Introduction

It is 1952, and it is no secret that Sam White rules De Leon County in South Texas. His word is law—one that is dangerous to break.

The Conflict

When seventeen-year-old Bradley Vincent falls in love and secretly proposes to White's mistress, Jody Munslow, he quickly learns that no one messes with White. After a brawl with the sheriff and his two deputies lands Brad in jail, his father reveals that White has used a counterfeit deed to steal the Vincent family ranch.

Brad's Determination

Furious, heartbroken, and determined not to let the Duke of De Leon County get away with the crime, Brad lies his way through a court hearing, during which White makes it clear he wants the young man out of town and away from Jody. Understanding the odds against him in a fight against Sam—not least because of the Duke's secret surgical weapon—Brad enrolls in law school, where he falls in love with a fellow student while attempting to find a way to reverse the land theft and save his former lover from White's wrath.

The Stakes

If he does not succeed, he may just be left with one alternative: murder.

The Thriller

In this exciting thriller, a law student and his girlfriend return to the Texas Valley on a quest for something unheard of in De Leon County under the Duke's reign. Justice.