<p>When aspiring journalist Mariel Erickson leaves the civilized comforts of Chicago for Goss Valley, a small town on the Dakota prairie, she isn&rsquo;t prepared for the turmoil she and her husband encounter. As if hostile homesteaders, harsh weather, impoverished Indians, and shady frontier politics aren&rsquo;t bad enough, Mariel soon finds herself embroiled in Goss Valley&rsquo;s first murder case.<br />
The facts of the case appear straightforward. In full view of five witnesses, wagon driver Clyde Hartwig beat an Irish immigrant to death with a baseball bat. The victim was known as a decent and hardworking family man. But Mariel hears rumors of his involvement with homemade bombs and Fenian terrorism. Could that have been Hartwig&rsquo;s motive? On assignment for the town&rsquo;s fledgling newspaper, Mariel must get the killer&rsquo;s side of the story before he&rsquo;s silenced by the hangman&rsquo;s rope.<br />
Hartwig&rsquo;s trial, set for early January, promises to be the biggest event to ever happen in the short history of Goss Valley, and the residents eagerly anticipate a fine spectacle. Little does anyone know that a much larger force is about to descend on the town, revealing how capricious life on the prairie can be.</p>

<p>Dave Hoing and Roger Hileman write historical fiction so believable, you&rsquo;d swear the authors have been alive since before the Civil War&hellip;.<br />
&nbsp;&mdash;Carol Kean, reviewer, Perihelion</p>