Resurrection Garden

Purchase the print book from MuseItUp Publishing and get the ebook for FREE!

  Mystery Novel Category
Resurrection Garden

Book One in the Decade Mystery series

A Novel by: Frank Scully

Genre: Mystery

Release: January 1, 2011

Editor: Lea Schizas

Line Editor: Penny Ehrenkranz

Cover Artist: Delilah K. Stephans

ISBN: 978-1-926931-04-3

Price: $5.95

Word count: 95,300

Pages: 252

AVAILABLE IN PRINT

FOR BOOKSELLERS

Warning: Contains moderate violence, sexual content or language

Blurb:

Jake Turner, a scarred veteran of the charge up San Juan Hill, has been a lone drifter through much of the settling of the west.  Opportunity was growing out of the newly turned sod of the North Dakota prairie in 1904 when he stopped to take a part time job as a Deputy Sheriff, expecting to move on again when the dark parts of his past catch up to him.

An investigation into a murder of a man hated by everyone has threads that lead to his best friend, Isaac.  Jake is ambushed and almost killed, but is nursed back to health by Isaac.  While Jake follows the clues into a labyrinth of hatred, sordid crimes and missing money he becomes attached to an eight year old orphaned boy named Andy and falls in love with Isaac’s sister, Alice.   After being alone for so long with no hope or care for what tomorrow might bring, Jake finds it difficult to accept these new emotional attachments.

Jake believes in Justice, but before he had only his own life on the line.   When Andy is kidnapped and almost killed, Jake knows the killers will do anything to stop him.   In order to protect Alice and Andy, he must break their hearts and leave them and North Dakota behind.

Jake knows he’ll be back.  So do the killers.  Trap and counter trap are laid.  Jake knows there will be graves.  He just doesn’t know who will be in them.

Excerpt:

We walked down to the meadow below the house. Shadows were spreading as the sun dropped behind the trees to the west. Evening sounds from the surrounding forest were like a symphony of life. And love.

She reached out to take my hand as we strolled along quietly, content to be together. And alone. She led. We were walking toward a small clearing under a large oak tree out of sight of the house.

Suddenly, she stopped and turned to me. She reached up with her free hand and put her hand behind my neck and pulled me into a kiss unlike any I’ve ever had before. I was lost in the universe, feeling an emotion so intense I could not contain it. When our lips parted I held her in my arms tightly.

“Jake,” she whispered. “Come with me.” She took my hand again and led me on.

I took a step and blood sprayed out of my leg just before it buckled and I was knocked to the ground. Another shot whizzed by my head. Alice was still standing and staring at me in wonder and surprise. I jumped up as best as I could and knocked her down and lay between her and the shooter. But it was quiet. I had no weapon with me.

“Quick,” I ordered her. “Crawl to the bush and get back to the house. Have Bart bring me my rifle.”

She nodded and left immediately. I straightened out my leg. I felt the bone. It wasn’t broken. A clean through shot in the meat of the thigh below the crotch. Bleeding but not pumping. I took my belt and tied it around my leg over the holes and rolled into the dense shadows of the brush. Bart hissed at me a few moments later and handed me my rifle. He had his along too.

“How many?” he asked.

“Just one. Same persistent bastard who’s trying to kill me I imagine. Long gone by now.”

“Wait here,” he said. “I’ll check around.”

A few minutes later he was back and helped me hobble to the house where Ruth and Alice waited anxiously. Ruth told Alice to get hot water and me to drop my pants.

We both did as we were told. Ruth inspected the wound and began cleaning it out with very hot water and alcohol. It stung like blazes but the bleeding was almost stopped by the time she had it bound and bandaged.

“Was any further up and you wouldn’t be any good to this young lady,” Ruth teased. “Bart, bring us all a glass of the whiskey you hide in the barn. We all need some.”

My head was buzzing from the large glass of whiskey by the time Ruth and Bart left us alone on the porch. I still insisted I would sleep in the barn for the night.

Alice sat beside me on the bench and laid her head on my shoulder. I was about to say something but she put her finger to my lips.

