Devil's Ride West (Jake Paynter, 2)

Author David Nix writes an action-packed, authentic historical western series featuring:

• A former soldier with a target on his back
• A slew of bounty hunters determined to claim their prize
• A ruthless detective who wants to see Jake pay
• A breathtaking journey across the wild west

Jake Paynter is in deep trouble. With a $1000 bounty on his head, every law man, bounty hunter, and desperado west of the Mississippi is gunning for him. Jake's plan to lay low with the Shoshone quickly falls apart, but before he can leave for far Yellowstone, his two best friends, Gus Rivers and Stacy Blue, show up with a dilemma. Miners at South Pass City are getting murdered by a man or beast―no one is certain―and his immigrant friends from the Oregon Trail are in danger. Against his better judgment, Paynter travels to the mining fields to bring the culprits to justice.

Hiding in an abandoned mine by day and sleuthing by night, Jake begins to unravel the mystery of the deaths. But as adversarial forces close in, Jake must decide whether to escape to isolation or remain and fight for his friends.

When I was eight, my adventurous parents hauled our young family from the west coast to a Wyoming mountain town perched on the border of the Wind River reservation. That magical landscape infused my formative years with a wonder of local lore that was both historical and immediate, and revealed to me that often the greatest stories have been all but forgotten or were never told. After publishing science fiction and historical romance for ten years, it seemed a matter of destiny that I’d eventually return to the tales of my youth. The Jake Paynter series brings together fact and fiction to explore places, people, and themes precious to me.

I’ve called Austin home since 1998 with my wife and three children. The kids are grown now, but remain in and around the heart Texas and consider themselves honorary Wyomingites. I’ve been gone from that mountain town for a long time now, but never really left the place.