SPUR AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR Clay Roland, marshal of Paiute City, was on the main street when the young stranger rode into town, looking for him. Soon after, the stranger lay dead on the floor of Kelly's Bar, shot by Blacky Doane after he refused to turn over a letter he claimed was for the marshal. Confronted by the marshal, Blacky decides to hand over the letter and then leaves town. The letter is from a lawyer in Painted Rock, a distant town in the shadow of Skull Mesa. Clay's father has died, leaving him the Bar C Ranch. But there is trouble at Skull Mesa, and the lawyer advises Clay to keep his arrival a secret. The letter poses questions to which Clay has no answers, and there is only one thing to do. He must leave Paiute City and ride the long distance to Painted Rock, where trouble will prove a greater challenge than he has ever faced. “. . . likable story from old pro Overholser.” —Booklist