Native Ground

Shamans have long told stories of a naturally-occurring mineral possessing so much healing power it would cost the global pharmaceutical industry billions in profits if found. A brilliant but deranged physician covertly discovers a deposit of the stuff under the ground on old Cody McPherson's ranch in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The mineral is called montmorillonite, and "Doc" intends to lay his hands on it at any cost. Cody is murdered in a remote corner of his 8,400-acre ranch. His horse Boone is the only witness, and the two murderers go undetected. Hundreds of miles distant, Tom Larkin leaves Saint Paul, Minnesota on a quest to find himself, and just maybe save his marriage. Larkin's obsession with owning the dead rancher's land has set him on a collision course with the killers. His immediate obsession with Eva, an exotic local woman, leads Larkin into a passionate alliance that nearly destroys him and his marriage. Eva has an illegitimate child by Doc, who coerced her to betray Larkin. Finally, Eva makes a courageous stand. But did she wait too long? Using information Eva supplied to them, the killers have laid their trap for Larkin. Now his life is in play. Larkin breaks the law, his wife's heart and his personal code of ethics to stay alive. Along the way, he learns the painful difference between what he covets and what he holds most dear. Native Ground is a thought-provoking, yet thoroughly delightful romp through the mystical Black Hills, the erotic adventures of Eva Shepherd, and Tom Larkin's gut-wrenching journey in search of meaning in an anything-for-money world.