It's a ride through Hell as friends appear to be enemies, and enemies appear to be friends, on The Trail of the Snake - a western mystery adventure, woven through with all the elements of life. Readers say: "...this one has it all--excitement, intrigue, plot twists! I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes an exciting read!" Martha McKeeth Ireland's first novel begins in southwestern Idaho Territory, 25 years before her McKeeth grandparents homesteaded there, along the Snake River, where her father later ranched. Set in the 1880s, all locations cited, songs sung and products named are based on historical facts, but are used in a fictional manner and locations may have been altered to better serve the storyline. The horses described are inspired by horses the author has known, with names and details altered, except in the case of her father's big black gelding, "SoBig." Cover art incorporates a historical map from 1882, archived in the Idaho State Historical Library in Boise, Idaho. This print version includes scenic photographs from the Norris A. McKeeth collection. However, this is a work of fiction. Plot lines and characters were developed by the author and should not be construed as real or confused with any actual incidents or individuals, living or dead. First e-published in a four-part series, available on Amazon Kindle, The Trail of the Snake is now being offered in hard copy as a two-volume set. Volume I includes: Part I - When Sorrows Like Sea Billows Roll... Tomboy Jadene Box wants nothing more than to trail along with her father, Gideon Box, a former U.S. Cavalry Captain now a rancher and s member of the Idaho Territorial Legislature. Cap and Jady "do what needs doing," until she comes home to find him murdered, his death staged to look like a cattle rustling. Things don't add up, but when Jady sets out to discover the truth, more trouble rolls in. Her brother is framed for murder and Jady, herself, becomes a target for killers along the Trail of the Snake. and Part II - ...though trials should come... After hiding out through the roughest winter in history, Blaine "Buck" Box nervously heads home to meet his youngest sister, Jadene. On the trail back to the Snake River country, he discovers an apparent enemy may actually be a valuable friend-but when they reach the Box Ranch, they learn Jadene is missing. Did she drown in the Snake River? Or is she off trying to "do what needs doing?" The only certainty is that more trials await along the Trail of the Snake.
About the Author: The Trail of the Snake, Martha McKeeth Ireland's first novel, begins in the 1880s along the Snake River where her McKeeth grandparents homesteaded 25 years later and her father ranched. Raised in Boise after her father's untimely death, Martha longed to return to the country, ride horses and write westerns. Marriage, family and a writing and editing career eventually landed her atop a horse, which led to her long-awaited return to the country. In 1988, her family moved to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, where she enjoys good horses and she and her husband raise grass-fed beef on their small farm near Sequim. After serving a term as a Clallam County Commissioner, Martha wrote a weekly column for the Peninsula Daily News and began composing this novel, while also doing free-lance editing and working in Serenity House of Clallam County's administrative office. Marina Shipova's 2014 Peninsula College multimedia course was the catalyst for e-publishing The Trail of the Snake in four parts, followed by hard copy in two volumes in 2016.