Booklist Review

Royal Smith, a Union scout in the waning days of the Civil War, surreptitiously witnesses a clandestine meeting between a high-ranking Confederate officer and his Union counterpart. Goods contained in saddlebags are exchanged. Smith makes his report to his commanding officer and soon musters out of the service, the incident forgotten as he heads west to become a rancher. Then another would-be rancher,ohn Nichols, shows up with his family, asking questions about the incident. Soon Nichols abandons his family in pursuit of history. Smith goes in search of Nichols but finds instead a group of former soldiers who are harboring deadly secrets they intend to keep at any cost, including Smith's life. Overholser, son of the late, great western writer Wayne D., continues the family tradition with character-driven, thoughtfully plotted tales of frontier life. There's plenty of action here for conventional western readers, but the character development, dialogue, and emotional integrity make the book suitable for those whose literary expectations are higher. --Wes Lukowsky Copyright 2004 Booklist