Hard Country

Justice Is Never Clean. Out Here It's Personal.

From the dust-choked trails of the frontier to the shadowed backroads of the modern West, Hard Country portrays the raw, unflinching heart of Western crime, asking the same hard questions that have always defined the West: Who holds the line? Who bends? Who survives when justice comes due?

Featuring a powerhouse mix of award winners, fan favorites, and New York Times bestsellers-including C.J. Box, Jonathan Maberry, Jeffery Deaver, Heather Graham, W. Michael Gear, and M. William Phelps-Hard Country delivers a brand-new Joe Ledger story from Maberry, a sharp-turn Ty Dawson case from Baron Birtcher, and a thrilling Conor Armenta adventure from Jefferson Glass.

They're joined by a formidable slate of Western and crime-fiction veterans-Johnny Boggs, Larry D. Sweazy, Phillip Thompson, J.B. Stevens, Paul Colt, Phil Mills, Jr., W. Michael Farmer, Mike Blakely, Rik "Yonder" Goodell, and more-each delivering fast-paced, high-stakes stories set in landscapes that feel carved from iron.

With punchy storytelling, characters who live and die by their own rules, and the same unforgiving edge that makes Western crime so unforgettable, Hard Country takes readers on a journey through the violence, sacrifice, honor, and stark beauty of the American West. All proceeds benefit the U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund, supporting the families of those who gave everything in the line of duty.

Author: Reavis Z. Wortham,C. J. Box,Jeffery Deaver
Publisher: Hat Creek
Published: 04/28/2026
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.78lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.68d
ISBN: 9798892991131

About the Author
Wortham, Reavis Z.: - New York Times Bestselling Author and multiple Spur Award winner Reavis Z. Wortham retired in 2011 and now works harder than before as the author of several series. He is also the recipient of six Will Rogers Medallion Awards, most recently taking the Gold for The Texas Job, a historical crime novel set in the 1930s East Texas oilfields. Kirkus Reviews listed Wortham's first novel, The Rock Hole, as one of their Top 12 Mysteries of 2011, going so far as to compare it with To Kill a Mockingbird. True West Magazine included his novel, Dark Places, as one of 2015's Top 12 Modern Westerns. The Providence Journal writes, "This year's Unraveled is a hidden gem of a book that reads like Craig Johnson's Longmire on steroids." When he isn't writing, he travels as a guest speaker for numerous organizations and clubs, and teaches writing in a variety of venues.Box, C. J.: - C.J. Box is an American author best known for his Joe Pickett mystery series, which features a Wyoming game warden navigating corruption and crime. A Wyoming native, Box has published over 30 novels, including the Cassie Dewell series and several standalones, often focusing on Western landscapes, wildlife, and environmental issues.Deaver, Jeffery: - Jeffery Deaver is an international number-one bestselling author. His novels have appeared on bestseller lists around the world. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into twenty-five languages. He has served two terms as president of Mystery Writers of America, and was recently named a Grand Master of MWA, whose ranks include Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Mary Higgins Clark and Walter Mosely.The author of fifty novels, 120 short stories and a nonfiction law book, and a lyricist of a country-western album, he's received or been shortlisted for dozens of awards.His The Bodies Left Behind was named Novel of the Year by the International Thriller Writers association, and his Lincoln Rhyme thriller The Broken Window and a stand-alone, Edge, were also nominated for that prize. The Garden of Beasts won the Steel Dagger from the Crime Writers Association in England, and he has won the Short Story Dagger from CWA, and another story was shortlisted for the award. He's also been nominated for eight Edgar Awards by the MWA.Deaver has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, the Strand Magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award and the Raymond Chandler Lifetime Achievement Award in Italy.His book A Maiden's Grave was made into an HBO movie starring James Garner and Marlee Matlin, and his novel The Bone Collector was a feature release from Universal Pictures, starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. Lifetime aired an adaptation of his The Devil's Teardrop. NBC television recently aired the nine-episode prime-time series, Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector. CBS TV is airing Tracker, a prime-time series based on his novel The Never Game, featuring his character Colter Shaw. Starring Justin Hartley. It continues to be the number-one network television show in America.