New Release - Clear Cut Justice by J.L. Crafts (A Will Toal Novel Book 3)

Spring 1876…

When a bomb explodes in a sawmill near Glenbrook Harbor, the residents and businessmen on the shores of Lake Tahoe are left reeling. Will Toal and his wife, Beth, are caught in the deadly, fiery fragments of the devastating explosion, and Beth is severely injured.  

Will gets Beth to the doctor and sets out to find those responsible. Once again, he is drawn back into the crosshairs of business barons clashing among themselves while competing for economic and political clout amid the silver riches of the West.  Will’s been in this position before in earlier days, but this time, the big company money is out to get him—and things just got personal. 

Will just wants those who hurt Beth brought to justice, but he must find out who’s responsible for setting that blast— the first of many to come, if he figures right. With the timber business leveling the forests around Lake Tahoe, and the silver mines clamoring for the necessary wood, the arsonists could be working for anyone. Those who don’t believe in the deforestation process will go to any lengths to save the woodlands, but those who need the jobs lumbering provides are just as determined.

In a race against time, Will is forced to work with an old nemesis, private investigator Dale Paris, to try to stop the arsonists and save the sawmills from disaster. Can they stop the bloodshed? At any price, Will is determined to have CLEAR CUT JUSTICE…   

EXCERPT

“It’s so beautiful,” she said. So clear, so untouched until they built those sawmills and sunk all the pilings. And look at the slopes uphill. Those slopes once held a forest of pine trees. Now, only a few small trees and saplings sprout here and there. It looks stripped.”

Will replied as he closed his eyes, “People say he destroyed the forest by clear cutting it. But Bliss told me he leaves all trees less than twelve inches across because he knows he’ll have to come back in a few years for more wood, and if he did cut everything he’d be out of business,”

“He might think he is preserving some part of the forest, but if you look around, it sure doesn’t seem like there is any timberland left. Lots of people down in Carson City are not shy about saying Bliss ruined Tahoe.”

“You’re right about that,” Will added. “There are some who think the fires last year in two of the mills were started on purpose by those who were mad about the logging.”

As if Will’s comment on fire called up lurking powers of destruction, an explosion rocked the beach, the meadow and Glenbrook House itself. To Will, it felt like the entire harbor moved. The violence and upheaval was enhanced by the deafening sound. He jumped up, losing his hat, but instantly noticing the mass of wood and metal pieces flying into the air amid dark smoke.