Mace Brown wasnt his real name. He used to be one of the deadliest gunfighters in the Southwest, but eventually he grew tired of the kill or be killed lifestyle, rode off into the desertand simply disappeared.
When Boston archeologist Dr. Jemima Carstairs arrives in Oneida, Texas to survey and study ancient Indian ruins in the Palo Duro Canyon, Mace reluctantly agrees to lead the expedition.
Unaware that a gang of outlaws is dogging their heels, and a Comanche war chief and his band of renegades are also roaming the plains south of Oneida, Mace and his crew set off with the archeologists into Palo Duro country.
Their scholarly quest for Native American artifacts will quickly become a struggle for survival.
More than an A-Z Guide to Gunslinger Lingo, the robust characters balloon far bigger and grander than a single dimension, freeing the reader from any previous stereotypes they may have of people and places in the Old West. Pierces quick-draw dialogue lends authenticity to the dusted-up action and drama at play between the characters. Jennifer Leeper, author, Padre: The Narrowing Path
Pierce draws an unflinching parallel between the desperation of Old West characters and the harsh topography and weather of the Texas panhandle. It keeps you guessing until the end, as people, relationships, and locales are rarely as they first appear. James M. Jackson, Author, Seamus McCree Mysteries