Assassin’s Witness

 
by Paul Colt

Justice rides a bullet in the shadow of betrayal.

The year is 1878, and the fight for Colorado’s Royal Gorge has ignited a war beyond the courts—a war fueled by greed, sabotage, and blood.

Railroad tycoon Steven Atkins will stop at nothing to control the silver-rich passage through the mountains. When lawsuits stall on paper, Atkins hires Pinkerton to secure his right of way against a rival’s claim. Behind the scenes Atkins engages El Anillo assassins for hire to eliminate rival investor Eli Chorus.

Bullets fly when Great Western Detective League operative Beau Longstreet thwarts one of El Anillo’s killers and becomes the only witness to a conspiracy with lethal reach. Hunted by professional assassins and haunted by the weight of what he knows, Longstreet must race against time to expose the truth and protect the woman he loves.

In a land where betrayal is currency and survival demands nerve and steel, The Great Western Detective League rides again. But this time, it’s not just justice on the line—it’s Longstreet’s life, and the soul of the West itself.

Assassin’s Witness is a bullet-fast tale of loyalty and vengeance, where every clue comes at a cost and the final verdict is delivered at the barrel of a gun.

Published:
Publisher: Hat Creek
Genres:
Crime, Historical, Thriller, Western
Tags:
crime fiction, historical fiction, historical fiction novels, mystery books, western book series, western books

About the Author

Paul Colt

Paul Colt’s critically acclaimed historical fiction crackles with authenticity. His analytical insight, investigative research and genuine horse sense bring history to life. His characters walk off the pages of history in a style that blends Jeff Shaara’s historical dramatizations with Robert B. Parker’s gritty dialogue. Paul Colt History entertains and informs. Paul’s Grasshoppers in Summer, and Friends Call Me Bat are Western Writers of America Spur Award honorees. Boots and Saddles: A Call to Glory received the Marilyn Brown Novel Award, presented by Utah Valley University.

“Pick-up a Paul Colt book, you can’t put it down.”

Other Books By Paul Colt

Recommended Posts

Under the September Sky

Under an Endless September Sky, Sometimes the Story Finds You.
Sapphire Sullivan has spent almost a year trying to forget the only boy she’s ever loved. One stolen kiss with her brother’s best friend changed everything. When Jack Murphy called it a mistake, Sapphire promised herself she’d stop wishing for something that could never be.
Then Labor Day weekend brings him back into her life.
Under the glow of carnival lights and an endless September sky, Jack looks at her the way he used to. Old feelings ignite, forgotten dreams come rushing back, and Sapphire starts believing that maybe first love deserves a second chance.
Until someone else appears.
Jett is the kind of boy who only exists in stories. He’s beautiful, mysterious, and seemingly devoted to only her. There’s only one problem—no one else can see him.
Except Jack.
Sapphire doesn’t know why Jett came into her life, what connects him to Jack, or what he truly wants from her. But as strange moments become impossible to ignore and the line between the real world and something more begins to blur, Sapphire is forced to question everything she believes about love, fate, and the stories we tell ourselves.
Because sometimes the hardest choice isn’t between the past and the future. It’s between the story you’ve been writing… and the life waiting to be lived.

 

Fourth of Forever

One summer. One secret. One love they never saw coming.
Aliya Jacobs has always counted down the days to summer at Lake Carrington—sunlit swims in turquoise water, lazy afternoons at her uncle’s cabin, and every moment spent with her best friend, Nick. But this summer brings an unwelcome surprise… Nick’s cousin Wyatt.
Sharp-tongued, guarded, and openly resentful of the out-of-towners he calls “hillies,” Wyatt clashes with Aliya from the moment they meet. Yet when a late-night rescue leads them to a reclusive old man and a map tied to a long-lost treasure—their rivalry turns into something far more complicated.
Whispers of hidden clues begin to surface, suggesting the legend might be real. At the same time, the powerful Elias Corporation is closing in, determined to transform Lake Carrington into a luxury resort that could destroy Nick’s family store and the town Aliya loves.
Reluctantly forced to work together, Aliya and Wyatt race to uncover the truth before time runs out. But as danger grows and secrets unravel, they must decide what matters more: finding a treasure that could save the lake… or risking their hearts on something even more uncertain.

 

Forgotten Fayetteville and More Hidden Histories from Washington County

Washington County has nearly two centuries of stories to tell, and many of them have been forgotten.
In this follow-up to Forgotten Fayetteville, local historians J. B. Hogan and Susan Parks-Spencer uncover more of the people, places, and events that shaped Fayetteville and the surrounding county. Explore the violent early years of Evansville, revisit the shocking murder that led to the execution of the Burnett family, and discover what made April 1864 one of the deadliest months in Washington County history. You’ll meet John Rollin Ridge, the first Native American novelist, learn the story of Rebecca Brown Tollett’s life in slavery, and examine the tragic lynching of Reverend Anthony Bewley.
From vanished towns and frontier churches to forgotten cemeteries, pioneering families, and overlooked chapters of Native American, Black, and immigrant history, these stories reveal a richer and more complex past than many realize. Woven together, they form a portrait of the lives, triumphs, and tragedies that shaped this corner of the Ozarks and the communities that call it home.
Whether you’re a lifelong resident, a newcomer, or simply a student of Arkansas history, Forgotten Fayetteville and More Hidden Histories from Washington County invites you to look beyond familiar landmarks and rediscover the people and events that helped shape the Ozarks.

 

Leave A Comment