Richly detailed. Fast-paced. An action-packed mystery that twists and turns to keep you wanting more. A pulse-pounding detective novel with a witty protagonist, a gripping mystery, and a hint of romance. Tug River Murder is a page-turner debut novel from R. James Knox.

1897: Deep in the Appalachian Mountains, one man stands against a long-fought feud that threatens to continue into the new century and drown the next generation in bloodshed…

Grieving the loss of his wife and daughter, Deputy Richard James struggles to find peace. A Canadian transplanted to the coal country of Mingo County, West Virginia, across the border from Kentucky, Richard finds himself juggling cultural differences amid the uproar of a murder investigation smack in the middle of the 19th century’s most hostile and ruthless family feud in all the Appalachians: the Hatfields and the McCoys.

Although under an official “truce,” when a son of the Hatfield clan is found dead of a questionable snake bite, the death threatens to reignite the infamous war. As Richard discovers, the intergenerational animosity between the Hatfield and McCoy families is more than legend, it’s very real. And deadly serious. Leader of the Hatfields, “Devil” Anse Hatfield himself, wants mountain justice, and Richard must keep him from erupting in violence. If the feud restarts, there will be hell to pay.

Everyone in the county has something at stake. No one can be trusted. And someone is out to stop Richard from finding out the truth…