Virgil knows that his sleepy hometown is starting to reflect the times, in good ways and bad. It still comes as a shock when his deputy is almost killed by the body of a woman falling from the highway overpass onto his car. A woman who had been fleeing for her life …
Virgil knows that his sleepy hometown is starting to reflect the times, in good ways and bad. It still comes as a shock when his deputy is almost killed by the body of a woman falling from the highway overpass onto his car. A woman who had been fleeing for her life …
Then longtime resident Velma Thompson is found dead on her porch-her husband missing. To search for the man, Virgil saddles up and heads to the High Lonesome, the rugged mountains above their ranch. And on a wind-swept mesa, he’ll find the first clues that point to a killer whose body count has only just begun …
Praise forDeath at the Black Bull- ‘Move over, Walt Longmire. There’s a new sheriff in town. Virgil Dalton is the kind of character that comes along maybe once a decade-a classic Western hero and so much more. When you’re done with Frank Hayes’ stellar debut,Death at the Black Bull, you’ll smell the sagebrush in the air and have to clean the dust off your boots. An absolute must-read for fans of Craig Johnson and Tony Hillerman.‘ Reed Farrel Coleman, Shamus Award-winning author ofThe Hollow Girl
'This is one of the most impressive debut crime novels I’ve ever read. There’s such depth and humanity in the characters, such tension in the story itself, and the sense of place is as good as it gets. I know I’ll be reading every book in this series!’ Steve Hamilton, Edgar Award-winning author ofLet It Burn
‘Virgil Dalton takes no prisoners in Hayes’s satisfying debut novel, and fans of Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire will cheer the sheriff’s desire to protect his town. With its strong sense of place, this series launch will also keep fans of Western mysteries enthralled.'Library Journal
'Hayes’s strong debut introduces a complex and likable lawman … readers will want to see a lot more of Virgil and friends.'Publishers Weekly
'Hayes is a skillful storyteller and a deft hand at witty dialogue.’ Booklist
