Skip to content

The Dead Ringer

This haunting Western story features a man brought back from the dead to exact revenge upon those who have wronged him, only to discover that the world is capable of good—from the author of The Houseboat and Stag

0.0 / 5.0

This haunting Western story features a man brought back from the dead to exact revenge upon those who have wronged him, only to discover that the world is capable of good—from the author of The Houseboat and Stag

Montana, 1935. Bludgeoned and buried alive by his bank-robbing partner and half brother, Benjamin Kilt should have been a corpse. But now very much on this side of heaven, Kilt’s quest for revenge will be unlike anything the West has ever seen.

Kilt is joined on his journey by Bonnie, a thirteen-year-old Indigenous girl he somewhat reluctantly rescues from her abusive “keeper.” It is through Bonnie’s recollections in old age of Kilt’s thorny quest for justice that Dane Bahr’s masterful tale unwinds, showcasing the tragic, complicated history of the two brothers and leading to a showdown at the very ranch where they were raised.

Book Details & Description

This haunting Western story features a man brought back from the dead to exact revenge upon those who have wronged him, only to discover that the world is capable of good—from the author of The Houseboat and Stag

Montana, 1935. Bludgeoned and buried alive by his bank-robbing partner and half brother, Benjamin Kilt should have been a corpse. But now very much on this side of heaven, Kilt’s quest for revenge will be unlike anything the West has ever seen.

Kilt is joined on his journey by Bonnie, a thirteen-year-old Indigenous girl he somewhat reluctantly rescues from her abusive “keeper.” It is through Bonnie’s recollections in old age of Kilt’s thorny quest for justice that Dane Bahr’s masterful tale unwinds, showcasing the tragic, complicated history of the two brothers and leading to a showdown at the very ranch where they were raised.

For readers of Charles Portis, Elmore Leonard, and Annie Proulx, The Dead Ringer explores the slippery justification of questionable deeds done for honorable ends, a bold and haunting novel featuring a man brought back from the dead to exact revenge, only to discover that the world is capable of good no matter how tragic the end may be.

Praise For This Book

“Dane Bahr has poured lines of gasoline to a single point of ignition, struck a match, and sent fires racing down trails of past, present, and future. The Dead Ringer is an epic of the American West.” —David Joy, author of Those We Thought We Knew

Continue Reading / Purchase Copy →

Sample <i>The Houseboat</i> audiobook.

Get an exclusive early peek into the gripping new psychological thriller before it hits bookstores worldwide. Plus, receive weekly craft essays directly to your inbox.

Sample <i>The Houseboat</i> audiobook.