Blood and Bitter Wind: A Novel of the California Gold Fields

You Can Almost Taste the Old West! Renowned for his detailed research and compelling characters, Earl Murray is an esteemed name in the historical fiction of the American Frontier and he proves it again in his newest novel of Old California. Los Angeles . . . in the1850s. John Dimas, a California Ranger goes undercover, following treacherous trails deep into the Sierra Nevada gold country in an attempt to do the impossible--infiltrate the elusive band of California's most notorious desperado, the feared Joaquin Murrieta. The course of this journey will take Dimas through a beautiful but perilous land, searching the daytime arenas where bullfights entertain bloodthirsty audiences, the midnight faro games and fandango halls where knife and pistol rule the night. Along the way, he will meet Maura Walsh, a beautiful lady of means come to unite with her fiance, Trenton Kerns, a man with a dangerous connection to the evil and powerful Don Luis Markham. In a twist of treacherous fate, Dimas'secret mission will place him squarely in Markham's path. It is a confrontation he cannot hope to win. . . . Set against the raw turbulence and sudden violence of California's Gold Rush and the exploits of the famed Joaquin Murietta--the real-life inspiration for Zorro--Earl Murray's riveting new novel wonderfully re-creates a fascinating period in American history with the tension of a high-voltage thriller.