this dazzling mystery from the author of To Catch a Thief. Al Colby, an American expatriate working as a private investigator in Mexico City, is contacted by an old acquaintance in Los Angeles who hands him a cold case involving a missing person. Robert Parker’s mysterious disappearance is tying up a family fortune and is enraging his abandoned wife who can’t tap the family coffers without proof of death. The case sounded routine enough, right up his alley, but the trail for the missing Mr. Parker leads Colby down a rabbit hole winding through a number of South American countries, each one a dead end. Running out of funds and clean shirts, Colby is ready to throw in the towel, but the stakes are too high and his client fuels the search with additional cash. The deeper Colby digs the more entangled he becomes in a decades old mystery of misplaced loyalties, family secrets, and riches in nitrate ore. In between tequila shots and beautiful women, Al Colby has a case that drags him in deeper with each step. But can he piece it all together before the quicksand swallows him whole?
The Long Fall
by Lynn KostoffIn sun-baked Phoenix, Arizona, this never-predictable tale tosses into its antic mix a dead father, his two sons--one a small-time ex-con with a consistent genius for sabotaging his own best interests, the other a straight, uptight solid citizen with a moneymaking chain of dry-cleaning stores and a restive ex-stewardess of a wife named Evelyn.Recently released from prison for possession of a truckload of black-market saguaro cacti - and in deep debt to an unforgiving crank dealer, Jimmy Coates returns home only to discover that his brother has cut him out of his inheritance. A not-unjustifiable desire to settle old scores and new sends Jimmy on a robbery spree that wipes out four of his brother's dry-cleaning establishments. But when he finds himself tumbling for a mutinously sexy Evelyn, the impulse to vengeance reverses itself.Unwittingly, however, Jimmy has already set in motion a series of dangerous consequences - adultery, blackmail, love, betrayal - that culminate in a blueprint for murder. And it could be Jimmy himself who is taking the long fall.
The Long Fall
by Lynn KostoffIn sun-baked Phoenix, Arizona, this never-predictable tale tosses into its antic mix a dead father, his two sons--one a small-time ex-con with a consistent genius for sabotaging his own best interests, the other a straight, uptight solid citizen with a moneymaking chain of dry-cleaning stores and a restive ex-stewardess of a wife named Evelyn.Recently released from prison for possession of a truckload of black-market saguaro cacti - and in deep debt to an unforgiving crank dealer, Jimmy Coates returns home only to discover that his brother has cut him out of his inheritance. A not-unjustifiable desire to settle old scores and new sends Jimmy on a robbery spree that wipes out four of his brother's dry-cleaning establishments. But when he finds himself tumbling for a mutinously sexy Evelyn, the impulse to vengeance reverses itself.Unwittingly, however, Jimmy has already set in motion a series of dangerous consequences - adultery, blackmail, love, betrayal - that culminate in a blueprint for murder. And it could be Jimmy himself who is taking the long fall.
The Long Fall
by Lynn KostoffIn sun-baked Phoenix, Arizona, this never-predictable tale tosses into its antic mix a dead father, his two sons--one a small-time ex-con with a consistent genius for sabotaging his own best interests, the other a straight, uptight solid citizen with a moneymaking chain of dry-cleaning stores and a restive ex-stewardess of a wife named Evelyn. Recently released from prison for possession of a truckload of black-market saguaro cacti - and in deep debt to an unforgiving crank dealer, Jimmy Coates returns home only to discover that his brother has cut him out of his inheritance. A not-unjustifiable desire to settle old scores and new sends Jimmy on a robbery spree that wipes out four of his brother's dry-cleaning establishments. But when he finds himself tumbling for a mutinously sexy Evelyn, the impulse to vengeance reverses itself. Unwittingly, however, Jimmy has already set in motion a series of dangerous consequences - adultery, blackmail, love, betrayal - that culminate in a blueprint for murder. And it could be Jimmy himself who is taking the long fall.
