Blood On The Cimarron
(2026)(The first book in the Ridge Calder Western series)
A novel by Robert Hanlon and Paul L Thompson
A murdered family. A fugitive trapper blamed for the crime. And a wilderness trail that grows more dangerous with every mile.
Ridge Calder has spent the winter avoiding other people and minding his own affairs. That changes when wealthy merchant Cornelius Vesper arrives at a remote line camp carrying a territorial warrant, a pouch of gold, and a simple assignment. A trapper named Clyde Korr stands accused of murdering his wife and two sons before vanishing into the rugged high country along the Cimarron. The authorities want him found, and Vesper is willing to pay handsomely to make it happen.
The trail begins with burned ruins and unanswered questions, but it quickly becomes clear that someone else is hunting Korr as well. Strange tracks appear where they should not, evidence refuses to fit the official story, and signs of interference follow the expedition deeper into the wilderness. As Ridge studies the country and reads the ground beneath his horse’s hooves, he begins to suspect that the man everyone is chasing may not be the man responsible.
Accompanied by the capable and enigmatic Augusta, Ridge follows the trail across frozen plateaus, wind-scoured breaks, mountain passes, and isolated river valleys where survival depends as much on judgment as on skill. With each new discovery, the distance between truth and accusation grows wider, while unseen enemies work to ensure certain secrets never reach the light of day.
Rich with frontier mystery, wilderness adventure, memorable characters, and the hard-earned realism of life beyond the settlements, Blood on the Cimarron is a gripping Western where the most dangerous trail is often the one leading toward the truth.
Genre: Western
Ridge Calder has spent the winter avoiding other people and minding his own affairs. That changes when wealthy merchant Cornelius Vesper arrives at a remote line camp carrying a territorial warrant, a pouch of gold, and a simple assignment. A trapper named Clyde Korr stands accused of murdering his wife and two sons before vanishing into the rugged high country along the Cimarron. The authorities want him found, and Vesper is willing to pay handsomely to make it happen.
The trail begins with burned ruins and unanswered questions, but it quickly becomes clear that someone else is hunting Korr as well. Strange tracks appear where they should not, evidence refuses to fit the official story, and signs of interference follow the expedition deeper into the wilderness. As Ridge studies the country and reads the ground beneath his horse’s hooves, he begins to suspect that the man everyone is chasing may not be the man responsible.
Accompanied by the capable and enigmatic Augusta, Ridge follows the trail across frozen plateaus, wind-scoured breaks, mountain passes, and isolated river valleys where survival depends as much on judgment as on skill. With each new discovery, the distance between truth and accusation grows wider, while unseen enemies work to ensure certain secrets never reach the light of day.
Rich with frontier mystery, wilderness adventure, memorable characters, and the hard-earned realism of life beyond the settlements, Blood on the Cimarron is a gripping Western where the most dangerous trail is often the one leading toward the truth.
Genre: Western
Used availability for Paul L Thompson's Blood On The Cimarron