With his hard-hitting Ralph Compton novels, Joseph A. West has laid claim to frequent spots on the USA Today best-seller list. In this thundering novel, Deputy U.S. Marshal Matt Battles has been dispatched to infiltrate a band of ruthless gunfighters gathering in Slaughter Canyon. Battles would like to avoid bloodshed, but if push comes to shove, the deputy marshal has never been one to shy away from a fight. Deputy U.S. Marshal Matt Battles has to discover why Hatfield J. Warful is gathering every notorious gunslinger in the West at his home in Slaughter Canyon. And if his mission fails, it could result in a second Civil War.