The ritual killing of a young Apache girl on a reservation in rural Arizona takes the listener through many complex layers of relationships between Apache and Anglo cultures. The myth and spiritual fabric of the Apache community pulls Zeb Hanks, a small town sheriff, through a personal journey, making the murder not just a crime to solve but a cathartic passage. The dead never leave us but they do whisper ghost stories that bring the past back to life. Jake Dablo is a drunken, washed up lawman because of his inability to solve the murder of his only granddaughter. Seven years after her death the granddaughter of his lifelong friend, Medicine Man Jimmy Song Bird, is murdered in exactly the same ritualistic fashion. The pair join forces with the current sheriff's team to solve the murders. The closer to the truth they get the more each man grapples with his own conscience. Ultimately the intersection of two cultures and four men who are community pillars opens larger questions about the collision of the old and new west. When the dead are buried and the ghosts finally die, each character is not the same. For they have lived each day of their life knowing that a murderer and his mark opens as many doors as it closes.
Mark Reps has been a writer and storyteller his whole life. Born in small town southeastern Minnesota, he trained as a mathematician and chiropractor but never lost his love of telling or writing a good story. As an avid desert wilderness hiker Mark spends a great deal of time roaming the desert and other terrains of southeastern Arizona from December to May. A chance meeting with an old time colorful sheriff led him to develop the Zeb Hanks character and the world that surrounds him. Mark returns often to SE Arizona for inspiration, information and to maintain the general feel of the area, learn its history and understand the local residents.
When Mark started writing he became pen pals with Tony Hillerman who offered up tips, criticism and ideas on some of his early novels. His books are often compared with the Longmire television series and books by Craig Johnson.
Mark’s most recent project is the eighth installment of the ZEB HANKS series, NATIVE DESTINY which launched in the spring of 2018. He is working on a Zeb Hanks Novella which will be distributed free to subscribers. Books nine and ten (and likely beyond) are planned at a pace of one per year through 2020. Welcome to the series!
Many thanks to the many wonderful, loyal readers out there! Feedback is always welcome and Mark tries to respond to every request and question. If you read and enjoy the books, please review them on Amazon and Goodreads.