The Long Fall: Leonid McGill 1 (Leonid McGill mysteries #1)
by Walter Mosley'McGill is an engaging creation, saddled with a faithless wife, an adoring mistress and a son who appears to be planning a murder of his own . . . Mosley ensures the reader hopes to meet [him] again soon' Sunday TelegraphFrom the creator of Easy Rawlins, Walter Mosley's electric new novel introduces a brand new investigator - Leonid McGill - and a gripping new set of challenges.We follow former rule-breaker Leonid McGill as he's buffeted between the overlords of New York's underbelly, desperate to turn straight, but unable to say no to a nicely paid job. When we're introduced, he's calling in old favours and greasing NYPD palms to uncover seemingly harmless information for a high-paying client. But when the former schoolmates on his list are bludgeoned to death one by one, McGill realises that a friendly reunion wasn't quite what his taskmaster had in mind. And the awkward questions that follow seem almost welcome in comparison to a visit from Willie Sanderson, a trained killer and 'modern-day Frankenstein', now primed to ensure that McGill breathes his last.THE LONG FALL shows Walter Mosley at the height of his powers, breathing new life into American crime writing with sassy dialogue and unflinching social truths. Vividly capturing a city not nearly as cleaned up as its politicians would have us believe, this is new Mosley - and it's just as good as the vintage kind.
The Long Fall (Leonid McGill #1)
by Walter MosleyA brand-new mystery series from one of the country's best-known, best-loved writers: a new character, a new city, a new era. A new Walter Mosley. His name is etched on the door of his Manhattan office: LEONID McGILL, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR. It's a name that takes a little explaining, but he's used to it. "Daddy was a communist and great-great- Granddaddy was a slave master from Scotland. You know, the black man's family tree is mostly root. Whatever you see aboveground is only a hint at the real story." Ex-boxer, hard drinker, in a business that trades mostly in cash and favors: McGill's an old-school P.I. working a city that's gotten fancy all around him. Fancy or not, he has always managed to get by-keep a roof over the head of his wife and kids, and still manage a little fun on the side-mostly because he's never been above taking a shady job for a quick buck. But like the city itself, McGill is turning over a new leaf, "decided to go from crooked to slightly bent." New York City in the twenty-first century is a city full of secrets-and still a place that reacts when you know where to poke and which string to pull. That's exactly the kind of thing Leonid McGill knows how to do. As soon as The Long Fall begins, with McGill calling in old markers and greasing NYPD palms to unearth some seemingly harmless information for a high-paying client, he learns that even in this cleaned-up city, his commitment to the straight and narrow is going to be constantly tested. And we learn that with this protagonist, this city, this time, Mosley has tapped a rich new vein that's inspiring his best work since the classic Devil in a Blue Dress.
The Long Fall
by Walter MosleyWe follow former rule-breaker Leonard McGill as he's buffeted between the overlords of New York's underbelly, desperate to turn straight, but unable to say no to a nicely paid job. When we're introduced, he's calling in old favours and greasing NYPD palms to uncover seemingly harmless information for a high-paying client. But when the former schoolmates on his list are bludgeoned to death one by one, McGill realises that a friendly reunion wasn't quite what his taskmaster had in mind. And the awkward questions that follow seem almost welcome in comparison to a visit from Willie Sanderson, a trained killer and 'modern-day Frankenstein', now primed to ensure that McGill breathes his last. THE LONG FALL shows Walter Mosley at the height of his powers, breathing new life into American crime writing with sassy dialogue and unflinching social truths. Vividly capturing a city not nearly as cleaned up as its politicians would have us believe, this is new Mosley - and it's just as good as the vintage kind.
Long Fall from Heaven
by Milton T. Burton George Wier"With an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the historic underbelly of Galveston and a ringing feel for dialogue, Long Fall From Heaven carries us along on a sordid yet seamless narrative of murderous mayhem." -Craig Johnson, author of the Walt Longmire MysteriesCueball Boland and Micah Lanscomb-both ex-cops with troubled pasts-stumble into the path of a serial killer. The murderer leads them into the dark history of Galveston when the city was Texas' Sin City. The killer has roots sunk deep into that history, but the FBI and the old Galveston families don't want Cueball and Micah to solve the crimes. Listen closely. There's an echo of another serial killer who stalked the city back during World War II.George Wier writes like he talks: Texan. In the 1990s he befriended the older novelist Milton T. Burton and the two became close friends. In 1998, Burton, worried about his health, told Wier this story and asked him to be his collaborator and principal writer. The two friends talked back and forth, and Wier wrote the novel. Meanwhile, impatient with the publishing industry, George Wier has very successfully e-published his Bill Travis Mystery Series. He plays classical violin and country fiddle, dabbles in art and photography, and is a born promoter of all that he does. This is his first trade-published novel. He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Sallie.Milton T. Burton (1947-2011) authored four crime novels published by Minotaur/Thomas Dunne. Like Wier, Burton was a lifelong Texan who breathed the Texas lingo. Burton had been variously a cattleman, a political consultant, and a college history teacher. A cantankerous but generous man, he liked writing and he liked talking to his friends, especially George Wier. He died in December 2011.
