Karson, K: Land Grab

A grisly murder shatters the tranquility of a small Montana town. Arriving early one morning to open for business, the baker's wife walks into a bloody scene, a body, and a missing husband. Later that afternoon, a beloved town patriarch and sapphire dealer is found hanging from the balcony in his historic mansion. On first observation, it looks like suicide. An autopsy points to murder. Further investigation reveals the victim's inventory of valuable sapphires is missing. Are the two deaths related? An invasion of Russian Mafia thugs and a string of threatening notes complicate matters. Sheriff Peter Elliott and his crew, more familiar with wayward cows and drunken brawls, dust off their investigative skills and hurry to solve the case before more town folk fall victim.