IN THE LAND OF DEAD HORSES

An aging Texas Ranger investigates a series of murders committed after an ancient, evil force is unleashed in Central Texas in McCandless’ historical horror novel.

It’s 1908, and Ranger Jewel Lightfoot is recovering from a hangover and an attempt on his life. However, his boss, Col. Al Woodard, has a new assignment for him. The bodies of four members of a farm family, recent immigrants from Sweden, have been found in their burned-out house. Only the couple’s little girl escaped the devastation to report what happened. On the grounds of the property, the local sheriff found an unusual and frightening club-shaped weapon featuring razor-sharp obsidian blades. The fire damage makes it difficult to determine the specific cause of the victims’ deaths, so Lightfoot is put on the case. First, he must pay a visit to Ernst-Michael Kitzinger at the University of Texas at Austin; he’s an expert on ancient Indigenous culture who may be able to shed some light on the mysterious club. It turns out that it’s a macahuitl—a deadly, ancient, and priceless Mayan weapon. Lightfoot becomes convinced that the farm family was murdered before the fire occurred, so he begins what becomes a violent, supernatural quest to find the killers. In this prequel to McCandless’ 2011 horror novel Sour Lake, the author combines a bit of real-life history, including Indigenous people’s fight for Yucatan independence, with a solid dose of mysticism, even adding in a poignant love story for good measure. He also presents vivid descriptions of bleak landscapes and unspeakable brutality. He even manages a touch of humor, as in this sketch of the pompous Kitzinger: “his face seemed custom-made for wedging into cracks and crevices.” Lightfoot comes off as a remarkable tragic hero who’s tormented by visions of people he’s killed, unable to express emotion when it counts, and relentlessly driven to destroy a demon and his acolytes.

A paranormal whodunit that offers a gripping battle between good and evil.