United States Marshal Trace Hawthorne is assigned a difficult and harrowing task. He must escort a key witness across the state to testify against a ruthless land baron. Despite his knowledge of the land and his proficiency with a .45, he faces long odds. Amidst a background of treachery and betrayal, Hawthorne must contend with a small army of hired guns determined to stop him. Resorting to desperate measures in an effort to elude his pursuers and deliver his witness, Hawthorne decides to cross the desert. It is a decision not without doubt and regret, for the harshness and desolation of the land prove to be more formidable obstacles than those devised by men.

During his trek, Hawthorne encounters Lane Carter, a beautiful young woman who is directed by fate to accompany him. As Hawthorne struggles to complete his mission, he embarks on a path of self-realization, experiencing feelings for Lane that he has never felt before, and wrestles with the shadows of his past.

Michael Senuta is a retired English teacher. An avid Sherlockian, he co-founded the Inverness Capers, the Sherlock Holmes society of Akron, Ohio, and served as its president for twenty-four years. He has given over 300 lectures on Sherlock Holmes. He has been a short story writer of westerns and mysteries for many years. Incident at Copper Creek is his first published novel. He lives in Barberton, Ohio.

Copper Creek is his first novel for AVALON.

Avalon Westerns by Michael Senuta:
THE VENGEANCE BRAND
INCIDENT AT COPPER CREEK