Funeral Train: A Dust Bowl Mystery

Funeral Train is the follow-up to Death of a Rainmaker. Set in 1930s Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl era, the novel centers on Sheriff Temple Jennings as he navigates a crisis in his small town. When a passenger train derails near the town, it floods the hospital with casualties. Among the seriously injured is Etha, the sheriff's wife. While consumed with worry for her, Jennings must investigate the derailment, which appears to be sabotage. The following night, a local recluse is murdered. Jennings suspects the two incidents are connected. Working with the recovering Etha, he uncovers records that implicate multiple townspeople in the murder. The investigation unfolds against the backdrop of the Great Depression, where bootlegging, extortion, courage, and bravado shape the lives of the town's residents. The novel explores small-town life under hardship, depicting a cast of interconnected characters whose secrets lie beneath the surface of dusty streets. Winner of a Will Rogers Silver Medallion Award for Western Mystery and a finalist for the 2023 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical.