In the remote Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, the sheriff of Jackson County, way back around 1917, had just two words when someone was needed to restore law and order - "get Rufus!" - and Rufus would come a ridin" into Sylva, the county seat, on his female mule, Fred, and then the fur would fly and the bad guys get their comeuppance. "A delight, dishing up charm, adventure, and a delightful mountain flavor, all at the same time. Bob Terrell knows his way around a story - and there"s a female mule named Fred that you"re going to lose your heart to." - Mike Resnick