Which eccentric cowboy in Stockton County branded Evan Sting on Shotner Hill, murdering the young man? This is what private eye Joe Boxford asks himself when he's hired by Evan's father Benny to find the murderer. Joe needs some help, and enlists the services of Tal Linear, owner of The Linear Bar. But sparks begin to fly between the two. As romance heats up between them, they attempt to solve the branding crime. As the suspects start to pile up and weird relationships unfold in West Stockton, Joe and Tal begin to unravel a heinous crime. That is, until Tal vanishes and Joe thinks his sleuth buddy is going to be the killer's next victim. Does Joe have the skills needed to be a hero and save Tal from the killer's secret agenda and solve the crime? Or will Joe fall flat on his face and lose his reputation as a private investigator as well as his new lover, Tal Linear?

Stockton County Cowboys Book

I locked up my office and headed to my parked truck in the rear alley. As panic bubbled under my skin I had one place in mind where Dunny was keeping Tal under his care. Not at the most obvious place, Rough Ranch, where Dunny lived and worked. Rather, I believed Tal to be at Blue Ranch, hidden on the property. If Dunny was trying to pin Dash Shore to killing Evan Sting, why wouldn’t he also want Dash to take the fall for Tal’s murder? Simple logic sometimes worked in anyone’s favor, but only if one applied such thinking when it was needed.


Chapter 46