A Hanging at Cinder Bottom

A Hanging at Cinder Bottom opens in the town of Keystone, West Virginia, in 1910, with Abe Baach, the town's most skilled card player, and Goldie Toothman, the graceful madam of the local brothel, headed to the gallows. They are both gorgeous, poised, calm, and (strangely) in control of the situation. You get the feeling they won't hang. Taylor's novel, which takes you back in time to learn how Abe and Goldie got into this pickle and forward to see how they get out of it, is a smart and very fun caper tale: think Lonesome Dove meets The Sting.