IN THE present day Julian Cooke is a presenter who has travelled to the Sierra Nevada mountain range to make a documentary debunking local supernatural myths.

Ben is an English doctor in 1856 planning to write a book about his journey with a wagon train of settlers and Mormon families led by a fanatical leader, Preston, all shepherded by ‘Wild’ Bill Keats.

William Shepherd is a political candidate with a murky past who’s quite ruthless in what he’ll do to stop his secrets escaping.

These three stories are told in parallel, jumping from town to town, century to century.

The characters are strong and there are plenty of subplots to keep the suspense entertaining and believable.

DELIA BARNARD