The End of the Line
About the Book
It’s the winter of 1884, and five hundred Canadian Pacific Rail workers have halted their push through the Rockies at Holt City, an isolated shantytown in the shadow of the Continental Divide. The men are tired and cold, and patience is as scarce as the rationed food. Then, Deek Penner, a CPR section boss, is brutally murdered at the end of the track. His body is found frozen on the banks of the Bow River.
Durrant Wallace, a veteran of the celebrated March West by the North West Mounted Police a decade earlier, is returned to active duty to investigate the murder. Durrant lost his leg in a gun battle with whiskey traders three years previous, and he struggles with being a Mounted Police officer who cannot ride. When Durrant arrives, Holt City is ripe with possible suspects: illegal whiskey smugglers, spies for rival railways, explosives dealers and a mysterious Member of Parliament who insists on getting his meddling fingers into everybody else’s business. Durrant must use his cunning and determination to discover to identify the killer before he finds his next victim and derails the great Canadian national dream in the process.
Reviews
“Legault’s portrayal of Durrant is the novel’s highlight . . . Legault does a good job developing this rich character while never allowing the suspense of the story to flag.” —Quill & Quire
“Legault knows his history, and that’s what makes this novel shine. Let’s hope this isn’t the last we see of Durrant Wallace.” —The Globe and Mail
“The End of the Line embraces the western genre complete with characters named Deek Penner and Wallace Durrant and bootleggin’, card games, gun fights and teeth knocked out punch ups, creating authenticity of a fairly violent time in Canada’s history.” —Rocky Mountain Outlook
“The End of the Line is a whopping good tale of adventure and murder in the frozen tundra of western Canada in the winter of 1883 . . . a riveting and winning history mystery.” —The Hamilton Spectator
“Stephen Legault sets the stage for a historical mystery that stands proud among the best of the genre . . . Legault’s intimate knowledge of these mountains and their history brings Durrant and Holt City alive. For both mystery and history buffs, End of the Line is time well spent.” —Rocky Mountain Outlook
“For those looking for a glint of Canadian history set in a more riveting narrative, Canmore writer Stephen Legault’s Western The End of the Line combines the guilty pleasure of a page turning murder mystery with the brain food found in Pierre Berton’s history books.” —Avenue Magazine
“Now an old-hand at the continuing mystery series, Legault knows there’s a fine balance between developing rich characters and leaving enough mystery to maintain interest until the next adventure.” —Calgary Herald
“The mystery . . . is first-rate, unfolding in a manner that keeps readers wondering whodunit until the very end. The End of the Line is a fine start for this historical series.” —Mysterious Reviews
“Legault lays out a suspenseful plot that draws us in and keeps us hooked.” —Alberta Views