A Haunting Tale of Love, Death, and the Art of Undertaking in the American West

From award-winning author Loren D. Estleman comes The Undertaker's Wife, a gripping historical novel set in the American West.

The undertaker practices his art, the Dismal Trade, with consummate skill. Through the high craft of the Connable Method, he transforms the ugliness of death into a thing of dignity and beauty. From the rich of San Francisco to the ruffians of the Barbary Coast, from Kansas cowboys to outlaws and soldiers, he offers his expertise to all, devoted to dignifying the dead.

His wife, meanwhile, weaves and builds, striving to make their marriage whole in the face of the tragedy that surrounds them—and the devastating loss that strikes at the very heart of their union.

When the undertaker is called upon to disguise the suicide of a famous financier, a task that could save America's financial markets, his wife embarks on a secret act of understanding and dedication. In the end, it is she who, through love, transcends death itself.

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Praise for this book

“The tale of a master executioner written by a master storyteller: What more could you ask for?” —Elmore Leonard on The Master Executioner

“One feels and smells the gallows and hears the snap of the second cervical vertebra. It is a remarkable book and one I would urge you to read.” —The Amarillo News & Globe-Times (Texas) on The Master Executioner

“This is definitely a novel worth reading.” —The Roanoke Times (Virginia) on The Master Executioner

“A master craftsman at storytelling, Loren Estleman spins a fascinating and macabre account about a forgotten craftsman of the Old West, the professional hangman.” —Elmer Kelton on The Master Executioner

“Estleman's prose snaps like fresh linen Treasury bills, using a cold-eye-of-God style for a type of fiction-truer-than-fact stretching back to Defoe's true-fact novel A Journal of the Plague Year.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on The Master Executioner

“Mr. Estleman movingly conveys the brutalizing effects of killing for the law, even when you are terribly good at it.” —The Economist on The Master Executioner

“A wonderful storyteller who generally doesn't get the serious critical attention he deserves because he writes in genre, Estleman delivers an unforgettable Western shrouded in tragedy and death.” —Publishers Weekly's "The Year in Books" on The Master Executioner

“Estleman has given us a somber, yet compelling, story [with a] crushing conclusion.” —The Denver Post on The Master Executioner




About the AuthorLoren D. Estleman, the author of more than fifty books, is admired for both his novels of the West and his crime novels. His many books include the Amos Walker series, the Valentino Mysteries, and Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula. A nominee for the National Book Award, he has won five Spur Awards. Estleman lives in Michigan with his wife, author Deborah Morgan.
Title: The Undertaker's Wife
Author(s): Loren D. Estleman
ISBN: 9781429911832
Copyright 2010
Release Date: July 06, 2010
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: mobi,ePub | Learn More about our supported formats
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