Acclaimed author Eddie Jones packs a literary punch with the first book in his new western-styled mystery series, Caden Chronicles. The gritty, suspenseful tale, DEAD MAN’S HAND (ZONDERVAN; $14.99; November 2012), will transfix young readers from its very first pages to its chilling ending.
About a boy who finds himself at the forefront of a modern day Wild West murder investigation, DEAD MAN’S HAND follows fourteen-year-old Nick Caden, who had been hoping to go to Las Vegas for a family vacation. His parents, however, had other ideas and chose Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town, which meant little more than an empty old bunch of buildings and dust to Nick.
But the trip takes a terrifying turn when Nick stumbles across the bullet-riddled body of “Billy the Kid,” one of the town’s “actors” playing the role of the notorious outlaw. Another local thespian, “Wyatt Earp,” thinks Nick just witnessed a bit of the town’s usual Hollywood theatrics. Nick’s parent’s think he’s creating fiction brought on by his obsession with crime TV and the cyber murder investigation club to which he belongs, while Nick’s sister thinks he saw a ghost. Nick, however, knows the lifeless body he saw was real.
And so begins a deadly chase featuring infamous characters from the Wild West – Jesse James, Wyatt Earp, Annie Oakley – all portrayed by local actors, each with motive to kill. Searching for suspects, Nick pursues leads using his vast knowledge of internet crime solving. From abandoned gold mines, Rattle Snake Gulch and forbidden buffalo hunting grounds, how far will Nick go to prove that Billy the Kid’s murder was real?
Perfect for fans of mysteries and crime TV, DEAD MAN’S HAND takes readers on an enthralling ride complete with gunslingers, outlaws and train-robbing bandits. A masterful storyteller, Jones impressively crafts thrilling action scenes and quick dialogue that will have the reader begging to uncover the next case in the Caden Chronicles.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Eddie Jones is the author of nine books and more than 100 articles. A three-time winner of the Delaware Writers Conference and recipient of the 2011 Selah Award for Young Adult fiction for his novel, The Curse of Captain LaFoote, Jones is also a writing instructor and the cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries. His He Said, She Said devotional column appears on www.christiandevotions.us. Jones lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.www.eddiejones.org