“Shhh,” she said softly, her eyes swimming in tears that streaked down her cheeks. “Don’t explain. Don’t apologize. I’m just happy you’re alive. Just be here with me for a few minutes and let my heart feel yours.”

We sat that way for a long time. I forgot about my leg. It was my heart that concerned me.

I should be happy and making plans and commitments. Instead I felt a great fear. There was much pain coming.

Reviews:

We find tales and lives woven together in the small town and it is all written beautifully.  I thoroughly enjoyed this novel down to the last sentence... The One Hundred Romances Project 4 Stars...READ FULL REVIEW

Written in a style somewhat reminiscent of Zane Grey, RESURRECTION GARDEN gathers momentum like an old steam train, until you reach a point where you can’t put it down without finishing it. Pat Dale - Multi-published author Highly Recommended - READ FULL REVIEW

As most good mysteries do, this one begins with a dead body. The big difference is this tale is set in 1904 and starts in North Central North Dakota, making it an historical western mystery. Before I tell much more, I have to say I loved everything about this story. Deputy Jake Turner is a reluctant hero, a single man who knows something is missing in his life despite his faithful horse, dog and cat. Marilyn's Musings Review -  READ FULL REVIEW

I found myself enthralled with this tale. The mystery was well developed and had a very satisfying resolution...Mr. Scully's writing style was spare and perfectly suited the tale and time in which it was set. The characters were well developed and I enjoyed getting to know them. Broken Teepee Reviews...READ FULL REVIEW

I was born in North Dakota a long, long time ago.  I have a degree in History with Phi Beta Kappa honors and a Juris Doctor in law as well as an MBA from the Thunderbird School.  I served in the U. S. Army in Vietnam and Thailand.  I have worked as an executive in a major aerospace company and owned my own small business as well as practiced law.  I have traveled the world and been both broke and well off depending on the vagaries of the universe.

I am blessed with an understanding wife who has been with me for more than 30 years and twin sons who are just graduating form law school this year.

I have been writing for years hoping to be published someday and am grateful that day is almost here.  I write mysteries and thrillers.

Also available by Frank Scully:

    Empty Time    Blood Sins

You may also be interested in this/these product(s)

Blood Sins $5.95

Dead Man's Gambit $5.95

Empty Time $5.95

Customer Reviews:

This is a very readable take on a Western set not in the good old 19th Century, but in the beginning of the 20th Century.rnrnJake Turner is a disaffected former soldier who fought in the Spanish American War. He can't put down roots, although he'd love to settle and farm a nice piece of land. Somehow or other, he can't get traction even though he knows farming inside and out.rnrnBut he's a tough man who the Sheriff of a small town in North Dakota believes is just the Deputy needed to keep the peace.rnrnJake has settled for a while because of his friendship with a very sick man named Isaac. In caring for the man, Jake begins a correspondence with Isaac's sister, Alice. While more or less pretending to just be helping Isaac write the letters, Jake includes more direct notes to the woman. Over time, he's developing feelings for the young school teacher he's never met.rnrnThe book begins with the investigation into the murder of Thor (not the god), a mean SOB according to all including the man's widow.rnrnAs Jake learns more, he begins to feel there's a whole lot more to the killing than first meets the eye. He believes the widow to be the murderer, but discovers small clues which point to his friend, Isaac.rnrnWhile Jake unravels the mystery, Alice comes to North Dakota and Jake falls for her...hard. He's also taken an orphan boy under his protection. Along with his horse, his dog, and cat, Jake is accumulating a family that he doesn't feel he deserves. He also knows his discoveries in regard to the murder put everyone around him in grave danger.rnrnOkay, anything more will be spoilers, so I'll just say that Jake grows on you, despite his strong, silent personality. rnrnOverall, a very good read.

Resurrection Garden is an absolutely wonderful book! The characters are so fully developed and the story flows so well with excellent and captivating language. The setting is so well researched and realistic to its time in North Dakota at the turn of the 20th century. I look forward to the release of all of Frank Scully's books as this author is a born writer.

You may also be interested in this/these product(s)

Blood Sins $5.95

Dead Man's Gambit $5.95

Empty Time $5.95