The author presented the main characters with little more than superficial recognition. They're easily forgotten. The storyline weaved through a twisting drama of crime and murder that spanned many Southern States. Wherever the main protagonist had gone, dead bodies were soon to follow. The forgotten Wild West had permeated the Depression years. For some. A somewhat predictable ending neatly tied a ribbon to the end of this novel.

Lester Rupert and his three cronies were outlaws and murderers. Their rampage into a life of crime began shortly after World War I, beginning in the great state of Oklahoma. The year was 1918. At the time, the Spanish Flu was a worldwide pandemic that claimed millions of lives.

Silva, Lloyd and Rokko were his partners in crime. They had hastily planned on robbing the kitty at a retired army base in Fort Reno, Oklahoma. They soon found out things did not always go as planned. The four renegades wound up going on a killing spree that claimed the lives of eighty-seven, mostly innocent, people. Rokko died in the bloody melee. Then there were three.

After escaping the fort while hiding out with the cash, Silva decided against splitting the cash three ways. He killed Lloyd and thought he'd killed Lester. Unfortunately for him, he survived. From that time forward, Lester made it his life's work to exact his retribution no matter how long it took. That's what he lived for.

Over a dozen years had passed. It's 1932. Lester, now in his mid-40s, had finally learned of Silva's whereabouts. Took long enough. The murderer had done well. Held up at his mansion with many bodyguards. Lester put together a gang of cutthroats and thieves with the intention of robbing him. Lester had only one thing on his mind. Revenge for the life of a dear friend, fellow murderer, that Silva had taken. Lloyd.

The attack on the mansion did not go well. In fact, Lester barely got away with his life. Now he's the hunted man. Silva knew Lester would not quit, so he put out a reward for him. A big one at that. Not dead or alive. Just plain dead. Word got around. It seemed everybody with a gun went looking for him. One woman doggedly followed his trail everywhere he went. She'd become known to him as the Tracker.

A couple more years had passed. Lester had graduated from drifter and petty crook to small-time mob boss. The Tracker eventually discovered that he was holed up in a nondescript town in Texas. Finding his whereabouts, a gun battle had ensued. After barely escaping with his life, the chase was
on. Again. Time to get out of Dodge. An impromptu plan was made to catch a train that would put many miles between them. It didn't quite work out that way. He'd been followed onto the train by the Tracker and another ruthless Bounty Hunter. Now there were two to contend with.

The Tracker, Evelyn Porter had been visiting her sick brother in Fort Reno those many years ago on the day of the senseless massacre. Her beloved brother had been one of the many victims. She almost had been one too having been shot and luckily, feinted death. It haunted her day and night. Years after the horrific incident, she became obsessed with finding the killers responsible for the many needless deaths. They would pay dearly. Until that day came, she would not rest. It was either her or them.

This ARC was received complements of NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Gratitude sent to Notion Press with consideration given to Smith Publicity Inc. for allowing this edition to be made available.

This debut novel did not disappoint! It provided vivid characters, high stakes, and suspense galore! Nishanth R should be extremely proud of this entertaining gem of historical fiction writing!