Ordinary people do not understand Oscar Stone. Everything he does, he does impeccably. He is a profound student of his art, completely versed in its traditions over the centuries. He is a student of ropes and their properties, a master of the latest scientific knowledge about the human neck, a careful calculator of weights and drops, and an exacting observer of results.
For more than a quarter of a century he has worked to create a reputation as a man peerless in his craft: the master executioner.
Yet he is utterly alone: His devotion to his work costs him his marriage. Suddenly, one day, a piece of his past catches him unawares, and Oscar comes to a moment of devastating truth. For the first time, he knows himself.
“The tale of a master executioner written by a master storyteller: What more could you ask for?” —Elmore Leonard
“One feels and smells the gallows and hears the snap of the second cervical vertebrae. It is a remarkable book and one I would urge you to read.” —The Amarillo News & Globe-Times, Texas
“This is definitely a novel worth reading.” —The Roanoke Times, Virginia