The Long Falling
by Keith RidgwayGrace Quinn is an Englishwoman living in rural Ireland. Isolated by religion and circumstance, she endures both an abusive husband and a strained relationship with her son, Martin, whose open homosexuality her husband refuses to accept. After an act of desperation, reeling with doubt and denial, she seeks out her son in Dublin. Keith Ridgway "affectingly renders the separate sanctuaries of mother and son . . . and lights the distance between them" (The New Yorker). Keith Ridgway's first novel, nominated for 1999 Lambda Literary Award.
The Long Farewell (The Inspector Appleby Mysteries)
by Michael InnesThe head of Scotland Yard probes the suspicious death of a Shakespearean scholar with a collection of secrets in this classic British mystery. Lewis Packford, an Elizabethan scholar, is found shot in his library. It was rumored Packford recently acquired a book annotated by the Bard, but the book is nowhere to be seen. What is beside him, however, is a note that—as Packford was wont to do—quotes William Shakespeare: &“Farewell, a long farewell.&” Police believe Packford died from suicide, but Sir John Appleby, head of Scotland Yard and Packford&’s friend, disagrees. When Appleby arrives at the scholar&’s country house in Dorset, he meets an array of academics and bibliophiles who were all present the night of the murder. Suspects include Packford&’s brother, who stands to inherit the house, and Packford&’s two secret wives, who recently learned of each other&’s existence. As the secrets pile up, the erudite Appleby must get to the bottom of things before the killer forces anyone else to say goodbye for good.&“A model of the deft, classic detective story, told in the most wittily diverting prose.&” —The New York Times
A Long Finish (Aurelio Zen #6)
by Michael DibdinAfter his adventures under sun-drenched Neapolitan skies in Cosi Fan Tutti, Aurelio Zen finds himself back in Rome, sneezing in a damp wine cellar and being given another unorthodox assignment: to release the jailed scion of an important wine-growing family who is accused of a brutal murder. Zen travels north to an Italy as outwardly serene as Naples was manic. Amid the quiet fields, autumnal skies and crumbling farmhouses of Piedmont, Zen must try to penetrate a traditional culture in which family and soil are inextricably linked. Here secrets can last for generations, and have a finish as long and lingering as that of a good Barbaresco. Zen must also face up to mysteries from his own past, as well as grapple with the greed, envy, hatred and love that are the human components of any landscape.
The Long Firm Trilogy
by Jake Arnott'Whenever Jake Arnott's got a new book out, I drop everything knowing that the next couple of hours are going to be pure gangland bliss.' DAVID BOWIERanging from the Swinging Sixties to the Raving Nineties and with a cast that includes Machiavellian gangsters, politicians, bent coppers, actresses and gutter journalists, Jake Arnott's classic trilogy is at once sharply funny, relentlessly compelling, and frighteningly real.THE LONG FIRM is the cult bestseller that launched Jake Arnott as one of the most exciting new voices of the decade: 'A gangster novel every bit as cool, stylish and venomous as the London in which it's set' (Independent on Sunday)HE KILLS COPPERS is a 'mesmerizing, brilliant' (New York Times Book Review) literary thriller that delves into corruption on both sides of the law and at the heart of the state.TRUECRIME is a blistering take on Cool Britannia and London's underbelly in the 1990s, and 'the most expansive, ironical and funny novel of the series' (Daily Telegraph)
The Long Firm Trilogy
by Jake Arnott'Whenever Jake Arnott's got a new book out, I drop everything knowing that the next couple of hours are going to be pure gangland bliss.' DAVID BOWIERanging from the Swinging Sixties to the Raving Nineties and with a cast that includes Machiavellian gangsters, politicians, bent coppers, actresses and gutter journalists, Jake Arnott's classic trilogy is at once sharply funny, relentlessly compelling, and frighteningly real.THE LONG FIRM is the cult bestseller that launched Jake Arnott as one of the most exciting new voices of the decade: 'A gangster novel every bit as cool, stylish and venomous as the London in which it's set' (Independent on Sunday)HE KILLS COPPERS is a 'mesmerizing, brilliant' (New York Times Book Review) literary thriller that delves into corruption on both sides of the law and at the heart of the state.TRUECRIME is a blistering take on Cool Britannia and London's underbelly in the 1990s, and 'the most expansive, ironical and funny novel of the series' (Daily Telegraph)
