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"A sleeper that deserves wider attention." —The New York Times
As 1965 draws to a close, Constable Cody Parker of Center Springs, Texas, has a frightening sense of gathering storm clouds. His dreams prove accurate when he is ambushed and nearly killed on a lonely country road during an unusually heavy snowfall. The attack leads locals to worry that a terrifying killer known as "The Skinner" has returned.
As his nephew, Cody, recovers, Constable Ned Parker struggles to connect a seemingly unrelated series of murders, and the people of northeast Texas wonder why their once peaceful community has suddenly become a dangerous place to live.
Investigating, Ned, Cody, and deputy John Washington cross paths with many colorful characters: cranky old Judge O.C. Rains; the jittery little farmer Isaac Reader; the Wilson boys, Ty Cobb and Jimmy Foxx; and a mysterious old man named Tom Bell. Of course, Ned's preteen grandchildren, Top and Pepper, are underfoot at every turn.
When Cody follows his main suspect across the Rio Grande into Mexico, Ned understands that to save his nephew, he will have to cross more than a river: he will have to cross over to the right side of wrong.
"Wortham's third entry in his addictive Texas procedurals set in the 1960s is a deceptively meandering tale of family and country life bookended by a dramatic opening and conclusion. C.J. Box fans would like this title. " — Library Journal STARRED Review
"Top is an endearing narrator, full of childlike wonder, which is gradually being diluted by the realities of the adult world. In that sense, the novel may remind readers of Joe Lansdale's superb The Bottoms (2000). A very good mystery that will also transport readers to a different era." — Wes Lukowski, Booklist
"Top is an endearing narrator, full of childlike wonder, which is gradually being diluted by the realities of the adult world. In that sense, the novel may remind readers of Joe Lansdale's superb The Bottoms (2000). A very good mystery that will also transport readers to a different era." — Wes Lukowski, Booklist
"A gritty, dark, and suspenseful Western with a final explosive showdown that kept me turning the pages late into the night to see who would survive." — Jamie Freveletti, internationally bestselling author
"A sleeper that deserves wider attention." — The New York Times