Böcker av Jerry Whitt

Oscar's Treasure is a story of real-world conflicts that occurred in Texas and numerous other Western states in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The land had been cleared of bison, and Indians had been removed to reservations. It appeared that nothing could stand in the way of newly formed ranches and farms. However, there were problems. Rustlers. Incompetent and corrupt local law officers. Ranchers were forced to protect themselves. However, they did not really know how to do so. They formed alliances that often themselves became corrupt. Oscar's Treasure is the story of one such corrupt alliance: the Norwood Mob. Many people died in the conflict between the Mob and local ranchers, a criminal organization that local ranchers could not defeat. Maybe the Texas Rangers could.

This is an historical novel set in the last few years of the 19th century in central Texas. The main character, Levi Wolfe, is accused of the murder of his fiancée, a murder that he did not commit. He spends a year searching for the real killers, while avoiding the ever-vigilant eyes of law enforcement officers, many of whom are as evil as the real killers.

Young Jake McIlroy is living his dream. He is learning to be a rancher. His father is dead, so his grandfather takes over the role of nurturing the youth into manhood. It is a dangerous time for Texas and Texans. The Civil War is raging, and Texas has not been spared. However, Jake is too young to understand the depth of hatred held by both sides in the American Civil War. Jake's grandfather decides to let Jake accompany his band of Texas ranchers as they journey across Texas into Mexico to purchase cattle and horses for their ranches. Along the way, the party is intercepted by a detail of Confederate Cavalry. Things happen, and anger arises on both sides. The ranchers are ordered to accompany the Confederates back to Camp Verde, a Confederate outpost, with the promise that they will be freed shortly. The promise is not honored, and the ranchers are inexplicably hanged by the Confederates. Through cunning and good fortune, Jake manages to escape, but what will he do? How can he even survive? He knows that the Confederates will discover his escape. But his grandfather, one of the victims of the hanging, has taught Jake very well. He does survive, and he launches his campaign to extract vengeance. Is he successful? How does he go about it? What happens as he and Confederates play a deadly game of cat-and-mouse?