Bounty Hunters

Book excerpt: At the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865, RJ Murdock is looking for direction. His family's home was destroyed during the war, his siblings are long gone, and other business interests haven't panned out. RJ and his buddy Calvin McCoy concoct a plan to head to Deadwood, South Dakota, a lawless boomtown where mining for gold has become big business. Along the way, the two discover that bounty hunting and its ensuing reward money can be a lucrative-but dangerous-endeavor. With a few bounty hunting tips in their arsenal, the two keep their eyes out for the faces portrayed on the reward posters tacked up in each town. RJ and Calvin find themselves traveling on Charlie Utter's wagon train and meet up with their war buddy, "Mad Man Micah," who, during the Civil War, was one of Quantrill's Raiders. They form a partnership until RJ fully realizes that bounty hunting is a tough way to make a living-especially when one bounty hunter is pursued by another.