Riders on the Storm: A Sam McCain Mystery

Description

When we last saw Sam McCain he had been drafted to fight the war in Vietnam. But Sam's military career ended in boot camp when he was accidentally shot in the head and forced to spend three months in a military hospital to recover. Sam returns to his hometown of Black River Falls, where he works as a lawyer (and part-time investigator) for the court of the snobbish but amusing Judge Esme Ann Whitney. Two of Sam's oldest friends are caught up in this same battle. Veteran Steve Donovan brutally belittles and finally savagely beats his old friend veteran Will Cullen when Cullen announces he's joined the anti-war group. When Cullen is found murdered, the obvious suspect is Steve Donovan, but Sam has serious doubts about the man's guilt. At least three people had reasons to murder Cullen, and Sam begins to suspect he'll discover even more as his investigation heats up, in this dynamic new politically charged mystery novel by a veteran of the form.

Ed Gorman has received the Shamus Award, the Spur Award, and the International Fiction Writers Award. Ed lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

"McCain-an intriguing mix of knight errant and realist-is good and thought-provoking company." -- The Seattle Times "The kind of hero any small town could take to its heart." -- Marilyn Stasio - The New York Times (on 'Wake Up Little Susie') "Gorman captures the time period perfectly. Gorman cleverly transplants the classic elements of noir into the quiet cornfields of Iowa." -- Shelf Awareness "This sequel to Sam McCain's eighth case, Ticket to Ride (2010), originally announced as his last, has got to be great news for fans of the sharpest investigator in yesteryear Iowa. The final revelation will take most readers by surprise." -- Kirkus Reviews "Gorman skillfully depicts Vietnam veterans' complex, often contradictory feelings toward the war. Classic noir." -- Publishers Weekly "Gorman is a prolific, award-winning author, and the McCain series may be his best work. This is an extended, nuanced fictional biography with an occasional mystery thrown in. Great reading. Welcome home, Sam." -- Booklist (starred review) "Ed Gorman is the poet of dark suspense." -- The Bloomsbury Review "Sam McCain has the rueful wisdom and charm of an exemplary hero who is curious not only about whodunit but also about some of the more elusive riddles of human existence." -- San Francisco Chronicle