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Hallowed Ground
One Murdered Girl. One Unknown Killer. One Legendary Lawman.
A lone man sits his horse atop a bluff near the southern Missouri border. There’s a story in the country ahead of him. A dark tale of murdered girls and a killer not caught, of an old friend asking for help, and a letter from a frightened young mother that has arrived too late to save her daughter. A letter that now rests in this man’s pocket....
Marshal Coble Bray isn’t subtle. He’s known as “The Deacon,’’ and when local lawmen come across murderers and thieves too tough or ruthless for them to handle, he’s the one they call. He’s got guts and brains and an itchy trigger finger, and he hunts men like others hunt wolves. But none of this will help him with the challenge he now faces.
Innocent young girls are being murdered in a ritualistic fashion. What evidence there is has turned out to be useless, and every trail turns into a dead end. Between an ambitious judge, a useless sheriff, and a gang of bloodthirsty vigilantes, the countryside is primed to explode. Dodging danger, hot lead, and the advances of two beautiful women, Coble pushes forward in his mission. He knows the murderer is near, but how do you find a killer who hides in plain sight?
A lone man sits his horse atop a bluff near the southern Missouri border. There’s a story in the country ahead of him. A dark tale of murdered girls and a killer not caught, of an old friend asking for help, and a letter from a frightened young mother that has arrived too late to save her daughter. A letter that now rests in this man’s pocket....
Marshal Coble Bray isn’t subtle. He’s known as “The Deacon,’’ and when local lawmen come across murderers and thieves too tough or ruthless for them to handle, he’s the one they call. He’s got guts and brains and an itchy trigger finger, and he hunts men like others hunt wolves. But none of this will help him with the challenge he now faces.
Innocent young girls are being murdered in a ritualistic fashion. What evidence there is has turned out to be useless, and every trail turns into a dead end. Between an ambitious judge, a useless sheriff, and a gang of bloodthirsty vigilantes, the countryside is primed to explode. Dodging danger, hot lead, and the advances of two beautiful women, Coble pushes forward in his mission. He knows the murderer is near, but how do you find a killer who hides in plain sight?
212 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2014
2 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Darrel Sparkman
47 books12 followersDarrel Sparkman is a multi-genre and award-winning author of nine novels, several novellas, over a dozen short stories and has been a feature writer for Saddlebag Dispatches. He is the recent recipient of the Will Rogers Gold Medallion award. Ideas come from a diverse past of serving as a combat search and rescue helicopter crewman in Vietnam and a volunteer Emergency Medical Tech first responder. He has worked as a professional photographer, computer repair tech and was part-owner of a commercial greenhouse operation and flower shop.
Darrel is enjoying semi-retirement and finally has that job that wakes you up every day with a smile.
Darrel is enjoying semi-retirement and finally has that job that wakes you up every day with a smile.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 6, 2019
Hallowed Ground by Darrel Sparkman is a fantastic Western not to be missed. Coble Bray U.S. Marshal better known as "The Deacon", is not spooked by anything and he believes in order to find evil, one needs to learn their habits, their quirks, and be lead to them.
Coble was captured by the Apache as a young boy and rescued when he was 6 years old, by army scout/sheriff Caleb McGill, so he knows both Indian & white mans ways. That's why as a U.S. Marshal he's giving only the most difficult cases that others can't or won't tackle. But this new case might even be more than Coble himself can solve.
Innocent girls are missing and then their bodies being left in a very ritualistic fashion. Coble knows the killer is among them in plain sight, but the towns all upset and ready to take vengeance into their own hands. Can he find the killer in time, before the killer strikes again.
Coble Bray is everything evil should fear, he's also whom the good, can trusts. He hunts men like others hunt wolves.
One of the best westerns I've ever read, truly a journey one needs to explore.
I loved this book, a western with a serial killer in it. My favorite two genres in one!!
Coble was captured by the Apache as a young boy and rescued when he was 6 years old, by army scout/sheriff Caleb McGill, so he knows both Indian & white mans ways. That's why as a U.S. Marshal he's giving only the most difficult cases that others can't or won't tackle. But this new case might even be more than Coble himself can solve.
Innocent girls are missing and then their bodies being left in a very ritualistic fashion. Coble knows the killer is among them in plain sight, but the towns all upset and ready to take vengeance into their own hands. Can he find the killer in time, before the killer strikes again.
Coble Bray is everything evil should fear, he's also whom the good, can trusts. He hunts men like others hunt wolves.
One of the best westerns I've ever read, truly a journey one needs to explore.
I loved this book, a western with a serial killer in it. My favorite two genres in one!!
October 24, 2019
Hallowed Ground by Darrel Sparkmam is my kind of western, it contains a suspenseful set of murder mysteries. "The Deacon", aka U.S. Marshall, Coble Bray has received a request for his help by a very capable sheriff so this must be an exceptional case. Coble was captured by Indians as a child and learned the Indian ways so he is an excellent tracker and has other unique skills that other white lawmen do not possess that is why he's called upon for the toughest cases. Coble seems to know no fear, is among the fastest at a draw, some say too fast. Coble believes in justice and righting wrongs and never quits until he gets his man. This is a particularly troubling case because a young innocent girl has turned up missing and she isn't the first. He has a letter in his pocket from the mother of the missing girl that is urging him on to his destination. After surveying the area, talking to townsfolk and men in the area Coble feels that the killer is among them and no stranger to this town. How many girls will die before he can stop the killer.
Excellent read by Darrel Sparkman and my favorite of his and quite possibly favorite western read to date.
Excellent read by Darrel Sparkman and my favorite of his and quite possibly favorite western read to date.
June 10, 2017
A western in the vein of Louis L'Amour. Marshal Coble Bray goes after a murderer of young girls like Marshal Dillon of Gunsmoke. He's determined to track down this animal no matter how long it takes or how far he has to ride. Justice is on his mind and he'll deliver that or die trying. But he's good at what he does and that's why other lawmen call him when they find something too difficult to handle. Coble Bray never backs down from evil. He'll take those men right to the gates of hell. I really loved this character and the story gripped me.
July 11, 2017
The Decon is a man who Believes in God. But also Evil
A must read..... Hallowed Ground, has it all. A strong Hero in The Deacon...danger, action. Can't wait for the second book....
A must read..... Hallowed Ground, has it all. A strong Hero in The Deacon...danger, action. Can't wait for the second book....
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews