Former Red River TV series star Clint Lawson's Wild West show is in town, the prize act in the annual festival, which the sponsoring bookshop is presiding over. He strains a leg due to a sabotaged saddle strap. His stand-in, Dogie, is fatally shot while starring in his place, so who was the intended target? Evidence seems to pile up against Clint, so the chief simply jails him without further investigation. However, the bookshop sleuths team digs up dirty secrets from their past and that of other show cast, such as ex-con announcer Jeb Fletcher, Clint's ex-lover Annie whom he promised a movie part like Strother Elam, and Zeke Foster, who secretly deals in illegitimate Red River memorabilia.—KGF Vissers

When former TV star Clint Taylor brings his Wild West show into town, murder becomes the featured attraction for bookstore owner Samantha Kinsey. Samantha is chairperson this year of Walden's annual Wild West Days and it's quite a coup bringing the ruggedly handsome Taylor and his band of cowboys into town for the event. The actor hasn't been in the limelight for years, but with a big comeback movie in the works he has gathered together much of the cast of his old TV show for his arena extravaganza. After Taylor stages an accident for publicity, Samantha learns this is not one big happy family. When somebody shoots Taylor's stand-in during a performance, Samantha calls upon her friends, Cassie and Philby, to help her find out which cowpoke pulled the trigger and why.—Anonymous