A Forgotten Evil

by Sheldon Russell

In the American West, as the nation heals from the Civil War that nearly destroyed it, new battle lines are being drawn. Caleb Justin, orphaned and grieving, and his comrade Joshua Hart, a tough, worldly runaway, leave their home along the Ohio River bound for Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, intent to join Sheridan’s troops in their pursuit of Indian lands. But a badly healed foot injury ends Caleb’s dream of joining up. While Joshua is assigned to George Armstrong Custer’s troops, Caleb finds himself alone and undefended on the war-ravaged prairie, picking up whatever work he can—until his capture by Indians changes everything.


Joan Monnet, daughter of a wealthy railroad magnate, is traveling West when her caravan is attacked by Indians. A timely rescue saves her life but leaves her lost on the vast American prairie with Caleb. Together, they must fight their way back to the world they once knew.



But in the winter of 1868, as the snow drifts, Custer is set to turn his cavalry on a Cheyenne camp along the Washita River. Joshua, Joan, and Caleb find themselves trapped in the crossfire of one of the bloodiest battles of frontier history. Will their desperate courage be enough for them to survive?


Reviews
Award and critical acclaim has stalked Sheldon Russell for decades. In A Forgotten Evil, a perpetually gifted author proves he’s at the top of his game. Nobody knows this rough country better, or the hardscrabble people who spring from it, a fictive dream remembered so vividly for its setting and time that you need to stop every so many pages and spit the dust out of your mouth.

—David Marion Wilkinson, two-time Spur Award–winning author of Oblivion's Altar



Sheldon Russell continues to impress. Read the first sentence of A Forgotten Evil and see if you can stop. Yes, it’s one of those books—one of those books that manages to be both finely wrought and exponentially compelling. I enjoyed every word of it.

—Grant Jerkins, author of A Very Simple Crime and Abnormal Man



My cap is off to Russell—for the depth of his research, for his wit, and for his restraint. Throughout the book, it feels as if the writer has lived himself convincingly into a now lost world. This is a remarkable achievement.

—Hershel Parker, author of the 1997 Pulitzer finalist Herman Melville: A Biography, 1819–1851 and of Herman Melville: A Biography, 1851–1891



Russell may just have written the finest contemporary novel of the American West . . . this tale will have you steadily turning page after page.

—Carolyn B. Leonard, author of To Israel, With Love



Having read three of his previous books, I already knew that Sheldon Russell was an exceptional storyteller. However, with A Forgotten Evil, his writing has moved into an entirely new category, joining the ranks of such literary Western writers as Alan Lemay, Elmore Leonard, and Larry McMurtry. This is the kind of book for which you search the bookstores and the Internet. Vast scope, concise style, and vivid depiction all contribute to making this an instant classic that should make all the best-seller lists. My choice for Book of the Year. Two thumbs up and hats off.

—Tom Bernstein, author of A Rumor of Justice, A Rumor of Guilt, and Tales from the Storyboard


About the Author

Genres: Westerns, Historical Fiction

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 8, 2019

About the author

My biography is available on my website: http://www.sheldonrussell.com

Reviews

[Alma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Russell captured Western life, and what it was like for the Cheyenne to be slaughtered and have their ancestral land taken away. The repercussions that came from Custer’s massacre of a peaceful village led to many of the Cheyenne incursions against the soldiers. Russell tells their side of the story so readers aren’t left with the usual “Custer was a hero” mentality from books about the Indian wars. Read more about this book on my blog: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress....

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very moving “authentic” Western novel. First time I’ve read Sheldon Russell & he took me to a place & time where I could actually smell, hear & feel the story. Very glad I stumbled on this book. The West without any glamour.

[Quay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This could have been 5 stars but…

I hated the ending! It was a good story and I enjoyed it until the last page, then, the author absolutely ruined his own story. Too abrupt of an ending and really just ridiculous.

[Sarah Cate Lay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my typical read but still enjoyable! I want to read more westerns + books by Oklahoma authors and “A Forgotten Evil” was recommended by a roomie. It was an easy read, however slow at times, but with vivid descriptions and complex issues.

[Linda W. Magowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good read in spite of the sad ending.