The Long Glasgow Kiss (Lennox #2)
by Craig Russell'The kind of thriller writing that made me want to be a writer' Chris Brookmyre'Storytelling at its very best!' Michael ConnellyFast-paced, stylish, and blackly funny noir for fans of Philip Kerr and Raymond ChandlerGlasgow in the 1950s - private investigator Lennox is keeping a low profile, enjoying a fling with the daughter of shady bookie and greyhound breeder MacFarlane. When MacFarlane is found bludgeoned to death, Lennox is a suspect. Luckily, he has a solid gold alibi - he was in bed with the victim's daughter at the time.It turns out MacFarlane was into some seriously dodgy stuff. One of Glasgow's notorious Three Kings, crime boss Willie Sneddon, is involved and he's not a man Lennox wants to cross. But there's an even bigger player out there, an elusive villain who makes the Three Kings look like minnows. Lennox is going to get his fingers burnt, badly.Praise for Craig Russell:'Another brilliantly sharp, witty and tough take on a hard city at a hard time . . . a former cop, Russell is Britain's rising crime-writing star' Daily Mirror'Through his humorous lens, time and place become razor-sharp . . . The lightness of touch is a breath of fresh air in this most crowded of genres . . . This is tartan neo-noir at its most entertaining' Sunday Herald
Long Gone
by Alafair BurkeWhat if everything you thought you knew turned out to be a lie? After a layoff and months of struggling, Alice Humphrey finally lands her dream job managing a new art gallery in Manhattan's trendy Meatpacking District. According to Drew Campbell, the well-heeled corporate representative who hires her, the gallery is a passion project for its anonymous, wealthy, and eccentric owner. Her friends think it sounds too good to be true, but Alice sees an opportunity to make a name for herself beyond the shadow of her famous father, an award-winning and controversial filmmaker. Everything is perfect until the morning Alice arrives at work to find the gallery gone-the space stripped bare as if it had never been there-and Drew Campbell's dead body on the floor. Overnight, Alice's dream job has vanished, and she finds herself at the center of a police investigation, with the evidence mounting against her. The phone number Drew gave her links back to a disposable phone. The artist whose work she displayed doesn't seem to exist. And the dead man she claims is Drew has been identified as someone else. When police discover ties between the gallery and a missing girl, Alice knows she's been set up. Now she has to prove it-a dangerous search for answers that will entangle her in a dark, high-tech criminal conspiracy and force her to unearth long-hidden secrets involving her own family . . . secrets that could cost Alice her life.
Long Gone: A Detective Annalisa Vega Novel (Detective Annalisa Vega #2)
by Joanna SchaffhausenLong Gone, the next installment of Joanna Schaffhausen's critically acclaimed Detective Annalisa Vega series.Chicago detective Annalisa Vega shattered her life, personally and professionally, when she turned in her ex-cop father for his role in a murder. Her family can’t forgive her. Her fellow officers no longer trust her. So when detective Leo Hammond turns up dead in a bizarre murder, Annalisa thinks she has nothing to lose by investigating whatever secrets he hid behind the thin blue line.Annalisa quickly zeroes in on someone who had good reason to want Hammond dead: a wealthy, fast-talking car salesman who’d gotten away with murder once and wasn’t about to let Hammond take a second shot. Moe Bocks remains the number one suspect in his girlfriend’s brutal unsolved death, and now he’s got a new woman in his sights—Annalisa’s best friend.Annalisa is desperate to protect her friend and force Bocks to pay, either for Hammond’s death or his earlier crime. But when no one else believes the connection, she takes increasingly risky chances to reveal the truth. Because both Hammond and Bocks had secrets to die for, and if she doesn’t untangle them soon, Annalisa will be next.
The Long Good Boy (Rachel Alexander and Dash Mystery #6)
by Carol Lea BenjaminP. I. Rachel Alexander dives into the world of transvestite hookers in Manhattan's meat packing district to help solve the case of a killer with a deadly eye out for the wanna-be-ladies.
The Long Good Boy: A Rachel Alexander And Dash Mystery (The Rachel Alexander and Dash Mysteries #6)
by Carol Lea BenjaminIn Shamus Award-winning author Carol Lea Benjamin's riveting mystery, dog trainer-turned-PI Rachel Alexander and her pit bull, Dash, take a walk on the wild side--with a little help from a courageous dachshund--to solve a series of murders Rachel and Dash have a new client. Well, three new clients. A trio of transvestite working girls want Rachel to investigate the death of one of their own. Rosalinda's throat was slashed on Halloween right after the Greenwich Village parade. Finding her killer isn't exactly the NYPD's top priority--and LaDonna, Chi Chi, and Jasmine are terrified that they'll be next. With her cash retainer in hand--and very few leads--Rachel starts digging. What is the connection between Rosalinda and a dead butcher? Soon, with the help of Chi Chi's mini-dachshund, Clint, Rachel is breaking into a plant in the Meatpacking District. But her future is suddenly on the line when she sets herself up as bait to catch the killer. As Rachel follows a twisting trail with only Dash for protection, she discovers that her foray into "the life" could end with her own untimely death.
The Long Goodbye: A Novel (A\philip Marlowe Novel Ser. #6)
by Raymond ChandlerONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME • The renowned novel from crime fiction master Raymond Chandler, with the "quintessential urban private eye" (Los Angeles Times), Philip Marlowe • Featuring the iconic character that inspired the film Marlowe, starring Liam Neeson.In noir master Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye, Philip Marlowe befriends a down on his luck war veteran with the scars to prove it. Then he finds out that Terry Lennox has a very wealthy nymphomaniac wife, whom he divorced and remarried and who ends up dead. And now Lennox is on the lam and the cops and a crazy gangster are after Marlowe.
A Long Gray Line: A Mike Walton Novella
by Simon GervaisFormer counterterrorism expert Simon Gervais' debut novel, THE THIN BLACK LINE, was an immediate sensation and an international bestseller, drawing raves from bestselling authors Steve Berry ("Realistic, vivid, dramatic, this is a story told by someone who knows what he's talking about"), David Morell ("A high-speed, break-neck, turbo-charged thriller that takes readers behind the scenes of the war on terrorism"), and others, along with reviewers such as Ottawa Life, which called THE THIN BLACK LINE, "A fascinating look into Canada's covert operations, complemented by loveable and heroic characters you will find yourself rooting for." Now those characters are back in a sequel novella that puts them on a mission with potentially devastating consequences. A LONG GRAY LINE pits the International Market Stabilization Institute - a privately funded organization operating outside official channels to protect North America's financial interests - against two foes at the same time. One could decimate the American stock market and throw the entire world economy into a tailspin. The other is a piece of unfinished business from their last operation that could be even more destructive. Their ability to act in the face of confounding choices will have an effect on the future for years to come. Featuring Mike and Lisa Walton - the husband-and-wife team of operatives who led the charge in THE THIN BLACK LINE - A LONG GRAY LINE is a thriller so packed with action and tension that it contains enough excitement for stories four times its size.
The Long Hitch: A Western Story
by Michael ZimmerMase Campbell has earned a reputation as a skilled wagon master, heading up freight trains for Kavanaugh Freight. Then one night in 1874 in Corinne, Utah Territory, he is stopped in the street by someone asking him for a match, and shot to death. Those who saw the murder either do not come forward or admit no knowledge. Buck McCready, captured at ten years of age by Indians, rescued by Mase, and raised by him, wants to find out who killed Mase and why. But there is not time for investigation because Jock Kavanaugh, owner of the freight line, has committed to a freight wagon race from Corinne to Virginia City and he needs Buck to replace Mase as wagon master. Buck believes that Mase was murdered because of the competition and that the murderer will probably be on the train. Buck is right about one thing: someone in the wagon crew is willing to do whatever is necessary to see the Kavanaugh venture fail.