Mystery Fiction Features Western Culture and Morality in the Nineteenth Century

Book author Andrew Burch presents a book that is heavily influenced by his deep interest in Western culture and concept of morality in the 19th century. Cactus Jumpers is a fiction that tells the story about the mysterious murder of a woman in the peaceful town of Emerald, California. With the help of a town minister and a group of nonconformists, Marshal Mason Boydette strived to solve the mystery. Along the way, they discovered the existent yet hideous political power struggle between the head of the Rancher’s Association and a local business tycoon who owns almost half of the town. The book is heavily inspired by classic Western trope. Kirkus Reviews states, “The book succeeds in developing a strong sense of place that evokes Bonanza and John Wayne movies… A traditional Western that embraces the clear division between right and wrong, the role of the hero, and the power of redemption…” Burch focused predominantly on character development. He spent enough time to foster each character’s back story while improving the physical and emotional interaction between. As the story progresses, he integrated moral lessons in the plot and setting. Moreover, Burch advises readers that even if they don’t like westerns, they won’t regret reading Cactus Jumpers. His faith statement is, “I believe that if you read the first 30 pages of this novel, you will want to read more.”...press release