Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the work of Michael Cardwell, author of the “Frontier” books, a best-selling series following Game Warden Danny Coogan in Montana, and The Rough Stuff, a powerful collection of short stories. Read on to learn more!
Frontier Justice: A Coogan Mystery
Genres: Mystery, Crime, Action, Adventure4.4 stars, 1339 ratings
Paperback: $9.99
Ebook: $2.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited)
Danny Coogan, a freshly minted Montana Fish and Game Officer and recent Afghanistan veteran, hopes to bury his demons in a simple life in the wilderness around the small town of Darwin. But his life becomes a nightmare when he is shot and left injured and alone in the freezing countryside to struggle for survival. His assailant? Edmund Goodrunner, a local Native American Danny had considered a friend.
Thus begins a brutal battle of lies, deception, and revenge with drug runners, weapons dealers, kidnappers, and killers. Danny finds himself thrust into an FBI investigation and forced to juggle the threats of a dangerous domestic terrorist group that threatens every aspect of the community he loves and has vowed to protect.
Danny, along with his surrogate father, Senior Game Warden Ben Whitetail, and the local Tribal Police Chief, instill the rich flavor of rural America through poignancy and down-home humor as they struggle, each in their own way, to bring peace back to their snowy town.
Fans of Craig Johnson and CJ Box will love this outstanding first novel as the author draws on his military experience and deep love of rural America to produce this action/adventure. If you like mysteries and crime stories with resilient heroes, slam-bang conflict, and nail-biting suspense seasoned with a splash of wilderness humor, then you’ll love Frontier Justice.
★★★★★ "Great start to a new series." ~Goodreads Review
★★★★★ "Modern Western with action and heart." ~Amazon Review
Frontier Outlaws: A Coogan Mystery
New Release!Genres: Crime, Action, Mystery, Adventure
4.6 stars, 155 ratings
Paperback: $14.99
Ebook: $2.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited)
Eight months after the showdown with the domestic terrorist group that nearly cost him his life, Danny Coogan, a Montana Fish and Game Officer, faces a new threat to his community—and his career. It starts with a dead steer. Which happens to be near the body of a dead rancher. Both of which are on the Dead Horse Indian Reservation.
Soon, Danny, the Tribal Police, the local Sheriff’s Department, and a U.S. Marshal are pressed into action. Danny’s connections to the Rez draw him into the murder case and plant him firmly in the crosshairs of the killers. Another victim is discovered, tortured, and murdered—but why? What secret painted a target on these locals?
Along with fellow Afghanistan veteran Matt Bringloe from the Tribal Police, Danny is determined to uncover the truth. Then, a connection is made to a decades-old cold case, revealing hidden motives and secret agendas. Now, Danny must pull together the clues before someone else dies.
Cattle rustling, a magic mushroom drug operation, and unsolved murders result in a shoot-out at a remote ranch, a race against time to a ghost town, and a final stand in the most unlikely location.
With the flavor of a down-home yarn and the intensity of a high adventure, Frontier Outlaws offers Craig Johnson and CJ Box fans a thrilling ride that delivers a bronco-busting punch.
★★★★★ "The humor and realistic action make for a rip-roaring story." ~Amazon Review
★★★★★ "An excellent sequel to Frontier Justice." ~Goodreads Review
The Rough Stuff: Stories of Men in Hard Circumstance
Genres: Action & Adventure Short Stories, War & Military Action FictionPaperback: $7.99
Ebook: $0.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited)
The Rough Stuff is a powerful collection of short stories. Filled with unforgettable characters, it is a mix of action-filled fiction and reflective morality tales about the truisms of life, its spectacle, its inherent dangers, and its frustrating uncertainty. Whether in the mountains of Afghanistan, on a farm in Indiana, or in a lake cabin in Idaho, Cardwell tells brutally honest stories about the lives of decent, hard men in America.
★★★★★ "Short stories about struggles in life that our true heroes face every day." ~Amazon Review
About the Author
Michael Cardwell retired after thirty-two years in the U.S. Army. Along the way, he studied creative writing at Indiana University and published poetry and prose in reviews, journals, and magazines.In retirement, he lives with his wife Roni in the Midwest and spends time brewing coffee, writing short stories and novels, chasing dogs, and enjoying his eight grandchildren.
Learn more at Michael's website, sign up for free e-mail updates, and be sure to follow him online:
