Shadows on the Canyon
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Set in Nevada’s breathtaking high desert, where water is more precious than gold, this captivating series debut tells a powerful tale of family conflict, divided loyalties, and romantic drama, as change in the name of progress threatens the land, its inhabitants, and a treasured way of life that’s rugged but free.
From a time beyond memory, the Banderas River has supplied lifegiving water to the town of Wickiup and the surrounding cattle ranches. But plans to block it with a massive concrete dam are moving forward. The lake created will rise to cover the town, destroying all in its path, including the cherished wildlife. For chief engineer Noah Blackhurst, the dam means jobs, profit, and plenty of water. Not everyone sees it that way.
For Cass Taggart, whose family owns the valley’s largest ranch, the losses will be made even more devastating by the forced, brutal removal of the canyon’s magnificent herd of wild mustangs, led by a regal stallion and his mare. Cass knows the drill—her abusive ex-husband works for the Bureau of Land Management and will lead the operation. The horses will be rounded up with helicopters, penned, separated from their tightknit family bands, and auctioned off or sent to slaughter in Mexico.
But Cass intends to put up a fight.
She’s been photographing the horses, planning to flood social media with images to rouse opposition. She doesn’t expect her efforts to turn shockingly deadly—or to bring her into close contact with Noah. Too close. For while they’re adversaries, they’re also powerfully drawn to one another.
As corrupt politics and family infighting escalate, tensions rise across the valley. Cass, too, is torn apart as she clashes with Noah. Still, she’s determined to show him what’s at stake—for the land, and for them both.
Janet Dailey
Janet Dailey's first book -- a Harlequin romance -- was published in 1976. In the twenty years since, she has written 89 more novels and become the third largest selling female author in the world, with 300 million copies of her books sold in 19 languages in 98 countries. Her most recent bestsellers, Masquerade, Rivals, and Heiress, have all sold more than one million copies each. She is known for her strong, decisive characters, her extraordinary ability to re-create a time and place, and her unerring courage to confront important, controversial issues, like alcoholism and sexual abuse, in her stories.
All of her novels are meticulously researched, an endeavor she shares with her husband, Bill Dailey. The couple met in 1963, when Janet worked as a secretary for the construction company Bill owned. The two travel extensively to scout story locations, and have visited all 50 states; these days, they are likely to fly, but miss the time when they drove cross country, a trailer attached to their car. Janet Dailey also reads voraciously about every aspect of any subject she writes about; as she remarks, ""Accuracy is important in genre fiction; you have to get it right, zero in on the real details. That's the way to make writing come alive and not irritate the readers with carelessness.""
When they are not traveling, the couple spend time at their home on the shore of Lake Taneycomo in Branson, Missouri. It is the part of the country Dailey loves best, partly because, she says, ""The people around me are more interested in their problems and their lives, and that sort of keeps me in touch with reality. They think it's nice that I write, but they really couldn't care less.""
Allison Janney has been featured on Broadway (Present Laughter), in films (Big Night and First Wives Club) and on television shows on all four networks.
More by Janet Dailey
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