The Lucky Six

by Gordon D. Cooper

As the American Civil War rages on, six Confederate soldiers bond over their good luck and a treasure map to gold hidden in the western Carolina hills. On furlough, the soldiers search for the gold, not realizing their luck is about to run out.

Ten years later, in Watkins, New York, recent college graduate Annie Anderson visits her parents’ graves and discovers a dead man slumped against her mother’s gravestone, clutching a gold nugget. Annie runs to alert the sheriff, but the dead man and the gold mysteriously disappear before she can return. Frustrated that without a body, the sheriff has dismissed her story, Annie begins her own investigation to find the killer. Her search for clues is complicated by the summer flood of rich vacationers filling Watkins’s luxury hotels with unfamiliar faces. As Annie stumbles upon long-buried secrets from her own past, she must decide who to trust while discovering the connections between Confederate soldiers, hidden gold, and a local counterfeiting ring—or risk becoming the next victim.

785 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 11, 2025

About the author

Born in 1964 in New York City, Gordon D. Cooper moved with his family to Watkins Glen, N.Y., when he was 3 years old. After graduating from Watkins Glen High School in 1983, he attended Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y. and then began a career in electrical engineering. He served for 20 years in the U.S. Army Reserve, including deployments to Bosnia and Kosovo as a public affairs officer, before retiring as a major in 2003. In 2002, he started Preston Woods Publishing Company to promote books of regional interest. Watkins Glen Tour Guide is the first book he has authored. He lives in Northern California with his wife and their three sons.

Reviews

[Kym Prouty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging with great characters

Well developed characters, intriguing plot and deep historical knowledge. I want to visit these places now and can’t wait for the sequel. I need to know what Annie will do next! The story kept me captivated to whole way through - highly recommend.

[Judy Crippen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed The Lucky Six. The timeline, references to the Civil War, many real people and locations in the Watkins Glen area were great. It held my interest and I recommend it to those who like mysteries and a little history thrown in.

[Evan Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A who dunnit I had trouble putting down with the added feature of real historical history of New York and the civil war. I enjoyed reading the two timelines and especially when they finally converged!